BORDER REGIMENT'S RAID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16300, 5 August 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

BORDER REGIMENT'S RAID.

POLICEMAN PROVES USEFUL.

A raid of a new model, but crisp and pat beyond the common, was delivered by a battalion of the Border Regiment in the neighbourhood of Albert, writes Mr. Beach Thomas, from British Headquarters, France. It closely followed two other raids, hardly less successful, on the same front, but had peculiar virtues of its own. I wish I could tell the tale fully, but the crowning details, human and mechanical, must for obvious reasons be left unsaid. One personal detail may be given. Among those who begged permission to take part was an ex-policeman, who urged his peculiar special and professional skill in marshalling and conducting prisoners, and he proved his value. I can see him quick-marching those German prisoners across that 150 yds of pock-marked No Man's Land in the dark and rain, with as precise a professional 'dignity as if the trench to which he took them were the Tower or East Street Police Court. In trench warfare every sort of professional skill comes in usefully, but .this is anticipating. Luxurious " Earths." The first palpable notice of the raid was the opening of our artillery, ranging from trench mortars to heavies, upon the German front trenches. Within not more than three minutes the enemy responded. After almost an hour of this mutual bombardment our raiding parties went out to reap what the artillery had most plentifully sown. They entered a front German trench, a second German trench, and made various promiscuous sallies farther afield. They found the Germans all gone to ground in their luxurious earths. Some of these had 13 or 14 steps down, and the room was roofed with an 18ft head cover. But the dug-out has its drawbacks. A Dangerous Obst<iacy. In all the raid no.* _> man showed fight, though one or.t. o developed a. dangerous obstinacy. The men who consented to leave their retreat as they were asked to were taken prisoners. Those who refused were bombed. About a dozen wise men got over the parapet and submitted to the marshalling of the policeman, who _ conducted them safely to the " station." Three were slightly wounded, but the rest were untouched. Another three made an effort to escape, but were headed off and recaptured by another patrol. How many Germans were killed I cannot say, but the number was large. One of the " earths" was big enough to hold over a score of men, and it was crowded. The prisoners, though cowed by the bombardment, are of a lusty and good type. The Border Regiment have the honour of this latest and best of the raids.