<P> The battle began on 1 July 1916, and among the first troops to leave their trenches were the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment . Newfoundland at the time was not a part of the Canadian confederation but was considered a separate dominion; as a result, the Newfoundlanders advanced as part of the 29th Division, not the Canadian Corps . The attack went very poorly for the Newfoundlanders, resulting in massive casualties--of the 801 men that made up the regiment just the day before, only 68 reported for roll call on 2 July, and every officer that had gone over the top had been killed . </P> <P> The Canadian Corps entered the battle in September when it was tasked to secure the small town of Courcelette, France . In the major offensive which began at dawn on September 15 the Canadian Corps, on the extreme left of the attack, assaulted on a 2,200 - yard sector west of the village of Courcelette . By November 11, the 4th Canadian Division finally secured most of the German trenches in Courcelette and then rejoined the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge . </P> <P> The Battle of the Somme claimed more than 24,000 Canadian casualties . But it also gave Canadian units the reputation of a formidable assault force . As British Prime Minister Lloyd George wrote, "The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as shock troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another . Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line they prepared for the worst ." </P> <P> For the first time, all four Canadian divisions were to be assembled to operate in combat as a corps . The Canadian divisions were joined by the British 5th Infantry Division, and reinforced by artillery, engineer and labour units . The Canadian Corps was supported to the north by the 24th British Division of I Corps which advanced north of the Souchez river and by the advancing XVII Corps to the south . The attack began at 5: 43 a.m. on Easter Monday, 9 April 1917 whereupon every artillery piece at the disposal of the Canadian Corps began firing . Light field guns laid down a barrage which advanced in predetermined increments, often 100 yards (91 m) every three minutes, while medium and heavy howitzers established a series of standing barrages further ahead, against known defensive systems . </P>

What was canada's role in world war 1