VERY SECRET. Copy No.1
ORDERS BY LIEUT COLONEL P. BALFOUR
COMDG 2/5TH
GLOSTER REGT FOR RAID ON NIGHT OF
19/20TH JUNE 1916.
--------------------------------
20/21st
INTENTION. 1. A small raid will be carried out on the night of 19/20th
June on Enemy’s front line.
The Point
of Entry will be 13.C.7.0
OBJECT. 2. To obtain identifications.
STRENGTH. 3. 2 Officers, 2 N.C.O.s and 22 men composed as under:-
COMPOSITION. Left Party 1 N.C.O.
2
Bayonet men.
COMMANDER. 2 Bombers.
CAPT E.W. 3
Carriers.
WALES. 1
Man.
Right
Party 1 Officer
1
N.C.O.
2
Bayonet men.
2
Carriers.
1
Man.
Covering 1 Officer.
Party 7 Men.
DRESS. 4 Fatigue Dress and Puttees.
One
Gas Helmet in “Alert” Position.
Balaclava
Caps.
Hedging
Gloves.
Faces
and hands blackened.
All
identification marks, discs, badges, private letters
etc removed.
EQUIPMENT 5. Bombers and Carriers, belts and bayonets and wire
AND
cutters. No Rifles.
ARMS. Remainder, rifles and fixed bayonets. 50 rounds of
ammunition. Wire cutters to be fixed on
rifles.
PLAN OF 6. O.C. Raiding Party will arrange to leave own front line
ATTACK trench at 10.37 p.m.
10.37 p.m. At 10.37p.m under cover
of an intense
bombardment he will advance towards the
enemy’s
10.42 p.m. line and at 10.42 p.m. he will enter the enemy’s
Front Trench and proceed as follows
On entering the Enemy’s Trenches
at Point A. the
parties mentioned in 3 will proceed outwards for a
distance of about 40 yards. The left party will deal
with the communication trench D.E.
The
Bayonet men will dispose of any of the enemy they
may find.
The Bombers will assist the
Bayonet Men and also
bomb all dug-outs. etc.
The N.C.O.
and 1 man will deal with any prisoners, and
collect identification marks from dead and
wounded.
The
covering party will line the reverse slope of the
enemy front line parapet in extended order
to repel
any counter attack across the open and also
shoot
down any of the enemy firing from the
Support trench.
If support trench is within bombing distance,
they will
bomb it.
(1)
OVER
This Party
will also cover the retirement of the Raiders
until they have passed through the gap.
Not more than 5 minutes should be
spent in the
10.47 p.m. Trench and at 10.47 p.m. the order to withdraw
should be given.
The withdraw will be carried out in a more
N.E.direction
than the advance and if possible our line
reached at
Bay 92 in front of which our wire will have been cut
and white posts put in to show the gap made.
LEWES GUNS.
7. The Lewes Gun Officer
will arrange to place in
NO MAN’S LAND 2 guns on each side of the raiding
Party and to
search the ground 100 yards on each
side of the line
of advance of the raiding party.
GENERAL 8. German soldiers carry their identification discs sewn
INSTRUCTIONS. in the skirt of their coat at the back.
The word
“Retire” should not be used and if heard
should be paid no attention to
The
Password is
REPORTS. 9. Reports to Bay 93. Signalling Officer will arrange to lay
a line to this point to connect up with Bn
Hdqrs.
HDQRS. 10. Brigade Hdqrs WHITE HOUSE.
(sd) GILBERT C. BELOE
CAPT & ADJT.
2/5 GLOSTERS
Copy No. 1. H.Q.Staff
2.
ditto
3.
O.C. A. Coy.
4.
“ B.
“
5.
“ C
“
6.
“ D
“
7.
L.G.Offr. (Lt. Badcock)
8.
Sig Offr. (Lt Sinclair)
9.
Sniping. (Lt.
Hunter)
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