The Auchy Raid (July 1st/2nd 1916)

[Barryellson]

The Regimental history by Stacke give an account of the Auchy Raid on page 160. I am trying to trace any further accounts of this raid. In particular, the men of C company were led by Capt C.H. Pigg. There are references elsewhere to the fact that Capt Pigg kept a diary and I have seen some extracts from this. Does anyone know if the diary has been published in full or where it can be seen in mss form?

[scully]

Hi Barry,

Below is a copy of a extract from Captain C. H. Pigg diary with regards the Auchy Raid. The Regimental Archives at Norton Barracks, Worcester have his diary. As all the work at the Regimental Archives is done by volunteers they rely on donations to maintain the Archives. You will find a donation form on this website using the following link: ERROR://www.worcestershireregiment.com/inc/wfr_donation
Without their support this information would not be possible. Please help.

Below is the extract you requested:
THE AUCHY RAID.
(Extracts from the Diary of Captain (later Lieut.-Colonel) C. H. Pigg, O.B.E , M.C., while serving with the 2nd Battalion in 1916.)

It was good to be clean again, and on the afternoon of June 21st I managed to go back to the civilization of Bethune. The countryside had entirely changed, as the scars of war were now hidden under young corn and waving grasses. New officers had been joining us, and one or two others had gone home sick as the result of winter. That day was really hot, and after a full day's work three of us went for an evening walk. As we strolled quietly along, smoking, over came a shell. We lay flat and two more followed, then nothing. It was simply some idle sniping by an unoccupied gunner.
On Friday, June 23rd, we went into the line in the afternoon, and half-an-hour later there was a terrific thunderstorm which flooded us. We were soon up to the knees in mud in many places, and in almost winter conditions. The next few days were spent in quietly restoring the trenches, and we came out on the evening of Monday, June 26th, without a casualty.

