6th April 1916

near Mesnil-Martinsart – 6^th April 1916: Patrol went out last night, but could find no trace of Lt Phillimore or his companion. A quiet day, a few shell[s] in the morning & some trench mortars in the afternoon on the north side of the salient.

2^nd Lt F J L Mayger and 8 NCO’s and men sent to a 7 days trench mortar course at Valheureux.

20.00: About 20:00 a bombing patrol of 1 officer and 7 men was sent out down a sap in the centre of the left coy (C Coy). On arrival at the end of the sap 2 men were sent in advance to see whether any hostile patrols were moving in the dead ground about 50 yards in advance. They came back & reported a patrol in extended order. Patrol waiting some time to verify this & then retired. About this time some bombing & firing was going on further to the N

21.00: At 21:00, just as this patrol got in, the enemy opened a heavy bombardment with minenwerfer and H.E. and shrapnel. The whole section held by the Battn came under fire but the greatest concentration was on the right half of the left Coy & on the communication trenches leading up to it. The fire was first directed on the line of saps and the wire and then moved on to the fire trench, and then on to the support line. The barrage on the communication trench was continuous. A strip of wire in front of the right of the entire company was entirely levelled and destroyed, mainly by the minenwerfer

When the fire was lifted from the front line and while the barrage on the supports communication trenches was going on, a party of the enemy entered the front line held by the right half of the left company. Most of the men holding this portion of the line had been withdrawn into Piccadilly (support trench), but there were still men in the dug outs and two who were pinned down under some fallen timbers. A party of 2 officers and some grenadiers were holding Bond Street about 10 yards from the fire trench, when a party was heard approaching. The leading officer challenged them as it was thought that it was a party of our own men. The reply was a hand grenade. A bomb fight ensued, and some shots fired into the enemy who then retired. The leading German carried an electric torch, they wore white arm badges on both arms.

22.30: Bombardment suddenly ceased. Our guns had been firing very heavily at the German front trenches in case an attack in force was intended, and also on his rear lines. Our guns ceased firing at the same time as the enemy. Half the reserve Coy was at once pushed up when the barrage ceased, and it was found the Germans had evacuated their trench – we at once stated clearing and digging the trench which was very much damaged at the point where the Germans had entered and at the tip of the salient. The trench was strewn with unexploded stick grenades, two long axes were also left behind & a dagger. A long sap leading  back was strewn with Grenades show the way they got out.

7th April 1916

near Mesnil-Martinsart – 7^th April 1916: A wounded man was seen at dawn lying outside our trenches, an Officer went out to see who he was & together with another man dressed his wounds and brought him in. They were in full view of the enemy but were not fired at by them. This man stated that he had been in a dugout with 14 other men when the Germans entered the trench the night before. They threw a bomb into the dugout which killed one man and broke the narrators leg. The rest were then taken prisoner and taken out of the trench, as they were retiring they came under our own shell fire and the narrator, who was being carried in a blanket, was left behind & managed to crawl back. One of the men pinned under the fallen timber was also captured the other could not be moved and was left.

The bodies of three dead Germans were seen lying out among the remains of the wire, they were brought in on the night of the 7^th. They had been much knocked about by shell fire, presumably their own. No identification marks could be found in them, collar buttons had been cut off & special care had been taken to prevent identification of the Regiment.

Signals: A small stationary light was seen in the enemy’s trenches. It was first observed at 21.00 & went out at 21.25 which seems to show that it was used as a signal for the enemy’s artillery. Red, white and blue rockets were also report to have been seen which may easily have been the signals for the infantry to enter and leave our trenches.

What appeared to be a ? glowing as if red hot was seen travelling between the German lines before the bombardment and also between 2145 & 2215. The ? appeared to be mounted with a trench mortar. (This had previously been reported by another unit).

Notes: 1. This was evidently a pre-arranged raid, very carefully planned and very well executed.

2. The trench raided and the communication trench had been registered on previous days by the minenwerfer & guns, see diary for 5 April.

3. The wire was almost entirely destroyed opposite the trench raided – it was 50 yards wide at this point – the minenwerfer was responsible for its destruction.

4. The other position heavily bombarded was a portion of trench near our left held by 1/Border Regt which might enfilade the infantry advance.

5. The raiding party were armed with pistols, daggers, stick grenades and had hand grenades in their pockets – they wore white bands on each arm – no rifles or bayonets were seen.

6. Telephone communication was cut almost at once – the left company’s line went 5 minutes, the Brigade line at once & all lines, including the artillery, inside of ½ an hour.

Casualties: 5 Officers wounded. In the ranks 23 killed, 32 died of wounds, 21 missing, 31 wounded. Later 3 men reported missing were found buries & dead. Total therefore 26 killed, 18 missing.