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SNIPING IN FRANCE
the
Same Author.
WHERE BLACK RULES WHITE

HAYTI
THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA

HUNTING CAMPS IN WOOD AND
WILDERNESS
THROUGH TRACKLESS LABRADOR
/Vow
[Ernest Blaikley.
i ilrawing by]
The
Sniper-Observer.-Scoiat,
[i'rontispiece.
SNIPING IN FRANCE
With Notes on
the Scientific Training of
Scouts, Observers,
and Snipers
BY
MAJOR
HESKETH-PRICHARD
H.
D.S.O.,
M.C.
WITH A FOREWORD
BY
GENERAL LORD HORNE OF STIRKOKE

G.C.B., K.C.M.G.,
etc.
by ERNEST BLAIKLEY, Artists'

Sergeant-Instructor at the Fii-st
School of S.O.S., the late Lijut. B. Head,
The Hertfordshire Regt., and from Photographs.
Illustrations
Rifles, late
Army
LONDON:
HUTCHINSON
PATERNOSTER ROW
E.
&
C
CO.
FOREWORD
BY GENERAL LORD HORNE, G.C.B.
may fairly be claimed that when hostilities ceased
on November nth, 1918, we had outplayed Germany
IT
at all points of the
Perhaps
as
game.
nation
we
failed
in
imagination.
Possibly Germany was more quick to initiate new

methods of warfare or to adapt her existing methods
to
meet prevailing conditions.
Certainly
we were
slow to adopt, indeed, our souls abhorred, anything

unsportsmanlike.
Had
it
been
left to us,
"
part in the Great European
Gas " would have taken no

War.
But, however lacking in imagination, however slow

to realize the importance of novel methods, once
were convinced of their
necessity,
adopt them, we managed by
we
once we decided to
combination of brains
and energy, pluck and endurance, not only to make up

the lost ground, but to take the lead in the race. In
proof of this statement I would instance Heavy Field
Artillery,
High
Explosives, Gas,
Work
in the Air, etc.,
FOREWORD
and many other points I could mention in which
Germany started ahead of us, including Sniping,
Observation and Scouting.
And for our eventual superiority
men who,
individuals,
like
we owe much
to
the author of this book,
Major Hesketh-Prichard, combined expert knowledge

with untiring energy, men who would not be denied
and could not recognize defeat.
In the early days of 1915, in
Division,
remember the
command
of the
2nd
ever-increasing activity
German sniper and the annoyance of our

and men in the trenches. I can recall the
of the
officers
acquisition
Brickfields
two
well
by the Guards' Brigade, then in the

of Cuinchy with Lord Cavan as
Brigadier,
with telescopic sights and the good

use made of them.
It was the experience of
1915
of
rifles fitted
that impressed
upon
us the necessity of fighting for
branches of trench warfare, amongst

which sniping held an important position. It was
superiority in
therefore
arrival
all
great
from the
autumn
of
satisfaction
battlefields
1916 to
find
to
of the
me upon my
Somme in the
Major Hesketh-Prichard's
School firmly established in the First Army area,

thanks in a great measure to the support and encouragement of Lieut. -General Sir Richard Haking, the
Commander of the Eleventh Corps.

From that time onwards, owing
chiefly
energy, enthusiasm, tact and personality of
its
to the
Com-
FOREWORD
mandant, the influence of the Sniping, Observation
and Scouting School spread rapidly throughout the
Of
ups and downs, of

successes, and of its ultimate
British Forces in France.
troubles
its
and
its
its
triumph, Major Hesketh-Prichard

modesty typical of the man.
may be permitted
to
add
tells
the tale with
testimony that in
each phase of the war, not only in the trenches, but in
the field, we found the value of the trained sniper,
I
my
observer and scout.
This book
is
not only
record of a successful system
of training, valuable as such to us soldiers,

will
be found to be
reader.
full
but
also
of interest to the general
CONTENTS
....
CHAP.
I.
II.
III.
THE GENESIS OF SNIPING

THE SNIPER IN THE TRENCHES
EARLY DAYS WITH THE XI. CORPS AND
.
......
ARMY
FIRST ARMY SCHOOL OF
FIRST
IV.
THE
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
25
56
SCOUTING,
....
OBSERVATION AND SNIPING

SOME SNIPING MEMORIES
AN OBSERVER'S MEMORIES.
THE CURRICULUM AND WORK AT FIRST
ARMY SCHOOL OF S.O.S.
WlLIBALD THE HuN
THE CAT
THE TRAINING OF THE PORTUGUESE
THE MODERN SCOUT
.
V.
PAGE
.....
.
71
94
114
144
164
176
184
191
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A.
PROGRAMME
FOR
TRAINING
.211
OBSERVERS.
GENERAL COURSE AT FIRST ARMY
SCHOOL OF S.O.S.
214
OF ARMS, GROUPING AND
I. CARE
222
RANGE PRACTICES
II. PATROLLING AND SCOUTING
232
III. THE STALKING TELESCOPE
239
IV. FRONT LINE OBSERVATION AND
REPORTS
246
V. SOME USES OF SCOUTS, OBSERVERS
.
APPENDIX
APPENDIX
B.
C.
.....
AND SNIPERS IN ATTACK AND

DEFENCE AND OPEN WARFARE
VI. THE ENFIELD
1914 PATTERN
.
"
SNIPER'S RIFLE
253
"
259
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Sniper-Observer-Scout
The Sniper's End
Examination of a German Prisoner
Outside
the
Snipers'
Post.
"
Frontispiece
......
Facing
Shut
the
loopholes.
I'm
"Not
yet."
coming in"
,,
" Nurse
your Target."
Telescopic Sights.
.......
.......
"Now!"
2.
Spotting the
XI Corps
.,
Enemy
Sniper
of
inserting
Loophole,
i.
Section
Original
XI Corps
Showing the best form
Sniping School.
loopholes
.......
made through
easiest possible
form
Army
i
School of S.O.S.
66
No.
i.
The
movement behind
Flat Parapet.
.......
No.
2.
Same parapet
Sniper's
Robe on
at night)
With German
76
a 6ft. 4in.
Find the Sniper. (The flat cap gives him away)

Find the Sniper (Look for the rifle barrel)
Telescopic Sights. With Periscopic Prism Aldis.
Winchester.
74
as in
........,,
of S.O.S.
66
72
after five minutes' alteration
Army School
man in the open
First
64
Showing concealed
of parapet to spot
practically a death-trap
No.
64
for
tins, bags, etc.
Army School of S.O.S

Army School of S.O.S.
First
46
of parapet
and the wrong type of parapet
concealing snipers' loopholes

Section of typical German Parapet.
First
44
to conceal loopholes,
First
38
of
2. How bags are arranged and fixed round

loophole to imitate original parapet (Gray's Boards.) ; 3.
Parapet reconstructed with loophole
Parapet
28
30
German Trench used
Imitation
Sniping School.
for spotting targets, etc.
Method
i.
p.
88
92
94
With
telescopic sight (showing use
98
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
......
Inside the Observation Post
Lovat Scouts
The
Fatal
First
Facing
Battle observers.
Cap
Army
p.
122
126
14.2
School of S.O.S.
Comparison
of sniper's robe as
.
opposed to ordinary kit firing over a turnip heap
Army School of S.O.S. Typical German Loophole
.
.
.
.
Disguises in Earth Parapet
.
144
First
1.
There are two snipers here

