An Account of the Umbrella Hill Raid

Umbrella Hill from The History of the Fifth Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA)

Sunday 22nd July 1917

Colonel Brighten, commanding officer of the 1st/5th Battalion has sent an account of the recent raid on Umbrella Hill: “In accordance with orders received the party detailed for the Raid assembled at the entrance to K39 trench at about 20.15. Stores were issued, four bridges thrown across our trenches, our own wire gapped and all preliminaries completed by 20.50”.

“The night was then dark and everywhere along the line things were quite quiet. Zero was fixed for 21.00. At 20.55 two flashes in the distance were seen and after what seemed a long time two dull roars and a heavy droning noise, growing louder and louder, were heard, then two vivid flashes on Umbrella Hill followed almost at once by the tremendous crash of two 8-inch shells exploding shook the night. Two minutes of silence then two more 8-inch shells: two more minutes and yet another pair hurtled over. A minute more and at Zero started a veritable inferno. Flashes were all over the sky from the guns behind and from the shells bursting in front lit up Umbrella Hill and showed that it was wreathed in a bank of smoke which grew denser each moment. The noise was deafening so that when the machine-gun barrage from 24 guns started at 21.05, at first there appeared to be little more added to the din than the noise of a stick being run over a split-oak fence and later, one was quite oblivious of any machine-gun fire at all”.

Lieutenant B W Smythe

“At 21.00 the Raiders, closely followed by the supports, moved quickly over the trench bridges and disappeared through the gap in our wire. So rapid was the advance across "no-man's land" that it was found necessary to halt for one minute at the Beanfield. At 21.06, a minute ahead of time, the screen under Lieutenant B W Smythe dashed up to the wire with the shrapnel of our barrage bursting right over their head and soon found the gaps in the wire. They shouted through the smoke to the Raiders, who, though close on their heels, were quite invisible and so guided, they later dashed into the front trench at about 21.07, bayoneted the few Turks who offered any resistance and captured a machine-gun which was found in position”.

“Having arrived and established touch with the enemy, Captain H S Armstrong fixed his headquarters and the various parties as detailed in orders began to move to their allotted objectives, though at first some confusion occurred owing to the dense smoke & the large number of men crowded together. Lieutenant B W Smythe, after his first task of guiding the Raiders through the gap had been accomplished, collected a small party and dashed across the open to Cross Cut, which he cleared and made good, thus affording a measure of local protection while the deployment mentioned above took place”.

“To follow briefly the fortunes of various parties. The Left Sector party under Lieutenant W A Shaw moved along Side Trench, Silk Alley and finally obtained touch with the Right Sector at Tassel Corner. Bombing sections were quickly pushed up Cover Alley and Side Trench. So thoroughly demoralised were the Turks in most cases that they had to be bombed in their dugouts, each of which contained from three to six and refused to come out or indeed to do anything except cower down on the ground. A few Turks offered resistance in Cover Alley but they were speedily overcome. Soon after the evacuation signal went and in consequence the time was found insufficient for reaching Stick Alley and Point Trench”.

“The Right Sector party under Second Lieutenant R H Smith entered the enemy trenches at Stay Alley, passed through Echelon and made for Tassel Corner, where there was some congestion of troops. Dug-Out Alley was then visited and a large number of Turks killed. As before, little resistance was encountered. When the evacuation signal went, this party had just reached the bottom of Dug-out Alley”.

“Meanwhile a section of bombers had been working successfully along Echelon Trench. They killed some ten Turks and took several prisoners. A large minenwerfer(1) was met with and being far too bulky for removal, was put out of action very ingeniously by the Section who exploded bombs in its working parts”.

“While these parties had been at work killing or capturing the garrison, a party of Royal Engineers under Lieutenant Mendham, 484th Field Company, had been systematically destroying the enemy works and wrecking the trenches. They left several heavy charges of gun-cotton in the principal dug-outs which were exploded subsequent to the evacuation by time fuses”.

“Soon after the raid started, the enemy began to shell the Hollow about 50 yards in the rear of our front line very heavily with 5.9-inch high explosive shells and some shrapnel from much smaller guns. It was afterwards calculated that about 500 shells fell during the night here. By sheer bad luck the shelling was limited to an area of little more than 150 yards radius and in that was situated the signal office, headquarters dugout and aid post. The area was fairly full of people, orderlies, stretcher bearers, a dump party and headquarters details found themselves in the open under this heavy fire. For about two hours an intense bombardment was maintained, the heavy shells falling in salvos at first and later in quick succession. Later the bombardment died down to intermittent shelling with a single gun and this finally died down altogether. During the bombardment candles were continually blown out by the concussion, wounded were killed in some cases at the aid post and the dense smoke rendered the evacuation of wounded a matter of great difficulty. Though it was successfully carried out and by 02.30 all the wounded had been evacuated”.

