m the next divisional sector northwards joined in with
crumps on strong points behind the front line. Simultaneously the
raiding party leaped up and rushed into the copse like howling
dervishes. Some hours of a deathly, eerie silence, the nerve-racking
quality of which is only known to those who have experienced it, and
made all the more impressive by the fact that it occurred on a front
which is not usually quiet, was followed by a sudden din and an
unexplained mad charge of the hated English. It must have put the fear
of God into the Germans of "Wigan Copse," for they made no effort to
resist and tried to "run for it." In fact one poor devil--a
youngster--who had been lying out in the grass on sentry (but must have
been doing his work rather badly) got up and ran with our men. Hodge
noticing his unusual headgear, seized him by the scruff of the neck and
flung him bodily, rifle and everything, back to his men. No one wanted
him at the moment, for the "fun" in the copse had to be encountered yet,
and he went from hand to hand until one of the covering parties took him
in charge.

Two more prisoners were secured on the edge of the copse. Several other
Germans who offered resistance were bayonetted while Hodge shot one or
two with his revolver. Then it was discovered that the Hun had not left
himself so badly protected as we had thought. Interlaced among the
branches and shrubs at about five feet from the ground were strands of
barbed wire which caused a few nasty cuts and scratches on the faces of
some of our men. It was found to be impossible to go through the copse
because of this, but Hodge had good reason to be satisfied with the
night's work. He had secured his toll of prisoners as ordered, without
sustaining a single casualty, and had inflicted other casualties on the
enemy, for his men had emptied rifles and Lewis guns at the few flying
Boche and into the copse, so he gave the word to withdraw. The men had
crawled out at the beginning like fighting cocks, but they came back
like roaring lions. They were naturally in a great state of excitement,
because it was their first venture of this sort, and it had been
crowned, after a glorious five minutes' rough and tumble, with
unqualified success.

2nd-Lt. Hodge was decorated with the Military Cross for this feat--the
first M.C. in the division in France--and this was really the beginning
of a brilliant career for him as a soldier. He was eventually
transferred as a Co