1. OBJECT: To take prisoners, and to capture machine guns, equipment, log books, paper records etc.

2. PLACE: Point of entry : X.9.a.1/2. 51/2

3. FORMATIONS AND DUTIES:

1st Party: To ensure opening in our wire is clear, and to patrol No Mans Land, between the point of entry and our line. To work up the road as near as possible to the enemy wire, without being seen and to lie down by the point of entry, and to send two men back to report the all clear to the tape party, these two men to then return to patrol and send them back to retire.

The patrol then returns to our trenches and joins D Company, to act as prisoner conductors.
Should an enemy patrol be met with, our party will only advance sufficiently far to hold him, and will then send back the all clear message to the tape party. The enemy patrol cannot hold his ground when the artillery starts.

2nd Party: Tape Layers. 1 NCO and 3 men. To lay tape from the exit to the road and secure it by means of staples. When finished, join Lt Spatz’s point of entry party.

3rd Party: Raiders. 3 Officers, 9 NCO’s 54 men

a) Ammonal Torpedo Company. 1 NCO and 4 men, to carry one 20 foot Ammonal Torpedo to blow up the enemy wire, and as soon as torpedo has exploded to rush the enemy wire. If it is found necessary to use the subsidiary 6 foot torpedo, this should now be exploded in the wire. Cut away all loose wire and call all clear to following party in the rear. Make way for raiders to pass through them. Ensure that there is a clear opening for the raiders to come back through, and finally to work under orders of Lt Spatz as runners to signal the retire. If the 6 foot torpedo is not used on the wire, Lt Spatz must decide at what point it is to be exploded, but it must be destroyed by explosion before they return.

b) Lt Benson, 1 NCO, 2 Bayonet men, 3 Bombers, 2 carriers will work their way down front line trench to the right to point A, to break down all opposition they encounter, and to kill all enemy. There will not be time for taking prisoners and so all enemy must be killed. At point C, Merriot and Barker will work up the Sap to Point Z, clear it and collect anything they can find. At Point A Lt Benson and the remainder of his party to work up to Y, and collect all they can find.

c) 1 NCO, 2 Bayonet Men, 2 Bomber and 2 Carriers to follow immediately to the rear of Lt Benson’s party (b), to pass back any prisoners to the party in the rear to deal with, and to push through to Point B where they will block using bombs the front line trench. This party will not retire until one of Lt Benson’s party reports “All Clear”.

d) 1 NCO, 2 Bayonet men, 2 Bombers and 2 Carriers, to follow immediately in rear of party (c), pass back prisoners for party in rear to deal with. On arrival at point D, work up to Point W and block. Any prisoners found between D and W will be dealt with by this party. The party, on signal for retirement will return to Point D and hold the communication trench, till Lt Benson’s party comes back and holds it from them.

e) 1 NCO and 3 men to follow up immediately in rear of (d) to Point E, thence to Point F, where Corporals Maudry and Henwood work to G, and Bedwell and Herrington work to H. Prisoners found in between Points E and G, and E and H, are to be dealt with by this party.

f) 1 NCO and 8 men to enter the trench to the rear of this party, to collect prisoners between Point A and point of entry, and to pass back to Lt Spatz. Call into all dugouts “ALLE AUS!” If they don’t come out, give them 2 bombs, and then one man to go inside and see what remains. Cpl Cooper’s special duty is to look for machine guns, and to pass them back to Lt Spatz.

g) Lt G Smith, 1 NCO, 2 Bayonet Men, 3 bombers, 2 carriers, to work their way down front line trench to point K, to break down and kill all opposition, and to leave prisoners for parties in rear to deal with. At Point L, Marshall and Burgess will work to Point X, deal with anything between L and X and rejoin Lt Smith. Remainder to work to K and block.

h) 1 NCO and 7 men to enter trench in rear of party (g) to collect all prisoners etc between point of entry and point L and pass back to Lt Spatz. Call into all dugouts “ALLE AUS!” If they don’t come out, give them 2 bombs and one man to then enter and see what remains. Pte Rook’s special duty is to look out for Machine Gun emplacements, dismantle the guns and pass back to Lt Spatz.

i) Lt Spatz, 1 NCO and 6 men. Point of entry party. To stay outside of trench at point of entry. Place two ladders in trench for return of raiders. Conduct prisoners back to our line, hand them over to the party and then return to the German trenches. Lt Spatz will signal the retirement by horns and special pass word. As soon as the signal is given Lt Spatz and 1 man will remain at point of entry, remainder will get home as soon as possible. Lt Spatz will stay until all Lt Smith’s and Lt Benson’s parties are all clear. Commanders of all parties have orders to report to Commander of point of entry party when all their men are out of the German trench.

4. EQUIPMENT TO BE CARRIED: See Appendix A

5. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: Afternoon of day. All stores to be collected at Henencourt Wood, and to be inspected by OC Raiders.

