"Y/62 and Z/62 trench mortar batteries were lent to the 50th Division for a raid they carried out on September 15th, 1917. The field guns and trench mortars provided a box barrage, the latter putting their contributions at each side, while the field guns shelled the enemy's support trenches.
"Our positions were in a little-used trench about 150 yards behind our own front line, opposite Cherisy. This trench had previously suffered very little from the German barrage, and it was expected that casualties there would be slight. The wire was not cut from any of these positions, and guns not even registered from them.
"The first portion of the raid was carried out from 4 p.m. to 4.40 p.m., and was completely successful. The Battalion which went over the top was commanded by the late Brig.-General Bradford, V.C., then Colonel, who afterwards came to the 62nd Division as a Brigade Commander.
"As ill luck would have it (I cannot think it anything else), the trench the mortars were in received about 75 per cent. of the total German barrage, and casualties were so heavy among Z battery that they were unable to man their guns for the full length of time. Lieut. G. A. Craven was so severely wounded that he died the same evening, while Lieut. W. Wooliscroft was wounded, and most of the men either killed or wounded.
"At 7.40 p.m. half a battalion went over the top again, and in this case also the results were all that could have been desired. Previously Y Battery had only had two men killed, and so were able to man their four guns. The German barrage was again very heavy, and we suffered severely. Round one gun were grouped about a hundred bombs ready for firing, and exactly what happened we shall never know, but the lot were detonated. The detachment was of course blown to atoms, and at the next gun two men were killed by the explosion as well as Lieut. Harris. One man alone was left unharmed, and after carrying some wounded under cover, he returned and manned his gun single-handed until the raid was over.
"We went to the raid 4 officers and about 40 other ranks, and returned to our Division 1 officer and 6 other ranks."
I received the following letter from the G.O.C.R.A., 50th Division:
"Will you please thank your fellows very much for the good work they did for us yesterday. I am most awfully sorry your trench mortars had such a bad time. It was just bad luck; the Boche put down a barrage where he had never put one down before, and caught them. It was most unfortunate. I can't tell you how sorry I am about it."
On the 26th September we carried out a bombardment of the enemy's trenches south of Riencourt, together with a barrage, with the object of making him think we were assaulting, and inducing him to unmask his artillery positions. This object was successfully attained, the enemy "got the wind up" thoroughly, and answered with every available gun. Our planes and balloons were able to fix the positions of nearly 40 batteries.