"
"
robe
150
sniper's
2.
A
"
contrast
correct
First
Army
of light
........
........
showing the drawbacks of uniform and a
"
position
School S.O.S.
and shade
Night-work in
148
one in uniform and one in a
Showing
No Man's Land
effects
152
and importance
156
194
SNIPING IN FRANCE
CHAPTER
T) EADERS
*^
of
book must
this
realize the neces-
narrow and circumscribed point

of view from which it is written.
It is simply an
very
sarily
account of some memories of sniping, observation

and scouting in France and Flanders, and its purpose
is
to preserve, as far as
may
be, in
some form the work
and training of a class of officers and men whose duties

became ever more important as the war progressed.
It
is
in the
hope that the true value
of sniping
and
scouting will continue to be recognized in the future

training of our armies, as
in
the
later
years
of
it
the
certainly was recognized
war, that this book
is
written.
The idea of organized sniping was not a new one

to me when I went out to France in May, 1915.
I
had been there before, in the previous March, and
had seen the immense advantages which had accrued
i
SNIPING IN FRANCE
to the
Germans through
their superiority in trench
warfare sniping.
It
is
Suffice
losses.
eighteen
enemy
now
difficult
men
to give the ~exact figures of our
we
to say that in early 1915
it
in a single battalion in a single
snipers.
Now
if
lost
day to
each battalion in the
line
by sniping a single German in the day, the

numbers would mount up. If any one cares to do a
killed
mathematical sum, and to work out the number of

battalions
we had in the line, they will be surprised at

when they multiply these figures by
the figures, and

thirty
and look
at the
month's
they will find
losses,
that in a war of attrition the sniper on this count

alone justifies his existence and wipes out large numbers
of the enemy.
But
it
is
not only by the casualties that one can
judge the value of sniping. If your trench is dominated by enemy snipers, life in it is really a very hard
In many
thing, and moral must inevitably suffer.
parts of the line
all
enemy, who were
through France and Belgium the
organized at a
than we, certainly did dominate
and most
soldiers
who have been
much
us.
earlier
period
Each regiment
to France will re-
member some particular spot where they will say the

German sniping was more deadly than elsewhere,
but the truth of the matter
1915
is
that in the middle of
we were undergoing almost everywhere
gruelling, to say the least of

2
it.
a severe

When
went out
in
May,
several telescopic-sighted
own property
the time
an
as
my
took with me,
me ample
opportunity
Whenever
was
at
went
to
visit
all
to the line I
was possible, a telescopic-sighted

found that both brigades and battalions
if
it
me
were soon applying to
way
my
charge of war-correspondents, and
in
parts of the line.
this
which were either
attached to the Intelligence Department
work gave
and
me
or borrowed from friends.
officer
rifle,
rifles,
took with
1915, I
to lend these
rifles.
In
opportunities arose of visiting the line and
studying the sniping problem on the spot.
One day
remember
was going
through the
the
with
Australian
company
CorresponMr.
we
to
when
came
a
dent,
Gullett,
very smart
"
notice board on which was painted the word
Sniper,"
and also an arrow pointing to the lair in which he lay.
I
trenches in
The
sniper, however,
was not in the
but was
lair,
shooting over the top of the parapet with a telescopicsighted rifle. These rifles were coming out from
England at that time in very small numbers, and

were being issued to the troops.
I
had
rifles,
for
many
years possessed telescope-sighted
and had some understanding
lation as used in
way
of their
In
manipua
big-game shooting.
general
could not help thinking that they were unsports-
they made shooting so very easy, but

for shooting at rabbits with a small-bore rifle, where
manlike,
as
i*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
you only wounded your rabbit unless you hit him in
the head, they were admirable and saved a great deal
of unnecessary suffering.
But to return to the
him how he
asked
Much
sniper.
liked his
rifle,
interested,
we
and he announced
that he could put a shot through the loophole of the

iron shields in the
German
trenches
As the German trenches were
"
every time."
hundred yards away,

seemed to me that the sniper was optimistic, and
it
we
asked
had with
him
me
if
he would
six
let us see
Ross glass which
the trenches, and
when the
him
shoot.
always carried in
sniper shot I saw his bullet
the plate at which he

was aiming. He, however, was convinced from the sound
some
strike
six feet to
the
left of
He
had gone clean through the loophole

had another shot, and again struck well to the
that
it
had
a look at his sight,
and seeing that
it
was
questioned the sniper
which was
a little
as to
how
left.
tap-over fitting,
out of alignment I
much he knew about
weapon. It is no exaggeration to say that

knowledge was limited.
his
From
became
this
moment
all
telescope-sighted
matter of great interest to me, and
long before
came
to the conclusion
80 per cent, were quite

than the ordinary open
they were.
The men
useless,
sights, in
using
hardly any knowledge of
much
how
4
it
his
rifles
was not
that
about
worse, in fact,
the hands in which
them had
in
their sights
were aligned.
most
cases

A
tap or a knock and the
rifle
was straightway out of
shooting.
For the benefit of the untechnical reader

well here to remark that
4-inch base
will
a telescopic sight set
if
it
be
upon
one-hundredth of an inch out of
is
true alignment,
of 9 inches
it
its
will shoot incorrectly to the extent
100 yards, and, of course, 18 inches
at
200 yards, and 54 inches at 600 yards. The sights

had been issued without instruction, were often
at
and were served out by

quartermaster-sergeants who very often looked on
handed over
them
as
as trench-stores,
egregious fads.
seemed to me that here was something
It
to go
upon towards that organization
which
I so
I laid
ing
much
Lieut. -Colonel A.
than
whom
of sniping in
That even-
desired to have a hand.
the matter before
G.
my Commanding
Stuart,
surely no
definite
Officer,
of the 4Oth Pathans,
finer officer
went to the war.
He
was killed in 1916 by a chance bullet a mile behind

the trenches, when he was serving near Ypres as
G. S.O.I
He
"
You
to the 5oth Division.
listened
both
with
say," said he,
"
that
sympathy
all
or nearly
and
all
interest.
the teles-
you have seen are so incorrect as

to be worse than useless.
Are you quite sure of this ?
cope-sighted
rifles
>!
"
of
Quite sure," said
it.
many
I.
"
The men have no

of
them
And
that
only one side
idea of concealment,
are easy targets to the

5
is
Hun
and
snipers."
SNIPING IN FRANCE
"
The
proper authorities should move in the

matter," said Colonel Stuart.
"
There don't seem to be any proper authorities,
sir.
The officers know no more than the men about
and what
these sights,
want to do
this
is
If it is
possible I should like to be appointed as sniping expert
some
to
unit.
even in
lives
believe
could save hundreds of
brigade the
way
things are."
Colonel Stuart said nothing, so
" Will
you help
am asking
me who has
I
on being
can stop
"
because
am
it
killed
when
went on
to get a job of this kind,
seems absurd for
spent years after big

I
know
game
sir
a fellow like
to let
men go
perfectly well that I
it."
Are you sure
"
me
of that
quite willing,
night's trial,
and
if
sir,
'
to go to any unit for a fort-
do not make good, there
will
be no harm done."
"
"
we will
Well," said Colonel Stuart at length,
talk to people about it and see what
they say."
After that, Colonel Stuart often questioned me, and

pointed out to him our continued and heavy losses,
the complete
German
superiority, the necessity not
only of a course of training but,
more important
still,
the selection of the right men to train and also their

value to Intelligence if provided with
and
telescopes,
made
dozen other suggestions, all very far-reaching.

