On September 15 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette the village was included in the extreme left of the British attack. It was taken by the 2nd Canadian Division supported by tanks. The 4th and 6th Brigades stormed the outer trenches and a sugar factory while the 5th Brigade seized the village.
Later the Regina Trench was attacked by the Canadian 2nd Division during the night of October 3. They suffered losses of more than 6,500 before they were relieved by the Canadian 3rd Division. They were to sustain a further 3,000 casualties before in turn they were relived by the Canadian 4th Division. By mid-October conditions were appalling with deep mud, water, rain and mist making mere existence a trial in itself. Shell bursts were smothered in mud, artillery positions and dugouts were flooded and it became almost impossible to move men or supplies around.
Most of Regina Trench was captured eventually on October 21. The weather then intervened – such that it was not until November 10 that an attack could be made on that portion of it remaining in German hands. That night the Canadians attacked in moonlight – and in a short time had captured the remainder of the infamous trench.
Courcelette remained very close to the Front Line until the German retreat to the Hindenberg Line in March 1917. What had remained of the village after its capture was subsequently destroyed by German artillery fire.