Captain Miskin

“When it was perceived that the returning raiders and supports would suffer heavily if allowed to enter the shelled area, which practically did not touch our front line, parties were organised by the Reserve Commander, Captain  C H Miskin, who was wounded while so engaged, to direct them. Partly owing to this organisation and partly owing to the control still exercised by the officers over the raiders and supports most of these were held up at our front line and after a short interval worked away to the left flank and evacuated by the communication trenches leading back from the neighbourhood of Samson Ridge. Many casualties were undoubtedly avoided in this manner”.

“About 01.00 it was found possible to hand over the defence of bays 21-28 to the 5th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment and our reserves were withdrawn except for a small party repairing our wire and those attending to the wounded”.

“An officer’s patrol of six worked in no man's land for an hour in search of wounded and dead but none were found. By this time a thick mist had added to the difficulty to seeing anything so no good could be done”.

“At dawn and just before the mist lifted a patrol of two went out again for a short time. A revolver and some equipment was found, but none of our casualties”.

“Artillery Support. This was perfect and completely demoralised the Turks. Not one of our men was hit by our own guns.The machine-gun barrage also worked without a hitch”.

“The elaborate system of telephones was found of little value, at any rate forward of Battalion Battle Headquarters. Nothing could be heard and the wires were soon cut”.

“Booty was brought in as follows: 25 rifles; 6 bayonets; 1 revolver; 1 machine-gun on a sledge mounting, complete; 7 belt boxes; 6 full belts of ammunition; 1 37mm gun; 79 shells for the gun; 1 bag of spare parts; 1 set of equipment; 2 gas masks”.

“Enemy Casualties. No count was possible in Cover Alley and Stay Alley and those killed by our guns are not included. The counted casualties are: Echelon Trench 24; Front Trench and Cross Cut 15; Side Trench 1 officer, 30 other ranks; Dug-Out Alley 35. Total 105”.

Source: X550/6/8

(1) “mine thrower” a German trench mortar.

The Umbrella Hill Raid

Umbrella Hill from The History of the Fifth Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA)

Saturday 21st July 1917

The adjutant of the 1st/5th Bedfords has managed to telephone me all the way from Palestine with details of last night’s raid. At 5.40 a.m. yesterday morning the General Officer Commanding 162nd Brigade inspected the raiders of 1st/5th Battalion and watched a rehearsal by the six new rifle sections added to the raid. Between six and eleven o’clock the Regimental Sergeant-Major and his party laid out stores at the place of assembly in proper dumps. The afternoon passed without incident.

At seven o’clock last evening the whole raiding party marched out, arriving at the place of assembly at about 20.15. Stores were issued. Everything was quite ready by about 20.50 and all stores issued. The raiders left the place of assembly at 20.55 in accordance with programme and the raid was carried through very successfully in accordance with the programme.

By sheer bad luck the enemy had put up an intense bombardment of 5.9 inch high explosive shells onto a very small area near the place of assembly and almost the whole of the casualties are due to this except for the missing and probably two or three killed on the hill and perhaps eight or ten wounded there.

Captain Miskin

About 9.45 pm the raiders, followed by the supports, came back to our front line. With so many men and in view of the tremendous noise and dense smoke some confusion was inevitable but the officers and non-commissioned officers of these parties quickly appreciated the situation and with the assistance of some parties organised by the reserve commander Captain Miskin, managed to retain most of their men in our front trench which was comparatively safe as the enemy barrage was plastering a zone some fifty to one-hundred -and-fifty yards in the rear of the front line. After some reconnaissance it was found possible to move the men to the flanks along the front line and so out of the barrage. They were then passed down communication trenches or in small parties in the open. The garrison had been relieved and all except wounded evacuated by 01.30.

The large number of wounded were evacuated by about 2.30 a.m. At 3.30 a patrol of one officer and five other ranks went in the direction of the Beanfield, about 150 yards short of Umrealls Hill, but found nothing. Everything was quiet on the hill itself. The remnants of the smoke and a thick mist made visibility difficult.

At four o’clock this afternoon a patrol of two went out, just as the dawn was breaking and the lifting mist enabled one to see. They only stayed out about ten minutes and found one dead body - from a former engagement - and some equipment which was brought in.

Today the dead, comprising one from the Royal Army Medical Corps, one from the divisional signalling company, one from 484th Company, Royal Engineers, one from the Machine Gun Corps, one from an unknown unit and sixteen from the Bedfords were buried in a cemetery near the headquarters of the raid(1). The remainder of today has been spent resting and writing reports.

One feature of the reports was that every commander of a Unit from officers commanding supports, reserves and raiders down to individual "mopping-up sections" has been asked for a written report of his own work. These will be forwarded to divisional headquarters.

Source: X550/6/8

(1) Now Gaza War Cemetery

More About Planning the Umbrella Hill Raid

Map of Umbrella Hill from The History of the Fifth Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment

Thursday 19th July 1917

The intention in the raid on Umbrella Hill to be carried out by 1st/5th Bedfords is, as usual with such raids, to kill and capture as many of the enemy as possible and capture or destroy as much of their material as can be achieved in the limited time available.

