icerbox 1848840462 by Unknown
Author:Unknown
Format: epub
Published: 2013-09-18T16:00:00+00:00
Noel Godfrey Chavasse.
The storm of steel ensured British sentries took cover, allowing an enemy raiding party to cross the canal by raft, probably opposite the bombing post on the railway bridge. The Germans overpowered the post and entered the front line by B.12.b.4.4. During the ensuing chaos a British Lewis gun post sited fifty yards to the left was obliterated by a trench mortar whilst another Lewis gun crew, some fifty yards to the right, under the orders of its commander, split up. Two men moved to the left, but the corporal, Lewis gun, and three men headed in the opposite direction towards the bridge; it was a pitch-black night and the quartet walked straight into the raiding party. The four men were probably taken prisoner by the Germans who, having achieved the objective of their intelligence gathering raid, returned by rafts to the opposite bank.
As a result of the raid on the British line the RWF casualties were two officers and five men wounded. A further two non commissioned officers and ten men were originally posted as missing; however four of these men were discovered to have been killed and buried by the bombardment.
The German raid dispelled all illusions of the canal being an effective obstacle to an enemy intent on bridging the break in the Railway Bridge or rafting across the canal unseen during a protective barrage. The line, previously held for a month by the 39th Division, was evidently flawed. Consequently the following night, which was Christmas Eve, the sector’s system of defence underwent re-organisation.
The arrival of Christmas once again induced the Germans to adopt a friendly attitude, regardless of their aggressive raid less than forty-eight hours previously. The War Diary entry for 17/RWF on Christmas Day 1916 noted:
In the early hours the enemy showed a desire to be friendly, calling out to our men, ‘Good morning Tommy, it is Christmas morning. A Happy Christmas to you. I hope we will both be friends. ’ They sang English songs, including God Save the King, accompanied by a flute and a concertina. Two of them showed themselves and waved, but withdrew before a shot could be fired at them.
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