British Trench Raids

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi All,

Being fascinated by this subtopic of the First World War, I thought it would be good if we could concentrate one thread on the forum that focuses on this area of the war.

If possible, I was hoping that the pals of the forum would share their stories and knowledge of this subject. What is interesting is that it is one area of the War where the troops were empowered to be less orthodox and more imaginative in their tactics, weapons, and dress.

Starting the ball rolling, last night I was reading in Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, by Siegfried Sassoon, on page 19:

So I took off my tunic, slipped my old raincoat on over my leather waistcoat, dumped my tin hat on my head, and picked up my nail-studded knobkerrie.

And,

But there no looking-glasses and banjos, and they were brandishing knobkerries, stuffing Mill's bombs into their pockets and hatchets into their belts,...

Staying on the 'hatchet' theme, I had previously read in Haunting Years by William Linton Andrews, page 52:

…I think the Leicester’s, going into a charge. We were near enough to see butcher's cleavers and hatchets hanging from some of the men’s belts.

Does anyone know of a similar account of hatchets being used; or have a picture of hatchets/cleavers being and carried?

Any contribution is much appreciated

Aye

Tom McC

[Max Poilu]

Have not really come across discussion of hatchets (similar to machetes I guess?) but any decent weapon would have found it's way into a raiders armoury. There is a pic of a Great War machete in this weekends 'billhook' topic. Lots of discussion on trench clubs in year's gone by - a search should bring up lots on those. Here is a nice pic (reference to Chamber's 'Uniforms & Equipment of the British Army in WW1') of a group of RF raiders - fancy a Stokes mortar being chucked down your dugout?!

[A.A.Savery]

This is indeed a fascinating subject Tom.

I'll watch this one with interest for now and perhaps chip in later with one or two of my own questions if that's okay.

Cheers,

Tony

[roel22]

Wasn't there something about using shovels instead of bayonets in All Quiet on the Western Front? (forgot the reason why...)

[truthergw]

The Imperial War Museum used to display a fearsome array of raiding weapons. Including if I remember correctly, a club with barbed wire round the business end.

[A.A.Savery]

Wasn't there something about using shovels instead of bayonets in All Quiet on the Western Front? (forgot the reason why...)

Roel,

Here is a quote from Time:

Never use a bayonet, he says; while you are pulling it out of a man's stomach, his comrade will get you. A shovel, on the other hand, can take your enemy's head off in one quick motion, leaving you free to defend yourself.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...,948808,00.html

Tony

[Max Poilu]

The Imperial War Museum used to display a fearsome array of raiding weapons. Including if I remember correctly, a club with barbed wire round the business end.

Part of that display:

This is a discussion on the Welsh Cledd as pictured here also: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...99&hl=clubs

[Max Poilu]

Here are a few various clubs - as noted before lots of discussion on these in the past. Beware if looking to buy one, the vast majority out there are fakes, especially the lead headed type with spikes/nails/iron studs. The 'standard' issue' cast lead type that fitted on to an entrenching tool and was originally manufactured in France by the RE's was also being remade by a friend a few years back (in France). He made some very nice repros of the French Nail too - buyer beware as always...

[A.A.Savery]

Hi Max,

Didn't they need a caddie to carry all those clubs?

Sorry if this quip has been made before.

Seriously though, each one must have it's own story.

Tony

[Smithmaps]

I have seen the above collection, and the left hand one at the bottom belonged to Richards uncle, Lt Ashley and had been used on many raids.

A weighted titanium spiked trench club would go clean through a German Helmet, killing the occupant, and was a lot more use in the dark than a rifle.

Guy

[Tom A McCluskey]

Great Stuff so far!

Max,

Good picture of the chaps 'tooled up!'. Looks like the middle man of the rear rank has an automatic pistol in his left hand. The stokes bomb - I think I have read a reference of these being thrown into dug-outs, possibly by the Ulster Division on the Somme?

Aye

Tom McC

[truthergw]

Great Stuff so far!

Max,

Good picture of the chaps 'tooled up!'. Looks like the middle man of the rear rank has an automatic pistol in his left hand. The stokes bomb - I think I have read a reference of these being thrown, possibly by the Ulster Division on the Somme?

Aye

Tom McC

I have seen a reference to a bundle of mortar bombs wired together with a Mills bomb as ' detonator'. Also cans of petrol with Mills bomb, but that may have been mopping up parties in an attack. Duplication of weapons and tactics perhaps?

[Max Poilu]

Anyone interested in the hardware of raids, look out for Saunders books:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...amp;hl=saunders

Personally speaking, if I was going on a raid a 20 inch lead club and a bag of Mills would be my choice...having said that, finding room for a Browning and a German Imperial trench dagger - the 6 inch grooved walnut handle 'standard' type would be a good idea too!

[A.A.Savery]

I’d be interested to know how a raiding party was chosen.

Were these all crack soldiers and the pick of the bunch?

Were they chosen for their recent performances whilst training behind the lines?

