"A shell bursting in Arras" - Battle of Arras, May 1917. The photo shows Canadian troops in the town square. To the right is a sign "Chemiserie / J. Lauchlin". There is an associated LAC photo # o.1431. Photo from album which possibly belonged to Lt Reginald Vigars Prenter (RVP), 72nd Bn. The Battle of Arras (also known as the Second Battle of Arras) was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, South African, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front. Associated to WW I Medal Group: 1015490 SGT. J. BOND 72-CAN.INF Military Medal, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal. Sgt Bond was awarded his MM at Arras. By the end of the First World War, Arras was in ruins. For almost three years, from October 1914 to April 1917, the inhabitants of the city lived under the shelling of the German artillery. The old city was reduced to rubble under the methodical shelling of the German Army. The 16th-century town hall and bell tower were razed to the ground, and Saint-Vaast Abbey and much of the remaining architectural heritage in the city were destroyed. By the end of the war only 5% of the houses in the city were habitable. Arras had become a 'martyred city'. Around two-thirds of the 155 buildings lining the city squares were no longer standing. The French Government decided that faithful reproductions of these ancient buildings should be built in their original locations as a tribute to the city's medieval heritage.