CAMBRAI SOUVENIR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 166, 29 May 1940, Page 5

CAMBRAI SOUVENIR

KEY TO OLD TOWN HALL IN ROTORUA RESIDENT'S POSSESSION An interesting and in its way a tragic souvenir in view of the present fighting around Cambrai, is in the possession of a Rotorua resident, Mr A. Beeson, in the shape of J the old key of the Cambrai Town | Hall. This was secured by Mr Beeson in October, 1918 when, as a gunner in the Third Canadian Division which captured Cambrai, Mr Beeson Avas a member of the advance party which first entered the ruined town, their mission being to search for mines and other traps likely to have been left by the retreating Germans. The door of the Town Hall was open and the key was removed from it by the officer in charge of the party who gave it to Mr Beeson as a souvenir. Mr Beeson has also in his possession a diary which indicates the severity of the lighting in that region on the great advance with preceded the Armistice. At that time the Germans were abandoning their aeroplanes for lack of petrol and the majority of the German dead found on the field had had their boots removed. The Canadians advanced to attack Cambrai late in September and on September 27 had crossed the Canal du Nord and occupied Bourlon Wood. They penetrated the suburbs of the town itself first on October 2 and occupied the centre of the town by October 8. On October 11, commenced the great advance to Mons which was taken on November 8 and followed by the Armistice on November 11.