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Chapter XV.
Patrols and Raids

Neither battalion took part in any active hostilities during the first fortnight of June, and it was not until the 19th that a partol of eight men under Lieutenant Sheldon, of the 2nd Battalion, carried out a reconnaissance opposite the breakwater for the purpose of ascertaining the strength of the enemy opposite and the manner in which the front line was held. The patrol party ascertained, on approaching the line, that there was a large working party of the enemy working on the wire. The patrol quietly with- drew. The information was sent to the Artillery, and an intense bombardment was opened up on the enemy front line for a few minutes. The enemy wire was badly damaged, and it was noticeable that there was little retaliation from the enemy artillery and for a long time no attempt was made to repair the barbed wire.

On the night of the 16th June, the artillery in rear of the 2nd Battalion opened an intense bombardment on the enemy's position, concentrating largely on the waterworks. Guns of all calibre took part in the bombardment, which started about 11.15 p.m. Captain Alley had trained a special party to raid the enemy's trenches, bring back prisoners and get what information it could. After the bombardment had lifted the party left trench 88. Bay 3 found the wire uncut and cut it.

On the night of the 1st July, a highly successful raid was carried out by a raiding party, Selected from the 1st Battalion, page 103under the command of Captain A. B. MeColl. The party consisted of four officers and 77 other ranks, and the objective was a certain portion of the enemy's front line trenches. The night was dark and the weather was fine. The main raiding party was preceded by selected scouts, who moved out through Sally Port. Immediately it was dark enough, and, shortly before midnight, two of the scouts returned to lead out the remainder of the raiding party to a selected position in No Man's Land. As soon as the raiding party had taken up its position an artillery and medium trench mortar bombardment commenced, which lasted for twenty minutes. The artillery barrage then shifted, the medium trench mortar ceased, and an artillery barrage formed a semi-circular or box barrage around the area to be assaulted. The wire had been faithfully cut by the artillery, and it was necessary merely to cut away the loose wire. The party rushed forward and met with no opposition at all. All the enemy who had not been killed were found crouching in shelters under the parapet o1! the front line, and these were either sent back to our line as prisoners or killed if they refused to move. After staying eight minutes in the trenches, at a given signal, the whole party withdrew to our lines.

The enemy, meantime, bombarded No Man's Land heavily. Captain A. B. MeColl returned with the party; but went baek to help some streaeher-bearers, who had got into difficulties in a ditch near our parapet. Having assisted them, he was severely wounded by machine-gun fire, as he was climbing over the parapet, and died before reaching a dressing station.

By the death of Captain A. B. McColl, we lost a very brave and gallant officer. He had been for some time Adjutant of the 1st Battalion, and, by his tact and genial disposition, had succeeded in maintaining an effieiency in the admin- istration of the battalion not surpassed by any other. To use the language of Lieut.-Col. C. H. Weston, D.S.O., in his book entitled "Three Years with the New Zealanders," Captain MeColl "was a great big handsome fellow. Although in years only a boy with a big man's heart, I fancy he loved the excitement of a fight. I had seen him a few minutes before they page 104went into No Man's Land, and as usual a joke bubbled out of him. Any of us that knew MeColl will carry to the end the memory of a very gallant gentleman."

The information gained by this raiding party was considerable. Definite information of the class of barbed wire erected in front, the manner in which it was erceted and its effectiveness as an entanglement were ascertained. It was likewise ascertained that there were no dugouts under the parapet—there were merely shallow shelters.

The engineer who accompanied the raiders, on a large bomb store being found guarded by iron doors, blew the doors in and destroyed the store. A pumping station for keeping the trenehes habitable was likewise destroyed. An officer who had been taken prisoner, and from whom it was hoped information would be gleaned, refused to cross No Man's Land and had, accordingly, to be shot. The time of the raid synehron- ised, apparently, with the change-over in the enemy lines, for the troops captured had their packs on their backs, and were due to move out. A number of valuable documents were found and much information obtained of the troops in the locality. It was noticed, on this occasion, that the use of steel helmets was not by any Means universal with the Germans. None were found by the raiders—only spiked helmets and caps.