When I look back now on these suggestions, which
a

came from
very amateur soldier
experience,
can only marvel at Colonel Stuart's
of
no
military
but he was not only patient, he was also

most helpful and sympathetic. Without him th;s very
necessary reform might, and probably would, have
patience
been strangled at birth, or would have only come into

the Army,
if it
had come
at
all,
Colonel Stuart not only allowed

ideas to various officers in high
did so himself on
my
behalf.
much later time.

me to speak of my
at a
command, but even

was amazed at the
and courtesy that I met on every

"
introduce myself and say
Sir, I
invariable kindness
hand.
used to
will forgive
hope you
am
me
on
awfully keen
if
speak about a thing
The Huns
sir.
got
twelve of the Blankshires in this Division on their
last
tour of duty, and
at this
And
sniping,
think
we had proper
if
then
would
we could
training
lay out
my
easily beat
them
and organization."
plans.
But, though people listened, there were immense

difficulties in
the way, and these might never have been
surmounted, although quite a number of Corps and

"
If you can get
Divisional G.O.C.'s had said to me
away from your job at G.H.Q., come here and be our
:
We
sniping expert.
Still, as I say,
"
there
for a sniping officer,
War
Office
it
is
be very glad to have you."

a thing in the Army called
and there was no Establishment
Establishment,"
the
shall
and
if
the matter were put through
would probably take some months,

7
SNIPING IN FRANCE
I
Colonel Stuart,
knew, to obtain an establishment.
however, once
had convinced him, backed me up
way, going to see the M.G.G.S.,

Third Army, Major-General Sir A. L. Lynden-Bell,
who was in full sympathy with the idea. It was thus
in every possible
that the matter was mentioned to Sir Charles
Monro,
commanding the Third Army, and Colonel Stuart
MacDonogh, now
George MacDonogh, who was then
arranged with Brigadier-General

Lieut.-General Sir
in
command
of the Intelligence Corps, to allow
serve with the
Third Army
as
me
to
sniping expert.
John Buchan,* who was at that time the limes

correspondent on the Western Front, also gave the
He had
idea great encouragement.
the awful casualties that
we were
sidered the scheme which
I laid
seen for himself
suffering,
out to be
and con-
sound one.
Monro, in talking over the matter, made

remark which I have always remembered.
Sir Charles
"
It
is
not," he
"
said,
only
its
good shot
moral he
raises
the moral
that
strengthens his unit, but he adds to

raises
the moral of his comrades
of the
whole unit to know that
it
it
contains several
first-
class shots."
These are not the exact words which

used, but they are as near
Now
*
that
had got
them
my
as I
chance
Sir Charles
can remember.
was
at first ex-
Afterwards Lieut.-Col. John Buchan, Director of Information.

tremely happy, but
work
at once, I
became
myself
pictured
later, as I
could not go to
a little
unsuccessful
dominate the German
my new
nervous of failure, and

in
I
snipers.
attempt to
began to wish that
my
had gone to my work a month earlier, for when

the Third Army took over from the French, the
I
Germans
offered any
now heard
I,
amount
of targets, whereas
that they were becoming
more
cautious.
some way in which I might

success, and to this end, having
therefore, cast about for
hope to make certain of

conceived a plan, I went down to Neuve Chapelle,
where my friend, Captain A. C. Gathorne-Hardy,
Loos leading his men
and within ten yards of the German wire, was in the
We obtained from the old German trenches
line.
9th Scottish
number
Rifles, since killed at
of the large steel plates
from behind which
German snipers were wont to shoot, and these

took home with me to England, for I had obtained
week's leave before taking up my new duties.
the
proceeded to try on these plates all kinds of rifles,

from the Jeffreys high velocity .333 to heavy elephant
guns of various bores, and was delighted to find that
I
the bullets from the .333, as well as the elephant guns,

pierced
them
Here, again, Colonel John

assistance, and obtained for me a
like butter.
Buchan came to
my
Lord Haldane, Lord Glenconner and

Lord Finlay kindly contributed the money, and which
fund, to which
enabled
me
to purchase the necessary

9
rifles.
Later
SNIPING IN FRANCE
on,
Mr.
St.
Loe Strachey, the
continued to keep up
my
incalculable value to us,
from
dummy
ball
jerseys
editor of The Spectator,
fund, which really was of
and out
of
which everything
heads purchased at Clarkson's to footfor
the
Sniping
splendidly-appointed
School, which finally eventuated, were purchased.

At length I was free of my work at G.H.Q., and
went down to the Third Army, where I was attached

to the /th Corps, the 4th Division, and the loth and
1
2th Infantry Brigades.

It
would be out of place to describe
days that followed.

in the proceedings
Suffice
it
always work in pairs, one
to say that very early
it
became
man
clear that snipers
shooting and one
The
finding the targets with the telescope.

tion issue of the latter was at the time,
eight telescopes per battalion,
in detail the
must
man
regula-
think, about
and these were used by
the Signallers, but Lord Roberts' Fund, administered
with extraordinary energy by Mr. Penoyre, came to

the rescue, and soon a certain number of telescopes
dribbled
down
into the 4th Division line.
As to the
heavy and armour-piercing rifles, they did their work

exceedingly well, and no doubt caused a great surprise
to the enemy.
One day
obtained leave to go to Amiens, where
French Camouflage Works, and found to my

delight that they had made a number of papier-mache
models of the heads and shoulders of British soldiers.
visited the
10

Of
was able to purchase a large quantity, and

had no longer any need to buy in London, where the
these
heads were rather theatrical properties than the real
The
which the heads were put were

varied. They were, in these early days before they were
too much advertised (for they afterwards became an
thing.
uses to
our Army), most useful in getting the enemy to

It was also possible, by showing very
give a target.
skilfully the heads of Sikhs or Ghurkas in different parts
issue in
of the line, to give the
Intelligence the im-
we were holding our
pression that
and
German
line
with Indian
have no doubt they were considerably

worried to account for these movements.
troops,
One day
telling
Army Headquarters
Colonel Langford Lloyd, D.S.O.,
started a telescopic-sight school in the loth
me
had now
received orders from
that
and ordering me to go there and to collaborate with Colonel Lloyd in a book upon sniping and
Corps
area,
telescopic sights.
went and found
a splendid school
running, in which the instruction in telescopic sights
was rapidly correcting these rifles in the loth Corps.

I had the opportunity at Colonel Lloyd's school of
learning a great deal that I did not
scopic sights,
Lloyd
is
and many other matters
a past master.
He
terest to the various ruses, of
quite a long
We
list,
that
know about
in
tele-
which Colonel
listened with great in-
which there was now
we had employed
in the trenches.
wrote our pamphlet on sniping and telescopic

ii
SNIPING IN FRANCE
pamphlet which, owing to a change in the
Army Command, was never published, and shortly
sights, a
my
after
tion that
my
successful,
me
Colonel Lloyd I received the intimatrial time with the Third Army had been
visit to
and that
steps
would now be taken
placed permanently upon
its
strength.
to get
In the
went from brigade to brigade, burning

with eagerness to make organized sniping a definite
meantime,
The
fact.
instruction took place both in
the trenches, and during the course of

interesting experiences.
talk
about sniping
as a
As soon
new and
as
it
and out
of
we had many
people began to
interesting subject,
our arrival in the trenches became rather trying,

as we were certainly looked upon as something in the
light
of
performing animals
kind of a show of greater or
who would
less
give
interest.
some
But the
Higher Command soon put a stop to this, and thenceforward we were allowed to plough our lonely furrow.
It would be difficult to describe the various days
spent in the trenches, or the duels that took place
but each one threw fresh light upon sniping and

showed the enormous extent to which it might be
there
developed.
I will
make some reference
to these days
in later chapters.
As
have stated, snipers always worked in pairs,

one observing, the other shooting, and soon we found
I
that the notes kept by the observer were invaluable
from an Intelligence point of view.