5 minutes before Zero: Regimental Transport calls at Henencourt Wood for stores that must be brought to Donnet Post in wagons. Loaded under supervision of raiding officers and Captain Meeke. Captain Meeke with fatigue men accompanies wagons to Crucifix Corner, unloads and brings all stores to Donnet Post, where he will receive instructions from OC Battalion.

3 hours before Zero: Raiding officers inspect their men and march to main road by 8th Divisional HQ.

2¼ hours before Zero: 3 motor lorries meet them at Div HQ to transport them to Crucifix Corner.

60 minutes before Zero: Lt Smith reports all raiders present to OC Bn, at Donnet Post. An officer will guide his party to point of assembly and at a point near the point of assembly, the stores will be brought down under the supervision of Captain Meeke who will be handed to the raiding party as they file past, each man receiving his own article or articles.

30 minutes before Zero: All ready at point of assembly.

24 minutes before Zero: Patrol goes out and sends back report.

15 minutes before Zero: Tape Layers lay tape.

14 minutes before Zero: Raiders advance in single file along the tape to the road where they lay down, half on one side, half on the other.

5 minutes before Zero: All ready for bombardment.

Zero – 0: Our own bombardment on point of entry and 3 decoy bombardments on out right and left start. Trench mortars in our line fire on German front line from point of entry to point D, drop a few shells into the wire at point of entry and fire at Point W.

Zero + 5: Cessation from every gun and trench mortar. Raiders advance along road in 4’s.

Zero + 5 ¼ minutes: Our own guns lay barrage over and to the right and left of the point of entry and Decoy bombardments again start. Trench mortars do not fire any more.

Zero + 10: Entry to German Trench.

Zero + 25: Signal given to retire unless 10 prisoners already passed by Lt Spatz, in which case he will give the signal to retire as the 10th prisoner reaches his party.

6 GUNS REQUIRED TO BOMBARD: As decided by CRA [Commander, Royal Artillery]

7 TRENCH PARTY TO RECEIVE PRISONERS: Will be formed by D Coy 2/Middx Regiment. OC D Coy will arrange to have them kept in a safe place while bombardment (enemy) continues and then send them up to Donnet Post under escort. No questions to be asked of any prisoners.

8: PRISONERS ACCOMPANY RAIDERS ON THEIR RETURN: Will be brought to Donnet Post by raiders. No questions to be asked.

9: RETURN ROUTE: Walteny Street-Longridge Street-Pendle Hill Street-Wenning Street-Lune Street to Donnet Post.

10. EVACUATION OF WOUNDED: Rivington Street-John O'Gaunt Street to aid post at Donnet Post.

11.CASUALTIES: Raiders will make every effort to bring back dead and wounded.

12: COMMUNICATION: There will be no communication between us and Raiders after they leave our front line. OC Raiders will not, on return of raiders send any communication by telephone. If the enemy bombardment admits, he will send a message *verbally if necessary* by two runners to OC Battalion – saying very shortly what has happened- but if there is any danger to the runners, they must not be sent until the bombardment ceases. All raiders will report to OC Battalion at Donnet Post as soon as they can safely get there.

13: OTHER COMPANIES: B, C and D companies will, as far as possible hold on to the front line, and be prepared for a counter raid.

14: REMOVING TRACES: OC D Coy will make sure that the tapes are drawn in after return of the raiders, and the gap in our wire is filled in if light permits.

Signed: E Sandys, Lt Col
Commanding 2nd Btn. Middlesex Regiment

1. 2nd Lieutenants Smith, Spatz and Benson and 71 NCO’s and men of my Battalion made an effort on the night of the 10/11th May to raid the German lines at about X.8.a.O.6 for the purpose of capturing prisoners etc.

2. I attach the following papers:
A: Map of the German Trench
B: Scheme for raid
C: My orders to OC z/S Trench Mortar Battery
D: My orders to 25/1 Trench Mortar Battery

3. At 9.18pm, I received letter marked “E” from OC 25/1 TM Battery saying he would not be able to cooperate. I understood that at the Divisional conference, held on the 8th, that all TM Batteries in my part of the line were to be at my disposal for the raid, but as I have not received any orders in writing, I may be incorrect on this. OC 25/1 TM Battery took considerable trouble on the 10th to get a Stokes Mortar installed and registered, and in consultation with him I gave the orders attached. I am extremely sorry that this TM battery was not allowed to cooperate. The mortar had been registered on the front line trench, and had it been allowed to cooperate I believe we would not have encountered as much resistance as we did.

4. Up to 12.54am, all went smoothly up to the scheduled time. At this hour all the raiders should have reported to me at Donnet Post. They did not arrive until 1.40am, and on enquiry I found that the lorries had dropped them at the wrong place, some 1 mile from Crucifix Corner only, and not to Crucifix Corner as orders had instructed. This meant a march of some 35 minutes, very valuable time wasted as will be seen later. I had taken considerable pains to work out times and distances, and had planned that the men should arrive fresh at Crucifix Corner, and march straight up to the trenches without having to wait about in the trenches before the Patrol went out.