Lieutenant H. Espiner, of the 2nd Battalion, led a small party, followed shortly by Captain Alley and the main party, into No Man's Land. Before the party could penetrate the trenehes, both Captain Alley and Lieutenant Espiner were seriously wounded and Lieutenant A. T. While, although wounded himself, led the whole party into the enemy trenches. Half of the party went to the right and the other half to the left. After staying in the enemy trenches for about an hour, the party returned to our lines, bringing back all the wounded and much booty.

The enemy retaliated with Minewerfers, concentrating on trenches 86 and 87. Our treneches were practically levelled. Much information was gained by the party. The names of the regiments oppositive were ascertained, and many of the prisoners gave valuable information to the Intelligence officers at Army Corps Headquarters.

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The battalion suffered in casunities—1 officer killed, two wounded and 99 other ranks wounded.

The day following the 1st Battalion's raid, the 2nd Battalion carried out another raid. The party of four officers and 104 other ranks was under the command of Lieutenant Sheldon. The object was as usual to reduce the enemy's morale, capture prisoners and gain information. Unhappily, this raid was unsuccessful. During the day our artillery had been particularly active, havining fired over 2,000 rounds into the sector. Possibly, this had the effect of warning the enemy to be ready, and it was with almost uncanny precision that they had blocked the trenches, and those members of the raid- ing party who succeeded in entering the trenches found them vacated. A large proportion of the raiding party, during our preliminary bombardment, had taken up positions in an old drain. The enemy immediately retaliated to our artillery fire and searched the drain with distastrous results. When the artillery lifted, our men advanced, but were immediately met with heavy machine-gun fire from the flanks. The party was compelled to use a gap in the wire only six feet wide, and, as soon as the front enemy trench was gained, the party was heavily bombed. It was necessary to withdraw, and this was rendered extremely difficult on account of the artillery and machine-gun fire. No useful information was gained and our casualties were one officer killed and two wounded, while 11 other ranks were killed and 34 wounded and three missing.

The result of these raids was that the requisites for a successful raid were considered to be (1) a careful selection of the point to be attacked coupled with a thorough reconnais- sance both by map and on the ground of the enemy trenches and No Man's Land. (2) Selection of thoroughly reliable officers and men, with enough spare men as emergencies. (3) Adequate training of the party, so that each man knows his work as one of a team. (4) Complete co-operation with the artillery and trench mortars which should be sufficient in volume, and very carefully planned. The artillery should, apart from putting down a barrage, endeavour to locate the artillery opposite and the machine-gun posts, so as to reduce to a minimum the retaliation of the enemy.

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By this time the situation had entirely changed. The activity in both sectors opposite our battalions was very different from that prevailing when the New Zealand troops first moved into trenches in France. In July there was almost continuous artillery activity on both sides, raids were of almost nightly occurrence and the enemy was plainly nervous. Our intense activity was part of a plan to keep the German divisions away from the Somme, where the great attack of July lst was in full swing. On every available occasion the engineers brought up gas cylinders: but as the wind usually blew from the enemy trenches across to ours the cylinders would lie day after day in the front line unused. When, however, the wind was favourable then a gas attack would be made, all helping to upset the enemy opposite, and to keep as large a force as possible in the locality. The effect on our troops was that they were becoming worn and depleted. Nothing, however, was allowed to slacken the aggressive tactics which had been ordered and the New Zealand Division kept up a continuous series of attacks on the enemy front line, causing, as the information gleaned revealed, perturbation among the ranks of the enemy, as well as heavy casualties.