12
If
line
was

well covered with snipers' posts, nothing could
happen
without our snipers' observers reenemy

in
porting it no work could be done, no alteration
in the
line
the parapet
my
made.
experience,
commanded by
Successful
first
observation
was,
in
obtained in the loth Brigade,
Brigadier-General Hull,* by the 2nd
They had an extraordinarily

keen Commanding Officer, who provided his men
Seaforth Highlanders.
with good telescopes.
We now
sniping
sections
of
consisting
of the
The German began
rapidly.
My
through the 7th Corps to
and the success
observers,
and
all
began
trained
snipers
start
and
movement grew very
to cower in his trenches,
time wore on our casualties grew less and less.

life at this time was an extraordinarily interesting
as
and strenuous one.
Moving from brigade
to brigade,
would often find splendid arrangements for testing

the telescopic sights, and as often none at all. A horse
I
before breakfast, on which

range, followed
pasting
frames
up
by an hour
targets
made out
would
set forth to find a
in the
Pioneer's
of old Daily
shop,
Mails on to
the snipers of the brigade paraded at nine
o'clock, the
march
to the improvised range, shooting
the telescopic sights at the target, and after dark a

lecture in some barn, was often the order of the
day.
I
think in these early days that

*
was exceedingly
Afterwards Major-General Sir A. Hull, K.C.B.
13
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The
fortunate in having something definite to show.
were often very much out of shootand no one understood the cure. I think many
telescopic sights
ing,
time that there was something in

sniping movement when a sniper missed the target
thought for the

this
first
three times running at 70 yards, and a

after his rifle
little
later,
had been manipulated, scored three
bulls
on end.
One
thing that struck
interest taken
all
by
detail of the work.
me was
Brigade
Commanders
do not
nor do
say,
the beginning they looked on
at
unmixed
voice say
Who
is
this blighter
Plays
as I say, in
the very
to be
Often and often
Commanders would spend hours on the
at the range,
correct, they once
always
said
then
"
Major and G.O.C. had
and
when they saw the
On my
And
converted to a belief in sniping.
tion
"
early days every Brigade
the Brigade
"
could not help laughing, but
day
Head -
cricket, doesn't he
first
think, that
Brigade
who is coming
someone gave my name. Then a voice
I
every
coming with
my
walked into
in
and while waiting in the passage heard
quarters,
"
Once
favour.
the extraordinary
second
and
visit
made the
think that without excep-
incorrect
rifles
being
for all decided in
to these Brigades,
my
made
favour.
was almost
guest of the Brigadier-General and
received with a kindness so great as to be really over14

whelming. Things, in fact, were going very well
indeed for the work which one hoped would soon
spread through the whole B.E.F., for to
my
delight
one day I received a letter from Major Collins, then

G.S.O.2 to the Second Army, whom I had informed
appointment as sniping expert, to say that

General Plumer was starting an Army Sniping School
in the Second Army, and asking for any notes I might
of
my
have.
But one morning while shooting on the range I

heard that Sir Charles Monro and his staff had gone
to Gallipoli.
had been
so keen
had not pushed the matter
ment
regularized, but
now
when
G.H.Q. that
my
realized that
Indeed,
did raise the question

if I
work that
my
of getting
might become very insecure.

fact
on
did not keep quiet
I
I
appoint-
its
as a
tenure
matter of
was informed by
should be recalled.
In 1915, the Third Army was far and away the best
There was hardly an insniping Army in France.
correct sight in the loth or jih Corps, and scores of
officers
at
It
and hundreds
of
men had been through
courses
Colonel Lloyd's loth Corps School, or with me.

was while I was with one of the Infantry Brigades
of the 37th Division that I received a letter
me immense pleasure.
It
was to the
General Making, the Corps
which gave
effect that Lieut.-
Commander
of the
nth
Corps in the First Army, wished to borrow me, so

that I might lecture on sniping to his Corps, and go
15
SNIPING IN FRANCE
through their telescopic sights. Here was a splendid
chance of carrying the work outside my own Army.
About
this
time
was attached to the Third
Army
Infantry School, then just formed under its first and

very capable Commandant, Brig. -General R. J. Kentish,
D.S.O.
lectured there on sniping and started a range
and demonstrations, but
found myself lecturing to

Company Commanders, whereas I ought to have been
doing so to sniping
order to get the best
officers, in
results.
The Company Commanders liked,
to
the lectures,
like,
in
but,
the
"
not their pidgin," and I soon

do better work nearer the line.
was
From
First
filled
the school, however,
Army
my
or appeared
Army
felt
phrase,
that
should
journeyed up into the

area, and went through the sights and fulI
engagement with the nth Corps.
think
Com-
these days as the guest of the various Corps
manders
the
of the First
nth Corps
for I
Army
to the 3rd, and
were the best days
ist
it
had
ordinary keenness in the First
was passed on from
from the 3rd to the
in France, for the extra-
Army
was very marked.
had to go through the ordeal of

having to lecture to the Guards Divisional Staff and
It
was here that
Snipers at nine o'clock in the morning.
even on an interesting subject

always seemed to
a
warm room
one
me much
like
easier to
at five o'clock rather
at nine.
16
In lecturing,
sniping,
it
has
be successful in
than in
cold

After finishing with the First
some 250
telescopic sights,
Army and
correcting
went back to the Third
Army Infantry School. Here I found that the Army

Commander of the Third Army, Sir E. H. H. Allenby,
had applied for my services for the Third Army, and
had received the reply that these could be granted
was receiving
and was willing to accept instead the lower rate of an
provided
relinquished the staff pay
Infantry Captain.
This, of course,
agreed to do.
Evidently, however, there was some further hitch,

for I received
did
no pay
months, nor
for the next eight
dare to raise the question
lest I
should be sent
back to G.H.Q.
I
remember one General saying
question, not without a smile,
"
me upon
to
You
this
are not here
you know, and any Germans you may have

or caused to be killed, are, of course, only un-
officially,
killed,
dead."
officially
I
conclude this chapter with a letter that
will
wrote in November, 1915, which gives
my
impressions
at that date.
MY
Since
DEAR
have been with the 3rd Army,
have had
an Officer from every battalion in the 7th Corps

through my course. These Officers in their turn
train snipers,
I think,
with
and
so the thing. permeates quickly and,
really
good
results.
I7
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Sniping seems to
me
to be the art of
Finding your mark.

Defining your mark.
I.
II.
Hitting your mark.
III.
With regard
to No.
absolutely essential that
i, it is
the use of the telescope should be taught from the

stalking or
big-game point of view.
Officer teaching
France,
this
we
it
should
facilitated.
many
line
Army
lot of
With
good telescopes on
four
can happen in the
little
without our knowing
it.
There
are a
good
telescopes in France.
With regard
to defining a mark.
It
is
here that
telescope sights help us, but telescope sights in
hands of
them
man who
are utterly useless.
a short time.
the
does not thoroughly understand

I
have had
through my hands, and in every ten

correct about six after they have been
who
in
Germans, and not only

Intelligence Officers would be
kill a
every battalion front, very
enemy
we had one
in every battalion of our
but the task of
greatly
If
a great
I
many
have had to
in the trenches
wish every battalion had an Officer
could correct and shoot telescopic sights.
It is
very important that he should be thoroughly knowledgeable, because a
many
barrel
rifle
shots fired through
it.
must not have too
With
new
barrel a
good shot can nearly always get a 3-inch group, but

after 600 or 1000 shots have been fired through the
barrel the group becomes more scattered.
It is
18

man who
therefore necessary that the

rifle
as
regulates the
behind the trenches should be able to do so with
few shots
as possible.
Another point is, that men must be trained to

understand and believe in their telescopic-sighted rifles.
One Brigade
had
on the third day of

shooting, got 17 hits on a
for instruction,
instruction with 16 snipers
model
shots.
human head
Some of the rifles
of a
6 or 8 inches
430 yards in the
at
used by these
first
21
men had been
100 yards until regulated. In all

they got 27 hits in 48 shots on the head, shoulder hits
not counted.
Also
course.
models
off at
have been having Officers through a regular

I give them first of all 20 objects, such as
of
heads
of
British
French,
and German
soldiers, periscopes, rifle barrel, pickaxe, fire
lighted,
These objects are shown for fifteen seconds each

from a trench, and those under instruction have to
etc.
write a
list
of
what they can
600 or 700 yards away.

they come on.
It
see
is
with
a telescope
wonderful
how
from
quickly
After a short time they can spot the
up from the trench

give them a hillside to
colour of the pieces of earth thrown
under observation.
examine.
On
Then
this hillside I place a
couple of objects
which are easy to find, perhaps the heads of a Frenchman and an Englishman. I also put in two carefully
concealed loopholes, which they usually
fail
to find.
This teaches thoroughness of search.

