Chapter V The Weapon of Opportunity

When our Division moved from the Lys sector to the Lumbres area for training, the Infantry had so much confidence in the Stokes that it was arranged that generally in all battalion and brigade practice attacks the mortars worked in conjunction with the Infantry. The mortars usually advanced with the second wave of the attack and fired empty shells into strong points holding the advance. These were generally marked in practice by fatigue men hidden in hedges representing machine guns, and when the Infantry got within 50 or 60 yards of them they appeared waving flags.

This co-operation of the Infantry and Trench Mortars in practice was very successful and was commented on very highly by the Corps Commander, General Godley, when he page break

(1) Regent Street, Ploegsteert Wood. (2)Ploegsteert Village. (3) Three of 1st Battery with Hun headgear after the Somme.

page break page 47witnessed the 4th Brigade's last practice attack at Le Wast prior to our departure for Ypres and to take part in the Passchendaele Battle.

It will be seen from the foregoing pages that this weapon is one of opportunity. To succeed meant that a great deal of initiative and responsibility rested on the gun crews and the officers in charge. This put the personnel of the batteries on their mettle, as the crews, being always picked men, were proud of their responsibility and became highly trustworthy and efficient.

The great pity was that the work, although very exciting, was dangerous work, and the casualties were in consequence pretty high, and it meant training new men for the job all the time; but the adaptability of our Digger was such that it was surprising how quickly new personnel became efficient.

We lamented the loss of many a brave pal after a stunt, and when our casualties were heavy we often wondered when we went out page 48of the line to reorganise if we should ever get to the same state of efficiency again. The initiative and resource of our men, however, was such that it was never long before our batteries were up to concert pitch once more.

During our two months of trench warfare following the battle of Messines we experimented with the Stokes for anti-aircraft defence, and found it most successful. In this branch we—(at that time I was in the 4th Light Trench Mortar Battalion)—were the first battery to try this exciting means of stopping Hun aircraft from flying over our trenches.

I remember the first day we tried the Stokes out in its new capacity, how excited we all were at the possibility of bringing down an enemy 'plane. We set up three guns at intervals of about 150 yards along the front: one gun with fuses cut to burst at three seconds, another at four seconds, and another at five seconds; and patiently awaited page 49developments. It was not long before our patience was rewarded, and a big enemy plane crossed our line at a height of about 500 feet. The nearest gun opened on him with two fine bursts just above him, while simultaneously the second gun put two equally good bursts underneath. The Infantry were very interested and excited at the thought of the possibility of bringing down a 'plane, and the machine seemed to falter and fall and then right itself and made off back to the enemy lines. Other enemy planes came over that day to investigate this new method of ours in anti-aircraft defence, but were very wary, and kept at a height where our mortars could not reach them.

In effect, the result obtained was this: that our lines were very seldom crossed by low-flying enemy 'planes in this sector.

A few nights later our Battery was relieved from the line, and we in the Trench Mortars page 50were billetted at that time in Nieppe, near the Square. About 11 p.m. a number of Gothas came over on a bombing raid and hovered over the town. Our senior sergeant, who was always on for any stunt where the mortars were concerned, dashed up to my room and asked permission to have a "go" at the intruders, which permission was readily given. In a minute or two we had two guns out and were blazing away in great style at four of the enemy 'planes, which soon rose to a great height and left the village; and they deposited their loads of "eggs," as we called their bombs, a few minutes later in our Artillery horse lines at Croix du Bac, killing about 80 horses, and made off for home.

The sequel to this night firing at the 'planes from Nieppe was a curt "chit" from Brigade Headquarters the following morning prohibiting firing from towns at enemy aircraft. The reason for this we found out page 51afterwards was that a number of pieces of shell had dropped on our Brigadier's chateau, which, of course, we were very sorry for, but fortunately nobody was injured.