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Hill 70, stands with Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele as among the key Canadian battles of the First World War. Lt.-General Arthur Currie was fighting his first battle as the corps commander at Hill 70. After detailed preparations, the Canadian assault on 15 August worked as Currie had planned. The enemy counter-attacked 21 times over four days but never retook the hill, and instead left behind thousands of dead and dying on its slopes.

Currie knew that his army commander, Sir Henry Horne, had called for Lens to be taken and he felt the pressure to keep moving forward. Even with this setback, and more than 9,000 casualties by 25 August, Hill 70 was an overwhelming victory for the Canadians.

Reference: Canadian Virtual Military Museum