19
2*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The
In
most important.
we are behind the Germans. There is one
construction of loopholes
this
form
universally adopted.
pet,
which
of double loophole,
and two
feet
The
behind
grooves along which
am
is
plate
it a
keen to see more
placed in the para-
second plate
will
it
is
slide.
hundred times does the German
at
is
placed in
Not once
whom
one
is
in
shoot-
ing get his bullet through both loopholes.
The
in at an angle,
it
is
also
is
drainpipe loophole
difficult
very
put a bullet down it. In fact

in low in the parapet, the brave
over the top of his
am
also
kill
or
the drainpipe
Hun
has to
parapet to shoot
put
German
for a
is
come
down it
to
put
clean
at
all.
keen on teaching our fellows to open loop-
holes sanely.
rarely that,
own
if
If
very good.
if I
wound
in front watching,
lie
usually
shot straight,
nine of every ten
and
it is
should not be able to
men who open them.
Loopholes should, of course, be opened from the

side,
and
through.
cap badge exposed before they are looked

If the German does not fire for 75 seconds,
one may conclude that
it
is
fairly safe.
These
little
simple-sounding precautions can save so many lives.

I cannot
help feeling that sniping, even in these
days of
many
proved.
My
battalions.
specialists,
should be organized and im-
aim has always been to work in with

Some are better than others, naturally so,
but always without exception

keen on improving sniping.
20
have found them very

The
use of snipers in attack
you have
man who
can hit
another point.
is
model
of a
If
human head
once in every 2 shots at 400 yards and I will undertake to get most men up to this standard who can
we
shoot decently
shall kill
when
coming down
in our next advance.
ing at our troops
aperture
as
Also
made by the removal
they have often done,
who can put
some machine gunners
how
a
a
German
is
shoot-
road through an
of a brick
from
a wall,
useful to have a fellow
through the aperture.

Of course no telescopic sight should ever be touched,
except as far
anyone who
a bullet
as
moving the focussing
does not understand
it
sleeve goes,
thoroughly.
by
When
the [object-glass becomes dirty or fogged with wet,

Unless they put it back in
snipers often unscrew it.
its
exact original position, they of course alter the
shooting of the
rifle
hopelessly.
They also unscrew the
capstan heads, which are for the lateral regulation of
have seen telescopic sights which were

30 inches out at 100 yards, or about 25 feet at 1000
These things would be impossible under a
yards.
the sighting.
keen sniping Officer.
One
thing
am
certain snipers can do.
They can
very hot for the enemy's forward artillery

If when the enemy shell our
observing Officers.
make
it
trenches, one can get

a
Hun
on the
The
Officer observing.
lay a telescope
on through
21
one can often spot

thing to do then is to
flank,
a drainpipe
loophole near
SNIPING IN FRANCE
If
by.
you pack
on to
in the rifle
bed
of sandbags
so that the pointer of the telescopic sight rests just
under the place where the

take aim and
It
fire
the
Hun pops up,
rifle
in
from two to four seconds.
very important that the
is
possible to
it is
man who
is
to shoot
should look through the big telescope and get a

of the trench opposite into his brain.
Our
map
telescopic
sights magnify about 3% and one can often make
successful shot
by shooting six inches or a foot left

below a white stone or some
or right, or above or
prominent object in the opposing parapet, even when

you cannot define the Hun's head very clearly through
the sight.
I
have seen
this done.
the Hun's fieldglasses
very good sign when

on the wrong side of the
It
fall
is
parapet.
Another thing to which we might give attention is

the use of decoys. I have had some made for me by
the French.
am
were asked to give the

Germans the impression that we had been relieved by
Sikhs, Gurkhas or Frenchmen, that I could do so, so
I
quite convinced
if
wonderful are the models made for

It
sculptor.
thing
is
if
is
impossible to
skilfully
exposed
very strong, and
at
at
tell
me by
the French
them from the
real
100 yards, unless the light
300 and 400 yards
it is
quite
believe
much
impossible.
In fact
as
long
as
trench warfare
22
lasts, I

can be done in
many
small ways,
desired.
if
But 1200
or 1500 telescopic sights in the hands of trained
and four times
of
many
optical sights, if full value
is
might along our line shorten the German
got out of them,
army
as
men
the spring.
a valuable unit before
many
Again and again battalions report two, three or four
Germans shot by
their snipers in a single
reduce these claims by half or even

snipes but one
Hun
and
day
low estimate where adventitious

the
this
if
you
each battalion
is
an absurdly
sights are skilfully used,
Germans would be
the
loss to
if
day
great.
have received the most kindly welcome possible

from everybody, and in many cases, almost in all, the
I
Corps have been asked to

instruction.
let
me go
back to give further
All Brigadiers are very keen indeed to
get a high standard of sniping, and
that to do this
is
many
of
them
feel
almost impossible unless the snipers
are trained to their rifles until their belief in their
own
powers of hitting a mark, however small, becomes fixed.

As I think of sniping all day and often dream
about
it
at night, I
subject, of
we
organize sniping,
results
by
own men.
opposite
we can
get solid and tangible
the enemy and saving the lives of our

Only those who have been in a trench
killing
Hun
a hell life
I
which
could write you a lot more on the

have only touched the fringes. If
had the mastery, know what

can be made under these conditions.
snipers that
don't think the
Germans
23
are better snipers than
SNIPING IN FRANCE
our men, except that they are more patient and better
organized and better equipped. I have found out a
good deal about the German sniping organization, but

this is too long to go into now.
I have said
nothing
of piercing
and blowing in German plates with heavy
and .333
rifles.
promptly
for a
You can
time in
shut up their sniping very
this
way.
CHAPTER
THE SNIPER
N my last chapter I
IN
II
THE TRENCHES
attempted to give some history

and I
of the small beginnings of organized sniping,
now
turn to the actual work of sniping in the line.

