The Meritorious Service Medal
Number won by Batt. 7
The Military Medal
Number won by Batt. 102
The Military Cross
Number won by Batt. 26
On the 15th September we relieved the 58th Battalion in the front line (Totnes Trench), situated in front of Méricourt, at an average distance of fifteen hundred yards from the Bosch front line. The 58th informed us that they had had an ideal tour with scarcely any shelling, but that during their last day in, the Bosch had registered several times with 5.9’s on the right sector, now occupied by our “B” Company. This information was rather disconcerting, especially for the posts in that neighborhood. Anyway, a strict watch was established by the lookouts, and on the evening of the 16th, Company Commanders were called hurriedly to a conference at Battalion Headquarters. Information was that small parties of German officers had been seen that day with maps pointing in the direction of our trenches, and that messages had been intercepted indicating the possibility of a raid on our line that night. In consequence every precaution was taken and the battle patrols, which were in the habit of scouring “No Man’s Land” each evening, were held in the front line.
It was indeed a timely warning, for at 3 a.m., precisely, on the 17th, an almost perfect barrage dropped on our front line and supports. Now a certain Army order stating that no S.O.S. must be sent up until it was absolutely assured that the enemy was attacking had been recently impressed on us, and that is probably the reason why only one Company put one up (Red over Red over Red). Our artillery were sound asleep, for they never responded at all. The barrage lifted off our front line and it was evident that we were “for it.”
Up went another S.O.S., but our artillery still slept on. A few of the enemy crept through the wire and entered “C” Company’s frontage in an empty bay at its junction with 12th Ave. communication trench. They left the trench immediately, having captured Pte. Dewes of “B” Company, who had been wounded by the barrage, and was evidently on his way out to the rear. The smoke and dust were so thick we could see nothing, and a continuous rifle and Lewis gun fire was our only means of retaliation.
About daybreak we captured two of the enemy who had become entangled in our wire; unfortunately one of them refused to surrender and was shot dead by Lewis gunners before we could get him in. Our prisoner informed us that a large raid had been intended, and that the attacking party (seventy-three in number) was composed of “Stürm Truppen” (storm troops) who had been rushed up to the line that night in automobiles especially for this little entertainment. He also presented us with the photo of his company—published in this book. In evidence of what our prisoner told us we later found several mobile charges in front of our wire, intended no doubt for the destruction of the dug-outs, of which we had none, and whole piles of stick and egg bombs, which came in very handy as souvenirs for the troops.