The Anatomy of a Raid by Tony Spagnoly Ted Smith

Author:Tony Spagnoly, Ted Smith [Tony Spagnoly, Ted Smith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War I, Wars & Conflicts (Other)
ISBN: 9781473811850
Google: EuzNAwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2012-02-16T16:00:20+00:00

It would appear that Lieutenant Scott had caused some worry to the garrison which was quite unsure or his overall intention. His probing deeper into the wood, leaving a number of enemy dugouts and gun positions behind, resulted in many of his men, thinking the day was won, following until they almost reached the far end of the wood. They became over-stretched and were gradually sniped by the ever-increasing numbers of the enemy, now well in charge of the situation, and confident of the result. Fierce hand-to-hand combat now took place as Lieutenant Scott’s short-lived mastery began to evaporate under the devastating fire. The Australians were trapped, with no way back up the slope to the rest of the battalion and safety. They were cut-off by the excellent enemy counter-battery work, and the 5th Australian Division artillery was now noticeably deficient in comparison.

The enemy counter-attacks were led by officers determined on settling a score and the Australians were now engaged in a fight to the death – isolated and with no hope of escape. Lieutenant Scott, and his raiding party, were soon engulfed and this young officer was seen to fall. Lieutenant A. W. Rae was also hit and Second Lieutenant W. H. Wilsdon, who was operating near the eastern edge of the wood, just disappeared in the maelstrom of close combat.(5)

This officer was never heard of again. He was officially posted as missing and commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing at Ypres together with Lieutenant Scott. As with Lieutenant Wilsdon, his body was never recovered. By mid-morning, it was all over. The pale autumn sun brightened a grim scene as the furious fire began to weaken, and gradually petered out. The thick billow of smoke over the little woodland, which had been the pyre for many brave souls, slowly cleared. The 448th Infantry Regiment were still in possession and Celtic Wood fell quiet again. Its brief prominence over, it now sank back into a quiet sector never to be fought over again. Of the five officers of the 10th Battalion who took part in the Celtic Wood operation only two were able to make a safe return to the Australian lines. They were Lieutenants R. P. James and T. B. Laurie. Both had been wounded and had lain out in the boggy mess of ground between the opposing positions for several hours. Lieutenant Laurie, died of wounds in April of 1918 and is buried at Caestre Military Cemetery, France.

A year later in September 1918, units of the 9th Scottish Division, taking part in the final advance out of the Salient, secured the area quickly and were beyond Celtic in minutes.

In contrast with the earlier raid, two days before, by the 11th and 12th Battalions, it is very difficult to ascertain the happenings that occurred inside Celtic Wood. No authoritative documented account has been left to us by anyone who witnessed the full action from beginning to end. The job of writing it up would have fallen

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