Sniping, which is to be defined in a broad way as
will
the art of very accurate shooting from concealment or

in the open, did not exist as
beginning of the war.
an organized thing at the

The wonderful rapid fire
which was the glory of the original expeditionary

force was not sniping, nor was it, beyond a certain
degree, accurate.
zone
this
Its
" beaten
"
through which nothing living could pass ; and

business was not best served by very accurate
individual shooting.
fire
aim was to create
under
down
Rather
skilled fire-control.
to trench warfare,
it
was served by rapid

But when we settled
and the most
skilful
might
ever
without
month in the trenches
seeing,
spend
of
a
the
at
whole
German, and
dawn,
except perhaps
a
when during the day one got but
glimpse or two of
the troglodytic enemy, there arose this need for very

25
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The mark was
accurate shooting.
often but a head
or half a face, or a loophole behind which lurked
German
because
sniper,
it
"
and no sighting shot was
put down
the target."
The
possible
smallest of
game animals did not present so small a mark as the

German head, so that sniping became the highest and
big
most
difficult
of
all
forms of
rifle
shooting.
At
it,
every good target shot, though always useful, was not
was only less necessary

than accuracy,and no sniper could be considered worthy
of the name who could not get off his shot within two
necessarily successful, for speed
seconds of sighting his target.
So much for the sniper in trench warfare, of which

certain clique in the Army held him to be the pro-
The
duct.
when
officers
who
believed this prophesied that
warfare became once more open, he would be
This proved perhaps one of the most shortsighted views of the whole war, for when it became our
turn to attack, the sniper's duties only broadened out.
useless.
Should
a battalion take a trench,
snipers to lie out in front
it
was the duty of
and keep down the German
heads during the consolidation of their newly-won
by our men, and were we held up by

machine-gun in advance, it was often the duty of
position
couple of snipers to crawl forward and,

deal with the obstruction.
I
but
am
I
here, however, going ahead of
want
early in this
if
my
a
a
possible,
narrative,
book to state definitely that

26

the sniper
is
was meant
to be,
not,
and from the
a product
war, where a battalion

it
gun,
number
gun
of picked shots
For
out.
this
saw him, never
of trench warfare.
may be
invaluable
is
first, as I
In modern
held up by a machine-
to have in that battalion a
who can knock
that machine-
purpose in some of our later attacks
armour-piercing ammunition, and

did not shoot at the machine-gunners, but at the
carried
sniper
on the casing of
the breech-block, and the machine-gun was rendered
machine-gun
itself.
single
hit
useless.
In the
Army
there has
always
been in certain
quarters a prejudice against very accurate shooting,

a prejudice
considers
which
is
the aims
quite understandable
when one
and ends of musketry.
the opportunism
of the
While
musketry is its
routine.
It would obviously never do to diminish
the depth of your beaten zone by excess of accuracy.
But this war, which, whatever may be said to the
sniping
is
contrary
largely a
among
and much was
war
them
rifle,
said to the contrary
was
changed many things, and

accurate shot or
sniper was
of specialists,
the
destined to prove his extraordinary value.
But
have said in the foregoing

paragraphs only became clear later, and at the moment
of which I am writing, September and October, 1915,
a great deal that I
the superiority lay with the Germans, and the one
problem was to defeat them

27
at a
game which they had
SNIPING IN FRANCE
themselves started.
the British,
For
who began
it
was the Germans, and not
sniping.
That the Germans were ready
for a sniping
cam-
enough, for at the end of 1914 there were

already 20,000 telescopic sights in the German Army,
paign
is
clear
and their snipers had been trained to use them. To

make any accurate estimate of how many victims the
Hun snipers claimed at this period is naturally imbut the blow which they struck for their side
was a heavy one, and many of our finest soldiers met
possible,
In the struggle which
their deaths at their hands.
followed there was perhaps something more
and more personal than

the
infantryman.
in the
The
work
British
of the
or
human
gunner or
Colonial
sniper
was pitted against the Bavarian or the Prussian,

and all along the front duels were fought between men
who
usually saw
no more
of their antagonists than a
cap badge or a forehead, but who became personalities

to each other, with names and individualities.
Only the man who

trenches in
1915 can
was to overcome.
as I
man
actually was a sniper in the
know how hard the German
At the end
of 1914 there were,
20,000 telescopic sights in the GerArmy, and the Duke of Ratibor did good work
have
said,
for the Fatherland
when he
collected
all
the sporting
Germany (and there were thousands of them)

and sent them to the Western front, which was
already well equipped with the military issue. Armed
rifles
in
28
The
Sniper's End.
THE SNIPER
German
with these the

wonderfully
as
we did
fine
THE TRENCHES
IN
snipers
were able to make

them,
Against
shooting.
lacking
issue of
proper
telescopic-sighted rifles,
we had to pit only the blunt open sights of the service
rifle, except here and there where the deer stalkers
(who possessed such weapons) lent their

Mannlichers and their Mausers. But for these there
of Scotland
was no great supply of ammunition, and many had

to be returned to their cases for this reason.
At
this
come
time the
skill
of the
German
sniper
had be-
by-word, and in the early days of trench

warfare brave German riflemen used to lie out bea
tween the
sending their bullets through the

head of any officer or man who dared to look over
our parapet. These Germans, who were often
lines,
Forest Guards, and sometimes Battle Police, did their

business with a
skill
and
a gallantry
From
very freely acknowledged.
which must be
the ruined house
or the field of decaying roots, sometimes resting their
on the bodies of the dead, they sent forth a

plague of head-wounds into the British lines. Their
rifles
marks were small, but when they hit they usually

killed their man, and the hardiest soldier turned sick
when he saw the
effect
the
of
pointed
German
which was apt to keyhole so that the little

hole in the forehead where it entered often became
bullet,
huge
tear, the size of a
man's
of the stricken man's head.

29
fist,
That
on the other
side
occasional snipers
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Hun
on the
them
into
we were
side reversed their bullets, thus
dum-dums,
is
making
because
incontrovertible,
continually capturing clips of such bullets,
be remembered that many bullets

keyholed which were not so reversed. Throughout
the war I saw thousands of our snipers' bullets, and
but
must
it
also
never saw one which had been
wise treated with a view to
At that time
its
away or other-
filed
expanding upon impact.

there was a
German Army
in the
system of roving snipers that is, a sniper was given a

certain stretch of trench to patrol, usually about half;
and
was the duty of sentries along his beat

to find and point out targets for him.
This informaa-mile,
it
whom
tion I got from a prisoner

after I
exa-mined soon
went down to the trenches.
Indeed,
used
to go any distance to get the chance of examining a

prisoner
and
so
One
organization.
me
with
One
is
of
the
rainy, foggy night

in the
lamp
German
information.
Iron
the
the
German
by the
of
of
light
and
Cross,
that
scenes
examination
As time went
lines.
for a
room
the
of
something
deserter gave quite a lot of in-
He had
formation.
sergeant.
learn
always
this
of
was
remains
man on
smoky
flaring
an estaminet just behind the
on
became very
it
prisoner to lead
There were
so
me
many
difficult
astray with
questions to
wrong
which
one got to know the answers, and which must be more

or less
common knowledge
to
30
German
riflemen.
The

demeanour
of
prisoners
was
would give no answers brave fellows

others would volunteer
respected
;
statement
false
answer
they made
them
when they
did not
know
But one way and another, through

gained an immense amount of information
a guess.
all I
the
as to
these,
good deal of
others yet again were so eager to
questions that
all
Some
whom we
diverse.
very
German
sniping organization.
would appear that the telescopic-sighted rifles in

the German army were served out in the ratio of six
It
per company, and that these rifles were issued not

to the private soldiers who shot with them, but to
N.C.O.'s
and from
who were
whom
responsible for their
accuracy,
who
used the
the actual privates
obtained them, handing them back at given
rifles
In the top of the case of

each German telescopic sight were quite short and
very clear instructions, a very different matter to
the conditions obtaining upon our side, where very
intervals for inspection.
often, as
have before stated, the
telescopic sight
On
knew nothing about
using the
it.
had gone down on duty to a

trench and there found a puzzled-
one occasion
certain stretch of
man
looking private with a beautiful
an Evans telescopic
" That is a nice
new
rifle fitted
with
sight.
sight," said
I.
" Yessir."
I
examined the elevating drum, and saw that
it
SNIPING IN FRANCE
was
'
set for
you have got the
Hun
"
"
"
"
"
"
sight set
Look here,"
for
I said,
hundred.
The
trenches are four hundred yards away."
The
"
"
one hundred yards.
private looked puzzled.
Have you
No,
Do
ever shot with that
rifle
"
?
asked.
sir."
you understand
No,
"
it
sir."
How
did you get
was issued to
Who by ? "
It
it
me
"
?
as
trench stores,
sir."
"
The Quartermaster Sergeant, sir."

