On the 24th of June the Division began a series of operations—bombardments and raids—against the enemy. The first day was devoted to wire cutting—very successfully done by the artillery and trench mortar batteries. On the 25th the enemy lines were shelled during the day, and at 10 o’clock that night a raid on the enemy salient east-south-east of Wieltje was carried out by three columns of the 10th K.R.R.C., with the assistance of 1 officer and 4 men of the 84th Field Company R.E. The assaulting troops—3 officers and 80 men—were under the command of Captain R. S. Cockburn; the three raiding parties were led by Lieut. F. V. Le Pavoux, Lieut. R. L. Jones (both of whom were wounded during the raid), and Lieut. G. A. Langley. The R.E. party was under Lieut. Manisty.
This raid had been previously practised against facsimile trenches in the back area, and Lieut.-Colonel Blacklock, D.S.O. (later promoted Major-General), who commanded this battalion, had carefully supervised the training for this operation. It was in a great measure due to him that the raid proved so successful.
All three parties entered the enemy’s lines and went thoroughly through the salient, suffering very few casualties. The German trenches had been badly knocked about by our artillery fire, but a great deal of work had evidently been expended on them. They were found to be deep and strong, well revetted, and absolutely dry. Seven prisoners—including an officer—were taken, but the officer was killed and five of the men were wounded by a German shell after they had reached our lines. A considerable amount of loot—equipment, papers, etc.—was also brought in. Captain R. S. Cockburn, Lieut. F. V. Le Pavoux, Second-Lieut. R. L. Jones, Second-Lieut. G. A. Langley and Lieut. Manisty, were all awarded the M.C. The M.M. was given to Lance-Cpl. J. Frost, Lance-Sgt. F. W. Webb, and Rfm. E. Coates, of the 10th K.R.R.C., Sgt. A. McKay, 84th Field Company, Sapper H. Holland, 20th Divisional Signal Company, and Rfm. J. P. Mansfield, 59th Trench Mortar Battery.
Our casualties during the raid were 1 officer and 3 other ranks. Unfortunately the parties on their return came into the enemy’s barrage on our front and support lines, and lost a good many men. This brought the total casualties to 3 officers and 38 other ranks. The raid was a great success in every way, the information alone which it secured being of the greatest value.
Another raid was carried out on the night of the 29th/30th of June by the 6th K.S.L.I., commanded by Lieut.-Colonel E. A. Wood, D.S.O. A bombardment by the Divisional Artillery and the heavy guns of the XIVth Corps during the day and night did great damage to the trenches and provoked considerable retaliation, especially on Railway Wood. Under cover of these bombardments the trench mortars effectively cut the German wire.
Two raiding parties went forward, each composed of 2 officers and 40 men of the 6th K.S.L.I. They were all volunteers, and had been specially trained for this raid at Vlamertinghe on a model of the German trenches to be attacked. Special equipment was carried, such as revolvers, knobkerries, explosives, rockets and torches, and one party had bells and the other rattles, to be used as the signal to withdraw. The two parties were commanded by Lieut. D. S. A. McKimm on the right and Captain H. M. O’Connor on the left, and were accompanied by a party of the 83rd Field Company R.E., under Second-Lieut. H. Y. V. Jackson, and some of the 177th Tunnelling Company R.E. They moved out at midnight, and on the barrage lifting, made for the enemy trenches.
The right party got in first, and found the line badly knocked about. Lieut. McKimm and his men thoroughly searched the trenches, blocked the enemy’s communications, and did as much damage as possible. Eleven Germans were bayonetted emerging from a shelter into the trench, six dug-outs with parties of four to six inside were bombed, and other casualties caused and prisoners taken. By 12.30 A.M. the party had returned without casualties.
Captain O’Connor’s party also successfully entered German lines. One section, under Corporal Richards, who gallantly continued to lead his men although wounded early in the raid, bombed seven dug-outs and took six prisoners, pushed forward against strong opposition, and then held on until the order to retire was given. Other sections dealt similarly with all the enemy they met. Lance-Cpl. Walker was killed while making a splendid fight with his section, which was able to account for 35 of the enemy.
The casualties of this party were 2 killed, 1 missing and 9 wounded. In the course of the raid 60 or 70 prisoners were taken.
The artillery support was all that could be desired. During the barrage, half the guns fired on the front line and half on the support lines, so as to prevent the enemy from recognising when the lift took place, and the raiding parties, entering as soon as the barrage lifted, took the enemy completely by surprise.