I’ve no doubt that a ‘horses for courses’ system would have been used according to the task involved.

For instance, bombers and bayonet specialists. What would the balance be?

Tony

[jhill]

I am posting this snippet from an operational order for an early trench raid in November of 1915 by the 7th Canadian Infantry battalion. It is attached to the battalion war diary. The 7th Bn commander, Victor Odlum, was quite a strong personality and is sometimes credited with being the first to devise a 'proper' trench raid. Note that the raiders were not to wear identity discs. Since I believe this would have contradicted other standing orders I wonder if this was a short-lived innovation.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Tony,

I think the size of the raid (depending on the mission), the experience of the men, and when it was (1914 - 1918) would have some bearing on who would be on the nominal roll. The reason for saying this, is that some time into the war, I noticed that volunteering for duty was deemed to be a bad idea (by the 4th BW) on page 92 of Haunting Years and it was dropped - as a nucleus of good men were deemed to be exposed to the greater amount of danger, due to them always volunteering.

Some of the raids appear to be very detailed in their planning and execution and often involved cooperation with adjacent units and supporting elements (Mines, Artillery, Machine Guns, additional Battalions)

Here is a scaling of armament table for a 4/5th Black Watch raid. The men were from B Company, the planning for this successful raid is quite detailed.

Aye

Tom McC

[Tom A McCluskey]

Hi All,

This is from Craftsmen of the Army pages 19-20, with reference the Knobkerries, some of which look quite professionally made:

The demand for manufacture fell heavily upon these [base] workshops and arose from the shortage of gun spares, from modifications due to field experience, defects, and from the flood of inventive ideas calling for new equipment and devices. The service water-cart was an example was an example of an article surviving years in peace and failing in war. Its filter-system broke down under the stress of travelling, and the remedy necessitated reconstruction – a very big item seeing that hundreds were involved. The time lag between an urgently needed modification such as this could be incorporated into new production at home consequently led to local improvisation, followed by a rush order on the base workshop.

The demands for new equipment and devices, added to the steady requirement for more domestic amenities, makes a bewildering list that includes incendiary bombs, stabbing knifes, knobkerries, braziers, pistons, special spanners, wheelbarrows, tables and forms, stove-pipe attachments to conceal the flash of machine guns. 8,100 anti-aircraft sights for automatic weapons before a single one arrived from the United Kingdom.

Concerning knobkerries, along with the IWM, I have seen some good examples of trench fighting tools at the National Army Museum, and at the Devon & Dorset’s excellent museum in Dorchester

Hope this is if interest.

Aye

Tom McC

[Tom A McCluskey]

Orders for a raid, Part One:

Aye

Tom McC

Map

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

The German soldier often used a sharpened field shovel, it was a handy tool at close quarters. The Germans in the 28th Reserve Division complained on at least one occasion that the British used flashlights (torches) attached to rifles in order to blind the German soldiers and one carried a home made knife made of a sharp piece of metal, possibly from a shell? It had a wooden handle. Of course there was the normal materials captured including rifles, hand grenades and a unique method of crossing barbed wire, canvas stretched between two long poles and thrown over the wire to be used as a bridge.

Ralph

[DaveBrigg]

The following is from the diary of the 18th KRRC, 12th July 1916, who were near Ypres.

"The day passed quietly. At night the Bn carried out a raid upon the enemy’s trenches. The raiding party consisted of Lieuts G.H. Wingfield and T. J. H. Fryer with 28 other ranks. The starting point was trench 125 which was held by the 15th Bn Hampshire Regiment. The party left the PIGGERIES at 8.45 PM and moved up to trench 125 from which they were to advance. Zero hour was fixed at 10.40 PM. Ten minutes before this time the raiding party left the trench & crawled forward to within about 35 yards of the enemy line. The raid was carried out in three parties composed of the following: Party A Lieut Fryer & 9 O.R. of whom Lieut Fryer and 5 carried knobkerries & wire cutters & two men on each flank carried rifles. Party B 10 bombers, each carrying a knobkerrie & 10 bombs. Party C Lieut Wingfield & 9 men carrying knobkerries & hooks.

On reaching the enemy wire the party found the wire intact except for a narrow gap about the width of a small gateway. They observed very new knife rests so that presumably the enemy had put these out as soon as it was dusk, as the artillery had cut a considerable gap in the wire during the day. The party reached the enemy wire without opposition & got through the above mentioned gap. As soon as the first men were through intense rifle & machine gun fire was opened upon them & rifle grenades were fired. Three men advanced gallantly towards the enemy trench & got within a short distance of it, one of these C/6952 Rfn J. Norton afterwards reported that it was full of Germans. It was apparent that the enemy were waiting for the raiding party & it was quite impossible for them to advance in the face of the heavy fire directed upon them. By this time several men were wounded. Lieut G.H. Wingfield advanced most gallantly through the wire & had his arm badly shattered. As he was making his way back he was again hit in the stomach. He was carried in with difficulty, but died directly they had got him into the trench. As soon as the impossibility of making any progress became apparent the party were ordered to retire by Lieut Fryer. Stretchers were sent for from the 16th Hampshire Regt & the work of getting in the wounded commenced. Sgt Gryson & Rfn Jones & Chamberlain were prominent in the work, going backwards and forwards several times between our trenches & the German wire. Valuable assistance was also rendered to our men by the 15th Hampshire Regt, of which one officer was killed. Lieut Fryer was unwounded & did very valuable work throughout the operation. The failure of the raid can only be attributed to the fact that the enemy was obviously expecting it which was not to be wondered at owing to the very large number of raids which had recently been carried out on this front. N.B.(The enemy threw a number of bombs at the raiders which were found to be very ineffective)