Certainly many a German owed his
earlier days to the fact that so
many
life
in those
of the telescopic-
Expeditionary Force
were incorrectly sighted to the hold of the men
using them.
By this I mean that some men hold
tightly and some men hold loosely, and there may be
the
in
rifles
sighted
British
hundred yards of six inches in the

the same rifle in different hands. To hand
a difference at a
shooting of
over the
rifle
as
"
trench stores," in which case
it
would be shot by different men of different battalions,

was simply to do away with the accuracy which formed
its
only
asset.
But to return to the examination

prisoners.
.again,
snipers
-and
One
this
<juifce
point
cropped
was the ease
frankly
of
up over and over

with which German
owned that they were

32
German
able to

distinguish
between our
and men in an attack,

" the
legs of the officers
officers
because, as one said naively
are thinner than the legs of the
hundreds and hundreds of our
men."
There
officers lying
are
dead in
France and Flanders whose death was solely due to

the cut of their riding breeches.
a
Tommy's
It
is
tunic and a webbing belt,
riding trousers are not replaced by
no use wearing
if
the tell-tale
more
common-
place garments.
In 1915 there were very few loopholes in the British

trenches, whereas the Germans had a magnificent
In early days when
system.
used to be told at
Headquarters that there was a German

sniper at such and such a map reference, and I was to
go and try to put him out of action, I very rarely
Brigade
found
from which
loophole
him, and
as
German
every
could reconnoitre
sniper seemed to be sup-
ported on either flank by other German snipers,

looking for him with one's head over the top of the
parapet was,
form
if
made
of suicide.
inconspicuously
No
continual practice, simply a
used, therefore, to have a couple
of sandbags filled
with stones and rubble placed
as possible
ball will pierce a
on the top
sandbag
full of
as
of the parapet.
stones,
and
it
was thus that one got the opportunity of a good look

at the German trenches without fear of receiving
a
bullet
At
from either
this
time the
flank.
efforts to
33
camouflage our loopholes

3
SNIPING IN FRANCE
were
extraordinarily
ment was
then in
conceal-
indeed,
primitive
nearly impossible in the form of parapet
use.
Many
of our units took an actual pride
and even parapet, which
in having an absolutely flat
gave the Germans every opportunity of spotting

the smallest movement. The parapets were made
of sandbags beaten
much
too
down with
to say that along
spades,
of
many
and
it
them
not
is
mouse
move without being observed by the

most moderate-sighted German sniper. It was curicould
ous
not
how some few commanding
flat
parapets in the face of
officers stuck to these
all
and the
casualties
High Command had issued orders upon the subject. At a

later date a trial was instituted, and proved that in
dictates of
common-sense, even
spotting and shooting at a
two and four seconds over

of hits
was three to one,
after the
a flat parapet,
as
the
for
number
compared with the same

imitation
German
No Man's Land
the Ger-
when made over an
exposure
head exposed
dummy
parapet.
Over on the other
man
side of
trenches presented a quite different appearance
from ours
until they
German
ours being beaten down, as
made
as clear a line as a
have
breakwater.
trenches were deeper, with
much more
said,
The
wire
and from our point of view looked like the

course of a gigantic mole which had flung up uneven
in front,
heaps of earth.
Here and
34
there,
huge piece
of
THE SNIPER
IN
THE TRENCHES
corrugated iron would be flung upon the parapet,

and pinned there with a stake. Here and there stood
one of those
under
night.
It
more or
less
well concealed
heap of earth, from which set rifles fired all

Here and there lay great piles of sandbags,
red,
black,
steel boxes,
green,
blue,
striped,
dazzling our eyes.
was said that the Germans used the pink and red
round, because they approximated to

flesh colour, but this was no doubt apocryphal.
But
ones
to
look
what was not apocryphal was the fact that the Germans
had a splendid parapet behind which a man could
move and over which he could

impunity,
whereas we in
look with comparative
this
respect
gave heavy
hostages to fortune.
There was one protection which was always sound,

and which could be put into immediate operation,
and that was to teach our men to hang
rags as possible upon our wire, and wherever
These
could in the region of our parapet.
German
rags continually caught the
drawn by the movement

It
is
possible that,
simple
little rags
of the war.
Of
if
across.
certain
they
fluttering
which were
of the rags in the wind.
many
a life
during the course
course, there were battalions in
made
to
remedy these
which
defects,
whom
one occasionally
This was the soldier who had done a
there was one type of officer
came
many
else
the truth were recognized, those
saved
attempts had been

as
eyes,
as
amount
of stalking, or
35
big-game shooting, and

3*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
it is
an
not too
officer,
much
to say that Wherever there was such
there were usually two or three extra tele-
scopes and telescopic-sighted
rifles,
and various well-
concealed posts from which to use them.
The
In-
which was each day forwarded to

full and accurate.
Indeed, the truth
telligence report,
Brigade, was also

of the
after
matter forced
day
itself
upon me,
What was
in the trenches.
as I
spent day
wanted, apart
jrom organization, was neither more nor less than the

hunter spirit. The hunter spends his life in trying
to outwit
some
difficult quarry,
war and hunting
is
but
and the step between
very small one.
It
is
in-
conceivable that a skilled hunter in a position of com-
mand
men
should ever allow his
sometimes did in France.

obvious.
The Canadian
It
to suffer as our
was
all
Division
so simple
and,
men
and
later,
so
the
Canadian Corps was full of officers who understood

how to deal with the German sniper, and early in
the war there were Canadian snipers
off to this duty,
successful.
and some
of
them were
who were
told
extraordinarily
Corporal, afterwards Lieutenant, Christie,
of the P.P.C.L.I., was
He had
one of the individual pioneers
hunting in the
Yukon, and he simply turned the same qualities which
had brought him within the range of the mountain
of sniping.
spent his
life
sheep to the downfall of Fritz the Forest Guard.
In the long monotony of the trenches during that

bleak winter of 1915, the only respite besides work
36

which was possible to our soldiers ,was the element of
sport and excitement introduced by sniping and its
more important and elder sister, observation. Sniping
in a
and there were many
dangerous sector
was
really neither
class
form
of big
more nor
game
less
than
of these
very high-
shooting, in which the quarry
As to danger, there are in Africa the lion,

the elephant, the buffalo and the rhinoceros, and
shot back.
though the consensus of instructed opinion agrees

that in proportion more hunters come back feet foremost from lion hunting than from the pursuit of the
three other forms of dangerous game, yet I suppose
would dispute that the German sniper,

when he is supported on either flank by
that no one
especially
Kamaraden, was
more dangerous
in the long run

than any lion.
In sniping, as the movement grew and sections were
formed, one relied to an enormous extent upon the
skill
far
the section to which the individual sniper
of
belonged.
really first-rate
man
in a
bad section was
thrown away. First-rate men under a moderate officer

were thrown away, and, worse than all, a good section
good officer, who were relieved by the

and poor section of another battalion, often suffered heavy casualties through no fault of their own.
under
slack
Thus, the Royal Blankshires, who have an excellent

sniping
organization,
build
half-a-dozen
skilfully-
hidden posts for observation and sniping purposes.

