Description of the action at Fontaine by Lieutenant Carroll Chevalier Carstairs, Intelligence Officer with 3rd Battalion The Grenadier Guards, November 1917

The village of Fontaine-Notre-Dame was attacked during the Battle of Cambrai (1917) on 21 November 1917 by troops from 51st (Highland) Division supported by tanks. As the fighting developed, reinforcements joined the fray and on 26 November the 3rd Grenadier Guards took over a section of line. They attacked with the rest of 2nd Guards Brigade the following morning. After vicious fighting and repeated German counter-attacks, the battalion was relieved on 28 November after sustaining heavy casualties. Carstairs ends his report by noting that of the twelve tanks supposed to support the attack on the 27 November no 'more than 4 turned up'.

From a letter book of correspondence and papers from officers serving with 3rd Battalion The Grenadier Guards, sent to regimental headquarters, containing details of their experiences with the battalion in France and Flanders.