A night patrol
27th September 1914, near Sottegem.
Lieutenant Angus Ross, D Coy, the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders was leading the patrol, it consisted of him corporal and 11 other ranks. They were all men from the area around Portree on Skye and several of them were known to have taken a deer or two. The men had seen hard fighting in the past weeks as they defeated the First Army and their morale was excellent, they had met the enemy in the field and defeated him. Casualties had been light for the battalion and reinforcements were due soon. The patrol was being sent forward to scout the German front line, the men were lightly equipped with only their rifles and battle order webbing belts. The officer and the corporal had carefully checked over each man’s kit to ensure that nothing work clink or clank or otherwise make any noises that might alert a German Sentry to their activity.
The men had moved forward soundlessly from the British front line, they were careful to move slowly and avoided bunching up. The Lieutenant led the section with the private from the Braes whilst the corporal in the rear. Every man had blacked his face with cork to try and further reduce the risk of being spotted, the moon was waxing gibbous with scattered clouds, sufficient light for careful movement to be possible. Lt Ross was leading his men slowly along a drainage ditch, the ditch was just a few feet lower than the surrounding crop land and provided good cover for the section. Their advance was slow and steady, with the men signalling by means of hand gestures, frequent halts were taken to listen and look for any movement that might indicate German Troops doing the same thing. The plan for the patrol was to advance until the German front line was detected, once it had been identified it was to be observed to determine how strongly it was held. If it looked to only be weakly held or any positions looked to be unsupported an attempt was to be made to gather additional intelligence by capturing prisoners.
The drain was beginning to disappear, they paused and an order to spread out into a shallow chevron was given, with each man to advance carefully forward. They continued to advance in this manner for a further 200 yards before another broader drainage ditch blocked their path. Thus far they had travelled some 600 yards without any sign of German positions, ahead there was a small copse, with a large brick building behind it. Lt Ross paused the section and summoned the corporal forward, he agreed with the Lt that if their were Germans in the vicinity the building was likely to be occupied. They sent the poacher and his cousin forward now to scout the copse, the remained of the section slithered forward and using the drain for concealment prepared to provide covering fire should the two privates get into trouble.
The rest of the section watched their assigned sectors, there was little or no noise nothing to indicate the presence of the foe. The two privates, men from Upper Ollach whose fathers had taught them the patience of their ancestors, oozed forward, their movements gradual and patient, experienced night stalkers this would be the first time they had hunted men in the dark. That said they had both excelled in the carnage of the early fighting, shooting steadily with an unhurried accuracy. The two privates disappeared into the copse, after a few tense minutes the clicking call of the capercaillie could be heard. The rest of the section then moved forward into the trees.
The big building was now clearly visible, a single German sentry was standing outside, he looked listless and bored. The section again spread out using the edge of the trees as cover, watching to see if any other sentries or patrols were evident. After another long tense wait the Lt again sent out the poacher, this time with another man from the section, unlike the Braes men he was from Trotternish but had moved to Portree, he was a butcher by trade and a popular local shinty player.
The butcher lived up to his name, he crept up behind the sentry, reaching forward he clamped his left hand onto the man’s jaw yanking it down and back. Before he could shout a warning the butchers right arm slipped round his body sliding his sword bayonet expertly between the 8th and 9th ribs the 17” blade splitting the liver in two, cutting the aorta and the vena cava, before continuing to slice upwards to pierce the diaphragm and a lung. Giving the bayonet a savage twist, he pulled the bayonet out releasing a gush of blood and the hot stink of iron.
The section again advanced, splitting into two parties they moved to into position so that they could assault the front and rear of the building simultaneously. The Lt lead the assault, with his FHSLR at the shoulder with bayonet fixed he moved into the building, immediately by the entrance there was a small room. In it was a pair of German soldiers, the rifle roared twice, neither man had a chance to get up from their chairs before they were shot. Meanwhile the rest of the party continued to move into the house firing as they went, the rapid fire of the FHSLR proving its worth, the bolt action rifles of the German Troops unable to match the rapid fire of the British rifles. After what seemed like hours but was only minutes the cry of Kameraden and nicht schieszen came from a small group of soldiers pinned down in a bedroom being used as a barracks.
“Hands up” was the order given and the four surviving Germans came out with their hands high, the building was quickly searched for any documents, the highlanders dressed their own wounds, one man had been grazed by a bullet and was bleeding badly enough to warrant a shell dressing. The remainder of the section had suffered nothing worse than cuts and bruises, as well as the four prisoners a German Junior officer had been wounded and was being guarded by two men near the entrance, he was whimpering in pain and unable to walk and so the four prisoners were instructed to load him onto a stretcher. The intelligence haul valuable, a map showing the German frontline positions and the units holding them was taken and would be sent back to battalion headquarters as soon as possible. Looking at the map Lt Ross was surprised to note that the next position was several hundred yards away the front line being more a series of strong points rather than a continuous line.
The patrol returned back to the battalions lines, again the call of the capercaillie was used as a signal, but this time instead of being recognised, it was met with a rifle fire as a sentry panicked. The rest of his section then began to blaze away wildly before the sergeant restored order with shouts and blows. The Sergeant called the password “Port Righ” and the now wounded Lt Ross replied “Raasay”, the section was then able to cross back over the front line. As well as the wounds suffered by Lt Ross which would result in his hospitalisation for several weeks, two men from the section and one prisoner were dead. The map was sent backwards to be scrutinised by the Brigade Commander before making its way up to Third Army Headquarters, it along with the results of other patrols would be evaluated before the next move was planned.
