W.O.H. Dodds - Operation Orders of 2nd Divistion for the Battle of Vimy Ridge report
A report marked "Secret" and includes the 3rd revision of instructions for the 2nd Canadian Division on the attack of Vimy Ridge issued March 24, 1917. Included in the report are: notes on crater areas; machine gun scheme; ammunition; artillery action; notes on the general situation; brigade formation; and a summary of operations. Contributor: Major Macdougall, 3rd Canadian Division; G.C. Williams, Lt-Col. Controller of Mines, First Army; A.W. Webber. Biography: BRIGADIER GENERAL W. O. H. DODDS, C.M.G., D.S.O. was born on 3 July 1867 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and died in Montreal on 25 August 1934, at 67 years of age. He was manager of the Montreal Agency of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, and much involved in and a keen supporter of sports and athletics in that city. Prior to the Great War BGen. Dodds had been a militia officer, a Major in the Artillery (3rd Montreal Battery) although his military career began in the 5th Royal Highlanders. He also served in the Canadian Grenadier Guards and the Royal Montreal Regiment. In 1914 he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force and became Officer Commanding the 1st Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, at Valcartier Camp and shortly thereafter was promoted to Lieut. Colonel. For a time he was Adjutant of the 1st Brigade, C.F.A., commanded by LCol. E. W. B. Morrison. Sailed with the First Contingent, C.E.F., for England in October 1914. He succeeded LCol. Morrison as Commanding Officer of the 1st Bde., C.F.A., and served in France with the 1st Cdn. Division. LCol. Dodds, later in 1915, commanded the 5th Bde., C.F.A., on Salisbury Plain and in France with the 2nd Cdn. Div. Returned to England in September 1916 to command the 8th Cdn. Training Bde. and almost immediately, in October 1916, was appointed C.R.A. (Commanding or Commander Royal Artillery) 4th Cdn. Div., with the rank of Brigadier General. On 29 March 1917 the 4th Cdn. Div. Artillery became the 5th Cdn. Div. Artillery following the reorganization of the artillery of the Canadian Corps. The 5th Cdn. Div. Arty. went to France in the late summer of 1917 and thereafter fought in all major offensives as Corps Troops. BGen. Dodds later served in Germany as part of the Occupation Forces, and for a short time, as Military Governor of the city of Bonn. Despite efforts to return to the insurance business, it was June 1919 before BGen. Dodds returned to Montreal to continue his civilian career. In New York he was among the first few foreigners to be appointed to an Honourary Life Membership and a Companion of the Military Order of the Society of American Wars, New York Branch. Later he became Honourary Colonel of the Royal Montreal Regiment and, in 1929, Honourary Colonel Commandant, Canadian Artillery.
- In Collection:
- 38 pages
- Instructions for the Offensive No. 3 for 2nd Cdn. Div. for the attack on Vimy Ridge, issued by LCol. A.W. Webber, General Staff, 2nd Cdn. Div., 24 Mar. 1917 with amendments...
- SECRET. 2nd Canadian Division, March 24th, 1917, Copy No. 29. Instructions for the Offensive No. 3
- 50.37243, 2.81034
- Victoria to Vimy First World War Collection
- Accession Number: 1999-033, File: 1.6.2
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/william-okell-holden-dodds-fonds
- Metadata by M. Gerber and K. Bohlman. Migration metadata by KD.
- Rights
- This material may be protected by copyright. Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- DOI
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