On the 8th July, the enemy made a retaliation against our raids and they selected the vulnerable "Mushroom," which was occupied then by a part of the 1st Battalion. After an intense bombardment about 10 p.m. a party of the enemy rushed out opposite the "Mushroom," but were bombed back. An hour later the enemy bombardment re-commenced, and a large party divided into two attacked "The Mushroom" from both flanks. The 1st Battalion had killed a good number in the garrison in "The Mushroom," and the rest were driven into the second line of trenches. Lieutenant Kibblewhite, N.Z.M.G. Corps, immediately organised a counter attack; but, before we regained possession of "The Mushroom," the Germans succeeded in carrying away their dead and wounded, although, on account of the sharpness of the encounter, unable to devote any attention to getting information.

The 1st Battalion suffered heavily—two officers and 21 other ranks were killed, while three officers and 88 other ranks were wounded and three other ranks missing.

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On the 14th July, the New Zealand Division was ordered to take over the front then held by the 8th Australian Artillery Brigade. This was preparatory to a large Australian attack in Fleurbaix sector. The New Zealand Division was ordered to be prepared to assist these operations by drawing the enemy artillery fire and by raiding his trenches. Accordingly, on the 16th July, the 2nd Battalion was relieved and moved into a subsidiary line extending from Buterne Farm to Irish Avenue. The battalion was then used until the end of the month for fatigue work. There were from 400 to 450 men working in the trenches, while every available man was sent to the Divisional baths at Pont de Nieppe.

On the 31st July, the Division resumed its original frontage from Pear Tree Farm to the River Lys.

The gallant but disastrous raid of the 8th Australian Brigade at Fleurbaix need not be recorded here.

On the 11th August, Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. Cunningham, who had been absent on sick leave, resumed command of the 2nd Battalion, and, on the same day, the battalion was proud to learn that Company Sergeant-Major William Edward Forst had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his gallantry during the raid on the night of the 2nd July. To borrow the language of the Army Orders:

"In No Man's Land in front of trenches 87 and 88 during a raid by a party of the 2nd Wellington Regiment, on the nights of the 2nd and 3rd July, 1916, against the enemy's trenches, Company Sergeant-Major W. E. Frost, Ruahine Company, assisted Second-Lieut. R. E. V. Riddiford to cover the withdrawal of the raiders across No Man's Land to their own trenches. This withdrawal was ncessary owing to enfiladed fire from machine-guns and grenades thrown from enemy support lines. When the withdrawal to their own trenches had been completed, Company Sergeant-Major W. E. Frost twice returned to the company's lines through the enemy wire, and under heavy fire rescued and brought back two wounded men who were lying within a few yards of the enemy's parapet, and so prevented them from being taken prisoners."

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The New Zealand Division was now being withdrawn from Armentieres sector and on the nights of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th August, the relief was carried out, the Division concentrating in the Blaringhem area. The 1st Battalion, which at the time was in the line, was relieved on the night of the 15th by the 4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, and the battalion took up allotted billets in Armentieres. The next day the battalion marched to Steenwerck and there entrained for Ebblinghem. The 2nd Battalion moved into Armentieres on the early morning of the 17th and next day marched to Steenwerck, there entrained for Ebblinghem, and, a few days later by marching and train, reached the village of Airaines, where the battalion began its training for the coming offensive in the Somme area.

The march of both battalions from the trenches revealed how the soft mud of the trenches, inactivity and the impossibility of active exercise, had undermined the strength of the troops.

The 2nd Battalion had the misfortune to carry their packs on their backs, and the number of stragglers was large. That number would necessarily have been considerable even had provision been made for the men's packs to be carried by transport. It was, therefore, not surprising that many men failed to keep up with the column, and had to fall out and receive medical treatment. The ambulances were filled in a few hours by men willing enough to march but physically incapable of doing so.

The chiropodists attached to each battalion had been kept busy during the months in the line attending to the men's feet and coping with the incipient stages of trench feet. It was remarkable how successful these men became in treating their comrades.

The march along the hard pavé roads, in boots in many cases badly fitting or in bad repair, accentuated the position, and the chiropodists were kept busy for many days after the troops had reached their billets in dressing open sores on the men's feet.