From this time, until 1.54am when the patrol was due to start out, things had to be hurried to make up for lost time. The 24 foot torpedo had unfortunately broken and the last few men of the raiding party were still not in position when our bombardment started. An effort was made to repair the torpedo, while the bombardment was going on, but it was too badly damaged to be repaired, and finally it was decided to use the 6 foot torpedo.

The 24 foot torpedo was lying out in front of the men, and for a second or two after cessation of fire, the men hesitated to go forwards, as they knew they had to follow the torpedo which they could see lying on the ground in front of them.

In the mean time Sgt Croft had detonated the 6 foot torpedo in the German wire and was sitting in the wire, trying to cut his way through with wire cutters, whilst the enemy were shooting and throwing bombs at him. He was at once joined by the rest of the party, who worked most hard on the wire and did succeed eventually in cutting a path through it. By this time, we had suffered very many casualties from small arms fire, and it was realised that entrance to the German trench was actually impossible.

As soon as the head of the party reached the German wire, they were met by enemy bombs and machine gun fire, not only from the front but also from the left and right. Bombs were also being thrown by Germans from the parados behind their front line.

Before an opening had been found through the wire, Lt’s Smith and Benson, and 6 NCO’s and men had managed to crawl over and through the German wire, and began to throw bombs left and right at the Germans gathered in the front line trench. Lt Smith then shot the remainder with his revolver. Several men were wounded on trying to get through the wire, and two men were killed in the wire itself.

Lt Smith though wounded three times, continued to throw bombs into the German trench and only gave up trying after he received eleven more wounds, and was finally carried back through the wire by Sgt Beland.
Lt Benson was wounded in three places, including a severe gunshot wound to the face, but continued fighting his way up the trench single handed, with bombs and rifle, until he had no bombs left and all his ammunition was exhausted. He stayed at his post in the trench and succeeded in killing a German officer with a trench club. He made certain that everyone had gone back, before fighting his way back down the trench, using an enemy rifle and trench club. He stopped at the two men on the wire, and assuring himself that they were dead, and therefore it was not worth any more risk in trying to bring them back.
Lt Spatz was only prevented from taking a more conspicuous part in front of the fray when he realised that things were not going well and therefore it was essential that someone remained in front of the wire, to control the men and make sure there was no panic amongst them. He carried out his duties with the utmost coolness, and in a short time after their arrival, he and the other men were throwing bombs at the German line.

5. One wounded German was found in No Mans Land and brought back. His papers and identification have been forwarded to you.

6. The officer on duty at the point of exit in our trenches, informs me that several of the men on their return to the line asked for more bombs, and wished to launch another raid on the line, as they had been forced to retire owing to lack of bombs and ammunition.

7. The broken 24 foot ammonal torpedo which had been left in the road outside our wire, was brought in under heavy fire by Sgt Croft, and I cannot complement him highly enough for his bravery and gallantry.

8. All my officers and men are confident that they inflicted as heavy casualties on the enemy, as the enemy inflicted on us. The bombs were bursting well in the German trench and there was much moaning and wailing to be heard from the parados and German dugouts.

9. I am not able to say exactly what time the German guns and trench mortars started to retaliate, but they kept up a very heavy fire on our line until day break. During this time the remainder of the men from my company were in the front line trenches and our casualties were two men wounded from enemy fire. The small number of casualties is I believe, down to the excellent system of funk holes and dugouts which have been built into the parapet of the trench. The majority of these have been constructed by my men.

10. Captain Kidner, RAMC, my Battalion Medical officer, made the most adequate and able provisions for the wounded and I cannot speak highly enough of his efforts throughout and after the raid.

11. Sgt Ward, not one of the raiders, had been ordered to fill the gap in the wire as soon as possible after the return of the Raiders. It was dark and there was a heavy enemy bombardment at the time, and though he made every effort he found it impossible, and was ordered to desist by the officer at the point of exit. When the bombardment ceased it was broad daylight. Sgt Ward had two cheveaux de frise handed to him over the top of the parapet. As soon as he appeared the enemy started firing at him with machine gun fire and rifle grenades. He acted with the greatest coolness and devotion to duty. The enemy kept a direct and heavy fire directed at him all the time he was exposed, but he managed to place two cheveaux de frise in position some 30 or 40 yards from our line, tied them together and having cleared the gap, returned to our trench.

12. I very much regret that as a raid, it was a failure but I have the utmost confidence that every man did his best. If the entrance to the German line had been humanly possible, these men would have affected it and reached the goal for which they were aiming.

13. Casualties:

Killed and Wounded
Officers 0 and 2
Other Ranks 9 and 35

Signed: E Sandys
Officer Commanding
2nd Bn. Middlesex Regiment
12.5.16