I spent June 27th in taking the Company man by man through the proposed raid by means of a plan on a blackboard found in the remains of the village school. On this board every man was shown his exact position and duties in the enemy line; and we had also practised the whole raid on dummy trenches laid out and partly dug on the ground. We were to have been four officers and one hundred and twenty-five men, but we now learnt that "A" Company was also to take part and would go over on our left. Our right was to be the Auchy railway, and in spite of my objections the authorities had insisted on a preliminary bombardment, but it was to last only three minutes. This would certainly send the enemy to cover, but would also warn them of an impending attack.
We learnt on June 28th of a superb performance by the Glasgow Highlanders next door to our own sector in the line. They had carried out a raid with only three casualties and had brought back sixty-one prisoners in addition to doing great damage to the Boche trenches. Rumour said that they had chanced upon an unarmed working party, but, whatever their good fortune, they had carried out what Sir Douglas Haig himself described as the finest raid up to that time. We were uncertain whether their effort would lull the enemy into a sense of false security or would put him particularly on the alert. That evening we held a great dinner in tumbledown Annequin before going in to our work.
On Thursday, June 29th, we returned to the same trenches, with our right on the Auchy railway. All along the front the Germans were springing what appeared to be defensive mines close to or in their own front line at the rate of about two daily; and our guns fired steadily night and day, so that very little enemy wire remained visible. After a good deal of rain the weather cleared. Our preparations continued, and the saps from which we were to emerge on the night of July 1st and 2nd were now complete, ready to be uncovered at the last moment.
On this last day of June I had a long letter from Bernard down south on the Somme with the 10th Battalion. He was well and expecting soon to be a full lieutenant; he deserved this, as he had served for three months in France in 1914 and for nearly twelve more in 1915 and 1916. Next morning we heard rumours, but no details, of great fighting and great success down south.
In the afternoon I withdrew the Company to Old Boots trench, a new line in rear with deep dug-outs, and there we made our final preparations. We were shelled at intervals, but not unduly disturbed. Captain J. F. Leman, who was then second-in-command of the battalion, took charge of the two raiding companies and was to control us by telephone from a front line dug-out. My headquarters were fixed at a point in the German front line with through communication to the brigade if necessary. I had chosen Prosser, Wilmot, and Miners to come over with me. Our guns were timed to put down a barrage on the enemy reserve line, and eight Stokes mortars were
to fire thirty rounds a minute as a box barrage on each flank of the attack. Our orders were to occupy the German front and second lines, to remain there for an hour, to complete their destruction, and to being back a few prisoners for identification. We left in our dug-outs our spare kit and anything by which we might ourselves be identified.
We had worked out every movement and position to the last detail, and shortly before midnight, July 1st and 2nd, we crept quietly out and lay down in front of our wire in two lines of platoons extended to a couple of paces. The night was quiet and dark save for an occasional star shell or bullet. I waited with Baxter at the head of a sap between the four platoons; with me were my runner, the signallers with the telephone, and four sappers carrying portable mines for the destruction of dug-outs. The preliminary bombardment had been timed for from twelve fifteen to twelve eighteen, and at twelve eighteen a small mine to be sprung on our right front was to give the signal to advance. I was hoping that it would not be sprung beneath us.
The bombardment en it came was terrific, and after a minute a sixty-pounder shell dropped short and just in front of our noses. For a few seconds when it exploded the men thought the mine had gone up for the advance; but we checked them, and then at last, after what seemed ages, up went the mine with a great shake of earth, and we were into the remains of the enemy wire and through it in a moment. Each officer and man knew his task to an inch and went straight to his post. The German trench, as I stood above it, seemed very deep and much more soundly constructed than ours. Jumping down, I found Private Raven with his bayonet at the throat of a German soldier. Raven was a young, dark, devil-may-care, up to anything when out of the line, though in the line he was a first-rate soldier; the German was a good-looking boy, in appear¬ance about sixteen, wearing a neat and new field grey uniform and cap. He looked like one of our own young cadets, and faced his death fearlessly with his hands at his side. But I told Raven to spare him and take him back safely as a prisoner.
We soon fixed company headquarters at the point previously determined, and immediately I was speaking to Leman two or three hundred yards away; the noise was deafening and only by shouting could we use the telephone at all. Our organisation worked perfectly, and at one fifteen, after an hour which had passed very rapidly, I gave the signal to withdraw. Our own firing ceased and the trenches were rapidly cleared. Presently the runner and I were left alone and we walked along the new empty lines to ensure that no one had been left behind. It was a curious experience in the comparative silence ; and the climb out of the deserted trench and the walk back across the open was uncanny. Direction might have been easily lost, but to guide us we had German guns which were now slowly shelling no man's land. The shells rushed past us in the darkness and burst in front of us along our parapet. and we were relieved to pass our wire and drop in to our own lines.
I found in my dug-out three prisoners whom Baxter had kept for me to see; he had sent on others to headquarters. One of them was badly shaken and frightened; but I tried to talk to another, Karl Jager, of Zittau, of the two hundred and forty-second Reserve Regiment. He was short, elderly and unsoldierly in appearance. Then all three were marched back to the Colonel.
Our Company roll call disclosed that we had two men missing, believed killed in the explosion of one of our own mines, and a dozen or so wounded, mostly very lightly. Our total casualties were two killed and fifteen severely wounded. Later we learnt the full result of the efforts of the two companies. We had entirely wrecked a considerable sector of the German front and second lines, blown in their mineshafts and dug-outs, killed a large number, and brought in eleven prisoners and some machine guns. Our opponents were the two hundred and forty-second and two hundred and forty-fourth Reserve Regiments, the latter of which had been one of the regiments routed by the battalion at Gheluvelt in 1914.
We were delighted with our success and did not sleep that morning, but, having recovered our possessions from Old Boots trench, again took over the front line. Very early a runner brought me the best reward of all in a ncte from the Colonel, and throughout the day congratulations poured in upon us. I spent some time in drafting a report and recommendations. Wilmot, who had had the responsible task of guarding our right flank, had done his work most efficiently; he had established a block in the trench at the correct spot and held it throughout. He told me that as he was doing this a German officer coming up had run into him round the traverse and that he had fired point blank and killed him. But his work was typical of all, and I could not find that anything had gone wrong with our arrangements. The Colonel's note was as follows:

2.7.16.
Dear Pigg,
My heartiest congratulations to you and all your gallant fellows. They did splendidly and I hope to have soon an opportunity of seeing them. Right well have you upheld the traditions of the dear old Battalion.
Yours ever,
L. M. STEVENS.

[allanp]

Hi Both

I have just found that Capt C.H. Pigg was reported wounded in the Worcester Herald on the 12th August 1916. He must have received his wound very soon after this entry in his diary.

