72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

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SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
always careful of his men, prevailed,
and a carefully pre
pared raid was accordingly organized.
The raiding party was composed of Lieut. W. C. Ross,
Lieut. T. Barrie and 54 other ranks divided into nine
squads
of one N. C. 0. and five men each. There were as
siduously trained for the coming effort under the able di
rection of the late Major R. K. Johnston.
The enemy trenches to be raided were faithfully repro
duced by means of tapes laid out on the ground near Villersau-Bois.
Beginning on February 10th the little squads of
men, after studying the German position by means of aero
plane photographs and maps, commenced their "dress re
hearsals" over the tapes. So careful and thorough had been
the preliminary
reconnaissance of the short "No Man s
Land" between our lines and the positions to be raided,
that each man knew almost to
a yard where he would lie
awaiting the of the "lift"
barrage.
On February 12th the Battalion moved into the line from
their rest billets to once more garrison the muddy trenches
and damp-infested dugouts and tunnels that constituted the
defensive system on the ridge. The raiders, however, stayed
out of the line practising at Villers-au-Bois day after day
until each man felt almost competent to perform his task
blindfold. As may be imagined, knowledge intimate
knowledge of the enemy trenches is >a
qua non in all
offensive operations, but in none is it more imperative
than in night raiding, when men, worked up to the high
est pitch of excitement and following the barrage, a leap
ing line of flame-shot smoke, jump into the enemy works.
Each traverse and sap every communication trench which
leads off the main fire trench must be familiar. Otherwise
the best men are apt to get lost and the co-ordinated plan
of the operation to be upset, with results fatal to success
and productive of casualties.
It was here that the careful training came in.
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It has been