The Total Casualties were

Killed Lieut G.H. Wingfield O.R. 1

Wounded O. R. 13

Missing O. R. 1"

The instructions for the raid run to 5 pages - it was preceded by a Trench Mortar bombardment with each gun of a four gun battery firing 180 rounds, and a man every 25 yards throwing two smoke bombs and one candle every minute. Is it any wonder that the enemy knew they were coming?

Second Lieutenant Wingfield's details are here http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...?casualty=94869

[Tom A McCluskey]

Dave,

Thanks for the details of the raid carried out by the 18 KRRC.

Reference the knobkerrie, albeit not a raid there is a bit about its use on page 210-211, of Martin Middlebrook's The First day on the Somme:

The fighting hereabouts was fierce, hand-to-hand combat. 'I went over the top at 2.30 pm in the second wave with our bombers. Just as I was about to jump into the German trench, a Jerry made a lunge at me with his bayonet, but I stepped back a little and he just took a small piece out of my thigh. Instead of a rifle I had a knobkerrie, which the bombers used for trench fighting. I hit out at him and sank it deep into his forehead. In the scuffle his helmet came off and I saw that he was a bald-headed old man. I have never forgotten that bald head and I don't suppose I ever will. Poor old devil!'

Aye

Tom McC

[Matt Dixon]

Have a look on the Long Long Trail and there is the war diary of the 2nd Middlesex, which describes a trench raid in some detail.

http://www.1914-1918.net/Diaries/wardiary-2msex.htm

[saberhagen427]

From the 1/5th Lincs war diary:

18/10/16:

From O. C. Left Forcing and Clearing Party.

To O. C. Raid.

Sir,

I have to report that in conjunction with the Blocking Party the Forcing and Clearing Parties entered the German trench and at once started working their way to the right as arranged. The height of the trench at our point of entry was I should say 7 ft., after proceeding some 16yards we came across an entrance to a dug-out down which we threw two Mills bombs, I then further advanced with my party and passed word behind to Sgt. Lamming to deal with the dug-out On proceeding round the next traverse we observed a German sentry looking down upon us. Pte. Boulton and myself immediately fired and on getting around the traverse we found the sentry lying in the trench dead, he had been posted on a firing step which was about 5 ft from the bottom of the trench, we endeavoured to pass him along the trench but being a man of good physique and the trench being narrow this was found to be impossible. Proceeding on a few more yards we came across the entrance of another dug-out from which shots were proceeding., we bombed this with "Mills" bombs and on the arrival of Sgt. Lamming he threw a 'P' bomb. The entry to this dug-out which like the other one ran underneath the parapet consisted of a long straight passage some 15 yards long with a very gentle decline, the other dug-out was a steep one with steps and Sgt. Lamming agrees with me that it was of exceptional depth judging from what we could see and the sound of our Mills bombs exploding. By this time the recall had been sounded so Sgt. Lamming and myself who had been endeavouring to get the leather equipment off the dead German had to leave, but we pulled one of his shoulder straps off with "180" on it and made our way out of the trench and so back to our own.

As far as I could observe the German trench was exceedingly well built, gridded underfoot and revetted with stout timberposts and lined with planks in some parts and hurdles in others. The depth of the trench varied considerably, in some parts it was quite 10 ft from the grids to the parapet top and at the others only about 5 ft but this might be due to destruction by our shell fire. I should like to add that I received every support from all N. C. O's and men of my party and would particularly bring to your notice the conduct of Pte Boulton, who although wounded in two places half way through the engagement carried on until the recall.

(sd). E. Ross. Squire. 2/Lieut.

5th Lincolns.

A Co.

19th. October 1916.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Matt,

I have not read the link before, but many thanks for that. The raid by the 2nd Middlesex looks like the same template as the 4/5th Black Watch one and also similar numbers involved, so I am wondering if it was an SOP.

Gavin,

An excellent excerpt from the 5th Lincolns. Do you know where the raid was conducted? As the trenches sound a bit narrow for the prepared German defences, so I was wondering if it was in the southern area of the Somme where the British had forced the Germans back?

Aye

Tom McC

[Desmond7]

Raid report from start June 1916. Click on link .. some nice stuff for RE demolition enthusiasts. No fisticuffs but generally all seemed to go well!

http://www.freewebs.com/ballymenaww1/12rirmayjune16.htm