Lieutenant Angus Ross, D Coy, the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders was leading the patrol, it consisted of him corporal and 11 other ranks. They were all men from the area around Portree on Skye and several of them were known to have taken a deer or two. The men had seen hard fighting in the past weeks as they defeated the First Army and their morale was excellent, they had met the enemy in the field and defeated him. Casualties had been light for the battalion and reinforcements were due soon. The patrol was being sent forward to scout the German front line, the men were lightly equipped with only their rifles and battle order webbing belts. The officer and the corporal had carefully checked over each man’s kit to ensure that nothing work clink or clank or otherwise make any noises that might alert a German Sentry to their activity.
The men had moved forward soundlessly from the British front line, they were careful to move slowly and avoided bunching up. The Lieutenant led the section with the private from the Braes whilst the corporal in the rear. Every man had blacked his face with cork to try and further reduce the risk of being spotted, the moon was waxing gibbous with scattered clouds, sufficient light for careful movement to be possible. Lt Ross was leading his men slowly along a drainage ditch, the ditch was just a few feet lower than the surrounding crop land and provided good cover for the section. Their advance was slow and steady, with the men signalling by means of hand gestures, frequent halts were taken to listen and look for any movement that might indicate German Troops doing the same thing. The plan for the patrol was to advance until the German front line was detected, once it had been identified it was to be observed to determine how strongly it was held. If it looked to only be weakly held or any positions looked to be unsupported an attempt was to be made to gather additional intelligence by capturing prisoners.
The drain was beginning to disappear, they paused and an order to spread out into a shallow chevron was given, with each man to advance carefully forward. They continued to advance in this manner for a further 200 yards before another broader drainage ditch blocked their path. Thus far they had travelled some 600 yards without any sign of German positions, ahead there was a small copse, with a large brick building behind it. Lt Ross paused the section and summoned the corporal forward, he agreed with the Lt that if their were Germans in the vicinity the building was likely to be occupied. They sent the poacher and his cousin forward now to scout the copse, the remained of the section slithered forward and using the drain for concealment prepared to provide covering fire should the two privates get into trouble.
The rest of the section watched their assigned sectors, there was little or no noise nothing to indicate the presence of the foe. The two privates, men from Upper Ollach whose fathers had taught them the patience of their ancestors, oozed forward, their movements gradual and patient, experienced night stalkers this would be the first time they had hunted men in the dark. That said they had both excelled in the carnage of the early fighting, shooting steadily with an unhurried accuracy. The two privates disappeared into the copse, after a few tense minutes the clicking call of the capercaillie could be heard. The rest of the section then moved forward into the trees.
The big building was now clearly visible, a single German sentry was standing outside, he looked listless and bored. The section again spread out using the edge of the trees as cover, watching to see if any other sentries or patrols were evident. After another long tense wait the Lt again sent out the poacher, this time with another man from the section, unlike the Braes men he was from Trotternish but had moved to Portree, he was a butcher by trade and a popular local shinty player.
The butcher lived up to his name, he crept up behind the sentry, reaching forward he clamped his left hand onto the man’s jaw yanking it down and back. Before he could shout a warning the butchers right arm slipped round his body sliding his sword bayonet expertly between the 8th and 9th ribs the 17” blade splitting the liver in two, cutting the aorta and the vena cava, before continuing to slice upwards to pierce the diaphragm and a lung. Giving the bayonet a savage twist, he pulled the bayonet out releasing a gush of blood and the hot stink of iron.
The section again advanced, splitting into two parties they moved to into position so that they could assault the front and rear of the building simultaneously. The Lt lead the assault, with his FHSLR at the shoulder with bayonet fixed he moved into the building, immediately by the entrance there was a small room. In it was a pair of German soldiers, the rifle roared twice, neither man had a chance to get up from their chairs before they were shot. Meanwhile the rest of the party continued to move into the house firing as they went, the rapid fire of the FHSLR proving its worth, the bolt action rifles of the German Troops unable to match the rapid fire of the British rifles. After what seemed like hours but was only minutes the cry of Kameraden and nicht schieszen came from a small group of soldiers pinned down in a bedroom being used as a barracks.
“Hands up” was the order given and the four surviving Germans came out with their hands high, the building was quickly searched for any documents, the highlanders dressed their own wounds, one man had been grazed by a bullet and was bleeding badly enough to warrant a shell dressing. The remainder of the section had suffered nothing worse than cuts and bruises, as well as the four prisoners a German Junior officer had been wounded and was being guarded by two men near the entrance, he was whimpering in pain and unable to walk and so the four prisoners were instructed to load him onto a stretcher. The intelligence haul valuable, a map showing the German frontline positions and the units holding them was taken and would be sent back to battalion headquarters as soon as possible. Looking at the map Lt Ross was surprised to note that the next position was several hundred yards away the front line being more a series of strong points rather than a continuous line.
The patrol returned back to the battalions lines, again the call of the capercaillie was used as a signal, but this time instead of being recognised, it was met with a rifle fire as a sentry panicked. The rest of his section then began to blaze away wildly before the sergeant restored order with shouts and blows. The Sergeant called the password “Port Righ” and the now wounded Lt Ross replied “Raasay”, the section was then able to cross back over the front line. As well as the wounds suffered by Lt Ross which would result in his hospitalisation for several weeks, two men from the section and one prisoner were dead. The map was sent backwards to be scrutinised by the Brigade Commander before making its way up to Third Army Headquarters, it along with the results of other patrols would be evaluated before the next move was planned.