Captain Maier

The personnel forming the party will be: one officer and twelve other ranks from 484th Field Company, Royal Engineers; sixteen officers and 511 other ranks of the Bedfords under Captain H S Armstrong and a stretcher-bearer sub-division of 2nd/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance. Of the Bedfords, five officers and 231 other ranks will be the raiders, Captain E T Maier, two other officers and 134 men will be in support and the rest, under Captain C H Miskin will be in reserve.

Captain Miskin

The amounts of ammunition have been carefully calculated, for example: the raiders will carry 736 Mills bombs and the support troops 120 more, in horses nose-bags each containing fifteen grenades, with 184 in the reserve section. The raiders will have 27 wire-cutters, 4 picks and 22 bill-hooks. There will be four stretchers taken with the raiders, eight with the support troops and sixteen in reserve.

All ranks will wear jackets, shorts and puttees. Helmets (with chin straps down) will also be worn as will equipment but without pack, haversack, waterbottle or entrenching tool and handle. Each man will carry 120 rounds of small arms ammunition and each Lewis gun team will; have twelve full drums. Bayonets will be fixed by all at the place of assembly (except men who are ordered to have rifles slung). Two sandbags will be carried on each man’s belt. All possible marks of identification will be removed (including both identity discs). No papers, letters, envelopes or notes of any sort are to be carried on the person.

All ranks will wear a white armlet three inches wide, securely fastened on each arm. These armlets will be numbered consecutively in indelible pencil and registered with the regimental number rank and name of the wearer, in a special roll to be prepared beforehand and kept at the place of assembly by Company Sergeant Major Lewsey and four men of A Company.

The Raiders will carry with them white name boards with clear black lettering in accordance with the tracing of Turkish position issued. The boards will be placed under careful supervision as the position is captured to assist all ranks in finding their way about the enemy position. Similar boards are also be used in the replica of the position during rehearsals.It has been carefully explained to all ranks that while every care has to be taken to construct correctly the replica of the position used during regearsals - there may be certain points in which it is not quite accurate, also the contour of the ground on which it is situated is known to be different.

The raiders are being carefully taught that they must keep right up to the artillery barrage which will precede them, like a creeping barrage so often used with success on the Western Front. Such an operation is almost unknown here and the men have been told that it is quite safe to keep within one hundred yards of the exploding shells and to get to such a point that our shrapnel bursts immediately overhead. The success of the whole operation depends on the raiders dashing into the enemy trenches as the barrage lifts, and before the enemy has time to recover from it. The raid is expected to take thirty-five minutes

A warning has been issued to all ranks: the enemy's line lies to the east and that our line lies to the west. The men are to be tested to see that they know how to find their direction by the stars. Every man is to be warned if inadvertantly he should be taken prisoner by the enemy he is obliged to give his Regimental Number, Rank, Name and Regiment. All ranks are also to be cautioned not to take any notice of any order shouted out or whistle blown unless they are absolutely sure that it is given by one of our own side, who, from his position, is entitled to give it, and that it is meant for them.

Source: X550/6/8

Another Battalion Round-Up

Wednesday 11th July 1917

His Majesty The King has been at the Front again today.m The adjutant of 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, tells me that he visited their area near Écurie, the Battalion lined the road from Arras to Souchez to salute him. On their way back to camp, the Battalion did an exercise, “The Attack in the Open” to keep sharp the skills so successfully put to use in the recent attack at Oppy.

Second Lieutenant Warren [X550/1/81]

The adjutant of 2nd Battalion, in billets at Polincove, remarked, with a certain snide amusement that they have, nevertheless, had a casualty, Second Lieutenant D D Warren as been injured in a fall from his horse.

The 6th Battalion are behind the lines at Kemmel south of Ypres. They have been providing large working parties all day. The adjutant noted that enemy aeroplanes have been very active - four of our balloons having been brought down east of the Battalion’s position.

Captain Miskin

Not forgetting our men in far-off Palestine - 1st/5th Battalion is training for a raid on the Turks at a place called Umbrella Hill south of Gaza. Their planning has been assisted by Captain C H Miskin building a replica of the hill from aeroplane photographs and plans. Captain H S Armstrong has been training the raiders. The adjutant remarked by wire that, owing to the lengthy preparation of orders, due to the number of arms and units concerned - Royal Field Artillery, Royal Engineers and Machine Gun Corps - it was considered best to start the general training at once and to complete the details when orders are issued. A patrol of Captain Armstrong, Lieutenant B W Smythe and Second Lieutenant R H Smith with two other ranks spent about ninety minutes in No Man's Land between the front line trenches and Umbrella Hill to better reconnoitre the lie of the land.

Lieutenant Smythe

Sources: X550/2/5; X550/3/WD; X550/6/8; X550/7/1