August

BAILLEULMONT

Operation Orders No.6 by Lieut. Colonel J.H. Thursfield for raid on enemy’s trenches 5.8.16.

Reference. Map RANSART 1/10,000 and SECRET SUNPRINT No.6

1. On the night of 5/6th august 1916 a raiding party of one officer (2/Lieut. J.L.C. Wallace) and 30 other ranks of the 1/6th Battn.South Staffs. Regt. And one officer (2/Lieut. Mansell) and 30 other ranks of the 1/5th Bn. South Staffs. Regt., the whole under the command of 2/Lieut Wallace, will enter the enemy’s trenches in his salient, due East of trenches Nos. 106, 107 & 108.
2. OBJECT. i) To destroy enemy’s personnel.

ii) To secure identification.

iii) To destroy enemy trenches.

iv) To assist raiding party of 138th Bde. On our right.

1. COMPOSITION OF PARTIES.

Each of the two detachments will be divided into three parties; those of the 1/6th Bn. South Staffs. Regt. Being numbered 1,2, & 3 and those of the 1/5th South Staffs. Regt. Being numbered Nos. 4,5, & 6. Parties Nos. 1,2,& 3 will be on the Right and Parties 4,5,& 6 on the Left, and will enter the enemy’s trenches through gaps in his wire which are being cut at or about points W.23d.85.85 for Nos. 1,2 & 3 and W23d.85.95 for Nos. 4,5,&6.

1. COMPOSITION OF PARTIES

No. 1 Blocking Party under Corpl. Camp to enter at Right Entrance and turning North block enemy’s trench.

No.2 Bombing Party under L/Cpl. Morris to enter at same point and work down the trench SOUTHWARDS.

No.3 Parapet Party under Sergt. Windridge to deal with any enemy appearing above ground and to cover blocking party and secure the withdrawal of parties Nos. 1&2.

No.4 BLOCKING Party under Cpl. Hutley to enter at Left Entrance and turning South block enemy’s trench.

No.5 Bombing Party under Corpl. Jones to enter at same point and work up trenches Northwards.

No.6 Parapet Party under Cpl. Bash to deal with any enemy appearing above ground and to cover the Blocking Party and secure withdrawal of parties Nos. 4 & 5.

1. R.E. PARTY. Two parties each of 1 N.C.O. and 2 Sappers will accompany Parties Nos. 2 & 5 and carry out demolition. The greatest care must be taken that none of our men are cut off or endangered.
2. STRETCHER BEARERS. Two Stretcher Bearers with Trench Stretchers will accompany parties Nos. 3 & 6.
3. ARTILLERY. Two Batteries of Field Artillery, one section of Howitzers, two guns of Y46 Trench Mortar Battery, and the Stokes guns of the 137th Trench Mortar Battery will form a barrage on the flanks and on the enemy’s support lines at ‘ZERO’ hour, and will continue until the raiding party has withdrawn to our trenches. The Lewis Gun Officer, 1/6th Bn. South Staffs. Regt. Will detail 1 N.C.O. and 2 Gunners to take out a Lewis Gun in front of our wire and cover return of parties and cover right flank.
4. ASSEMBLY. Parties Nos. 1, 2, & 3 will assemble in trench No. 108 and Parties Nos. 4, 5, & 6 in trench No. 109 and will be in position at 10.45 p.m. These parties will leave out front line at ‘ZERO’ minus 15 minutes and will cross in time to enter the gaps in enemy’s wire at ‘ZERO’.
5. SIGNALS FOR WITHDRAWAL. 15 minutes after ‘ZERO’ bouquets of 5 White rockets will be fired from W.22b.9.6 near North Street at intervals of three minutes until ‘ZERO’ plus 24. Rockets will give the approximate line back to our trenches. Parties Nos. 3 & 6 will arrange to lay White tape across the open in order to indicate the way back.
6. WITHDRAWAL. Parties will adopt the following method of withdrawal:- The Bombing Parties Nos. 2 & 5 will withdraw from the flanks and clear the trench, but will first make certain that the retirement of the Blocking Parties Nos. 1 & 4 is protected by the Parapet Parties.

The Blocking Parties will then withdraw to the place of entry and leave the trench, and not until then will the Parapet Party be ordered to withdraw. All parties will return to our lines by the outward routes and will occupy their former places of assembly in trenches Nos. 108 & 109 and report their arrival immediately to Battn. Headquarters.

1. TIME TABLE. ‘ZERO’ will be at 11.25 p.m. Watches will be synchronised by the Bn. Signalling Officer who will obtain the correct time from Brigade at 10 p.m.
2. BATTALION HEADQUARTERS. Battalion Headquarters will be at the Right Company Headquarters in Nuts Walk.
3. IDENTIFICATION MARKS. All marks of identification must be removed from the men of the raiding party.

REPORT RE: OPERATION. The programme as laid down in Battalion Operation Orders was carried out, with the exception that it appeared at 11.10 p.m. that some of our guns were firing on the sector to be dealt with by this Battalion, whereas at this time no barrage should have been placed on the enemy’s lines opposite our front. It appeared that this caused the enemy to send up large numbers of Very Lights and so made it impossible for our men to move without being seen. There is no doubt that the wire had not been completely cut in the gaps, or what is more likely that it had been filled in by the enemy in the evening. He had done some work on the gaps on the previous evening. It would seem to be difficult to keep open such gaps by machine gun fire.