The opening battle of the 100 Days campaign had been successfully executed at Amiens on Amiens August 8-10, 1918 spearheaded by the Canadian and Australian Corps.  The tactical strategy for the campaign was based on using deception and surprise to conduct material heavy attacks that would see a shifting series of concentric attacks to keep the enemy off balance forcing them to react and commit their dwindling reserves. As had happened at Amiens, once the limits of the breakthrough and penetration of the German line had been successfully executed and the German resistance stiffened as they committed reserves, the attack would stop. The spearhead would then rapidly shift to a new location and conduct a new attack.

In late August 1918, the Canadian Corps left the ground captured during the Amiens battle and shifted to the Arras to begin operations against the Hindenburg Line. By August 26^th the Corps was advancing on a broad front with the main road from Arras to Cambrai as their axis of advance.  Units of the 1^st Canadian Division, including the 15^th Battalion, were on the right of that axis advancing through Wancourt and Cherisy towards the main objective which was the Drocourt-Queant Line near Hendecourt , Cagnicourt and Buissy.  Guarding the approach to the D-Q Line was The Crow’s Nest which the 15^th Battalion would assault on September 1^st.

1045864 Private Rudolf Edwin Mehring was 24 year old auto worker from Detroit, MI when he attested into the 241^st Battalion (Canadian Scottish Borderers) in March 1917. He arrived as a reinforcement to the 15^th Battalion in June 1917 and was assigned to No. 3 Company.  He served in every one of the battalion’s many trench tours throughout 1917 and 1918 as well as the battles of Passchendaele and Amiens. In the early morning of August 29^th, Private Mehring was sheltering in a trench that was hit by shellfire and he was killed instantly by a fragment that struck him in the head. He is buried in Achicourt Road Cemetery.

NOK: Son of Michael and Gottliebin Mehring, of 3021, Lycaste Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.  Michael Mehring (F) 865 Lennox Ave., Detroit, Michigan, USA