Allan

[Barryellson]

Hello Allan,

Thank you for your comment about Capt. Pigg. He was clearly an able and brave officer. The Regimental History records that he played a prominent role in the attack on High Wood, 15th July 1916. Initially the 2 Worcersters, in 100th Brigade, formed the brigade's reserve. When the brigade's assault began to falter, the 2 Worcesters were ordered forward into High Wood to support the initial attack. At that stage in the war High Wood was still a dense wood in full leaf, the regimental history recording that the undergrowth was so dense that it was not possible to see more than 10 yards. Before the initial attack began it was believed that High Wood had been cleared of Germans, but this was most certainly not the case, and the assault faltered when the attacking troops came under flanking fire from the wood. The attacking troops veered towards the wood to confront the Germans entrenched there, but became pinned down on the edge of the wood, unable to advance. Captain Pigg was given the task of organizing and leading a renewed attack. He led his "C" Company into the wood, and ordering his platoons to lie down, went forward alone to ascertain the situation. He found many British troops at the edge of the wood, from a number of units, but they were disorganized and did not know what was going on. Captain Pigg continued to advance, the regimental history recording that he did so "until stopped by a burst of German machine-gun at short range. He brought up his company, but the enemy position was too strong for an unsupported assault, so "C" Company took up a position in the wood and began to entrench, while arrangements were made for artillery support". Eventually D Company of the 2 Worcesters moved up in support, however during the afternoon German artillery got the range of the British troops in High Wood, allowing it to support a German counter-attack. That afternoon and evening the battle raged back and forth in the wood, and when darkness fell C and D Companies of the 2 Worcesters were still holding the south and west of the wood. The two companies were eventually relieved by fresh troops at 3am on the morning of 16 July. The battalion fell back to Mametz Wood and rested in reserve there from 16 – 19 July, but renewed the assault on high wood on the evening of 19 July, with C Company in support. The 2 Worcesters held their ground throughout the day until they were thrown back by a concerted German counter-attack after dark that evening.
Charles Herbert Pigg is recorded in the regimental history as being among the officers of the 2 Worcesters wounded in action during the fighting in and around High Wood, 15 - 22 July 1916.

After being invalided, Captain Pigg saw service initially with the School of Instruction, and on 23 November 1916 was appointed Staff Captain commanding a company of an Officer Cadet unit. He was subsequently appointed a Brigade Major, 1 August 1918.

Captain Pigg volunteered for service during the Second World War, and saw service as a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force, but resigned his commission on 17 August 1942, retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. His O.B.E. was announced in the New Year's Honours List, 3 January 1945 "Charles Herbert Pigg, Esq., M.C., lately Commandant London Officer's Training School, National Fire Service".

The Bernard to who is referred to in the diary on 30 June was his brother who was killed in action on 3 July whilst serving with the 10 battalion Worcesters.

Berrows Worcester Journal sounds like a usefull source and one that I must take time to look at. Thanks

Barry.

[allanp]

Hi Barry

I have just found an entry for the 26th August 1916 that you may be interested in.

Military Cross
Temp Lieu (Temp Capt) C. H. Pigg
For conspicuous gallantry. He has done excellent work throughout the operations and organised his company with great skill.

Regards Allan

[Barryellson]

DearLouis,

You may recall that you were kind enough to arrange for me an extract from the diary of Capt Charles Herbert Pigg who commanded C company 2nd Worcesters in the raid on Auchy which took place on the night of 1st /2nd July 1916. He records that on the day after the raid he “spent some time in drafting a report and recommendations.” Are you able to help me further by saying whether such a report is likely to have been preserved and, if so, where it would be now?

You may be interested to know that I have also looked at the war diary of the 9th battalion Highland Light Infantry the unit which shared position in the line with 2nd Worcesters, alternately relieving and being relieved. This battalion carried out a similar raid on the night of 27th/28th June 1916. The detail of the preparation, training and execution of the raid make interesting reading and enables you to appreciate the work that Capt Pigg did with his men. (see www.inf.org.uk)

The same story is given in ‘Shoulder to shoulder. The Glasgow Highlanders: 9th Bn Highland Light Infantry 1914 – 1918 by Col A.K. Reid (published in 1988). The descriptions here confirm that the raid was carried out only after detailed preparation and training. In its objective the raid was similar to that of the Worcesters just a few nights later: “To advance to the German second line behind Mid Point and hold this for 60 minutes to enable old and new craters to be examined and any mine destroyed. Also to get as many live prisoners as possible, and any other articles and to damage defences and dug outs.”

You will see from my other postings that I am trying to get the final word on the death of my grandfather, Private Howard Ellson, 24058 who, in all probability was one of the two men mentioned by Capt Pigg as “believed killed in the explosion of one of our own mines.”

regards, Barry