illery Brigade, commanded by Lieut.-Col. Moss
Blundell. I got to know and like him well, and he did everything he
could to assist our brigade, and especially in matters of
intelligence. Any news that he got he sent on to us at once and vice
versa. I have never known the liaison between Field Artillery and
Infantry more close or more effective than at this time.

One of the most important operations carried out by the 50th Division
was a double raid and gas projection on September 15, 1917, and the
following night. It was carried out by the 151st Infantry Brigade in
the right sector, and at the time the 140th Infantry Brigade was
holding the trenches on the left. I believe the 9th D.L.I, supplied
the raiding parties. It was such a novel and effective raid that some
account ought to be given of it. The scheme was to deceive the enemy
as to the exact extent and nature of the attack. For this purpose a
great many smoke-shells were fired to screen the operations from the
enemy's observation. Also along the flanks of the actual raid a number
of dummy figures were arranged to represent an attacking force and so
to draw the enemy's fire away from the actual raiding parties. The
dummies were put out in No Man's Land the night before, face
downwards, and at the right moment they could be raised or lowered by
means of ropes worked by the men in the trenches. Also a dummy tank
was prepared and hauled forward 200 yards by means of ropes. The
combination of smoke-shells and dummies was wonderfully effective, and
the enemy reported that he had been attacked in great force and with
tanks along a large part of this front.

What really happened was this. After a preliminary bombardment of
great intensity by our guns and trench-mortars (including many
thermite or flame-shells), about 2 P.M. three companies of the 9th
D.L.I, dashed across and captured the German front and support lines
covering Cherisy. They killed and captured a number of Germans without
suffering many casualties themselves, and then returned at once to our
own trenches. At the same time the dummies in No Man's Land were
lowered again. After waiting five or six hours, another short
bombardment started, the dummies were again raised and one company of
the 9th D.L.I, dashed across into the same trenches and killed or
captured more Germans. They then returned to our trenches and the
dummies were again lowered. After dark our men went out and removed
the dummies, so that th