Monument erected by the 48th Highlanders’ 15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project to commemorate the role of the 15th Battalion in the May 20, 1915 battle of Festubert. Click HERE to see more detail.
The Battle of Festubert was the second major engagement fought by Canadian troops in the First World War. The First Canadian Division (which included the 15th Battalion) was part of a wider British offensive against German lines near the village of Festubert, France, from 15–25 May, 1915. The result was slaughter on all sides, and precious little gained.
The attack near the village of Festubert was a renewed attempt to punch a hole in the German frontline in northeastern France, following the failed Allied assault on nearby Aubers Ridge a week earlier. The offensive also came on the heels of recent heavy fighting carried out by Canadians during the Second Battle of Ypres in April.