37
SNIPING IN FRANCE
become second
All kinds of precautions, which have
nature, are taken to prevent these posts being given

to the enemy.
away
extended
The
the sun should, by flashing
lest
upon the object
tion
telescopes used are care-
in sandbags, their sunshades carefully
wrapped
fully
The
give
glass,
reflec-
its
away the
position.
dry weather are damped before being

fired through, and, most important of all, no one
but the C.O., the sniping officer, and the snipers and
loopholes in
allowed in the posts.
observers are
them
enters
there are for
are always enforced.
anyone else
him heavy penalties, which
The
result
is
If
that the Blank-
good tour of duty, lose no casualties to

enemy snipers, and get splendid detail for their
shires
have
Intelligence reports.
They are relieved, however, by the Loamshires.

The C.O. of this Battalion does not believe very
much
in
sniping.
sniping will
"
He
has
way
never win the war."
of
He
saying
has,
it is
that
true, a
sniping section because, and only because, his Brigadier
and
his
Divisional General are keen about sniping,
and continually come into the trenches and inquire

about it. But the Loamshire sniping section is a
pitiable
affair.
They
take
over
from
the
Royal
Blanks.
"
These are
jolly
good observation posts,"
says the
Royal Blanks sniping officer. He is the real thing,

"
But one has
and he dreams of his job in the night.
38
From
drawing
\_Ernftt
f>ii]
Jll ail-leu.
OUTSIDE THE SNIPERS' POST.

"
Shut the loopholes.
I'm coming in."

[To face p. 38.

to be a bit careful not to give
my
let
them away.
never
Sap F until the sun
fellows use the one in
has worked round behind us."

"
"
right oh
says the
Aw
Loamshire opposite
number.
"
One
has to be
bit careful
about the curtains
at the back of those loopholes in Perrier

Alley.
apt to shine through."

Aw right oh " says the Loamshire
The
light's
"
"
We
Aw
officer.
are leaving our range-cards."

right
"
oh
So the keen Royal Blanks officer and his keen section

go out into rest billets, and do not visit the trenches
again
till
they come back to take over from the
Loamshires.
"
Well, how are the posts
"
?
asks the
Royal Blanks
officer, cheerily.
"
Pretty rotten
day."
"
Damn
They
they were
all
busted up the
first
took us a fortnight to build."
"
Well, they are busted up all right."

" Did
your fellows give them away, do you think
"
"
Oh, no
Now,
as
"
?
matter of
fact,
the
moment
the Royal
Blankshires were out of the trenches the Loamshire

snipers,
who knew no
had used the O.P.s
for
and the posts which had been

jealously guarded under the Blankshire regime
promiscuous
so
better,
firing,
39
SNIPING IN FRANCE
had been invaded by Loamshire
need of
The
officers
view of the German trenches
and men
in
or of sleep.
curtains that kept the loopholes dark
had been
The result was as might have been

The watching German, who had suffered
turned back.
expected.
from those posts without being able to locate them

when the Blankshires were in the trenches, now
spotted them, rang up their guns, and had them
demolished, not without casualties to the Loamshires.
So the work was
done again
to be
all
but no sooner
does the keen Blankshire officer build up a post than
the slack Loamshire officer allows

It
is
now
a case for
it
to be given away.
the Royal Blanks C.O. to take up
with the Loamshire C.O.
Such were the
difficulties of
number
the opposite
"
the keen officer
of the relieving battalion
when
was
dud."
Conscientiousness
is
great quality in an officer,
but in the Sniping, Scouting and Observation Officer

something more was needed. To obtain success,
real success,
of love.
all
it
He
hours and
came
to
do
was necessary that his should be a labour

must think and dream of his work at
all
times, and
this.
it
was wonderful
how many
In the battalion the Intelligence
and Sniping officer had always a sporting job, and if

he suffered in promotion (as do nearly all specialists
any great Army) yet he had the compensations
which come to an artist in love with his work.
in
40
THE SNIPER
There were
at this
in the situation to
THE TRENCHES
IN
time one or two other factors
which
must allude
in order that
may understand the position as it was then.

The enemy had an immense preponderance in trench
weapons such as minenwerfer. The result was that a
the reader
too successful bout of British sniping sometimes drew

a
The
bombardment.
fore not always

distinctly
men
activity of snipers
welcome
was there-
who
to short-sighted officers,
and naturally objected to the enemy
rifle-
calling in the assistance of the parapet-destroying
engines of war, in which they so outclassed us.
Soon, however,
it
was realized that the state of
things obtaining while the

of
aimed
rifle-fire
German
held the mastery
could not be permitted to continue
the casualties were too great
and
will
now
give
and experience in
the trenches that went on while we were attempting
some account
of the instruction
to capture the sniping initiative
from the enemy.
ii
Towards the end
of October,
1915,
was ordered
to report to the 48th Division, then holding a line in
was to proceed
to Divisional Headquarters behind Pas, and was there
ordered to Authie, where a number of officers were
the neighbourhood of Hebuterne.
to
come
usual, to
for
instruction.
This instruction was,
as
be divided between the back areas and the
SNIPING IN FRANCE
front line.
had applied
for the services of
my
friend,
M. Gathorne-Hardy, an experienced shot, and

user of the telescope, who had been many shoot-
Lieut. G.
skilled
me and
ing trips in different parts of the world with
At Authie we
others.
at
once settled down to work
the officers going through a course which need not be

detailed here.
Suffice
of
rifles
sighted
all
to say that the telescopic-
it
the battalions
in the Division
were shot and corrected, and various plans which we

had formed for the destruction of German snipers
were rehearsed.
On
the third day arrangements were
sion as to
which trenches we were to
made by Diviand
visit,
after
duly reporting at Brigade Headquarters in a dug-out

in Hebuterne, we proceeded upon our way.
It
is
not an easy thing to instruct five or
in the line in sniping
soon
as
the
we entered the
number
trenches
is
six officers
too large
divided
my
so as
class
into three parties, and assigned to each an area in
which to look
and
for
German
snipers,
Gathorne-Hardy
going from one group to another.

At the point at which we entered the front line
I
trenches, our line was a little higher than that of the
enemy, so that the initial advantage was certainly

with us, and almost at once G. (for so I shall
to Capt.
refer
sniper
the
who was
end of
Gathorne-Hardy) spotted
just
sap.
German
showing the top of his cap at

He was about three hundred
42
THE SNIPER
and
or four
fifty
watched him
we moved
for
on.
thralling work, as
THE TRENCHES
IN
hundred yards away, and though we

So
half-an-hour, he gave no target.
Examining the enemy line was enhe had, even at that time, begun his
of skilled concealment,
campaign
and was apt to
periscopes in trees, and steel boxes in
all sorts
set
of posi-
tions.
To
spot and actually place thes
upon the map was
duty of the sniper as killing the enemy

by rifle fire. For, once discovered, such strong points
and emplacements could be dealt with by our artil-
as
important
lery.
G. and
But to return.
tions,
acted
After
spending
enemy
line,
we
couple
got into a
after visiting the sec-
shooter
as
together
a
I,
and
observer.
examining the
disused trench and crawled
of
hours
ground from which

we were able to overlook a group of poplar trees which
grew between the lines, and which were said to be the
back
to
haunt of
bit
little
very capable
of
high
German
sniper.
Nothing, however, was to be seen of him, though

we could clearly make out the nest he had built in one
of the trees and,
either a
dead
on the ground, what appeared to be
man
lying in the long grass or a tunic.
While we were here
message came down to say
group had seen a party of nine Germans,

and had wounded one of them. No. 2 party had not
that No.
been
successful.
43
SNIPING IN FRANCE
At the time
just beginning to
fronts to
was clear
which
of
be
write the
a little
Germans were
shy of our snipers on those
which organization had penetrated, and it

that the time would arrive when careful
Hans and conscientious
would become very
Fritz
We
troglodytic, as indeed they did.
had, therefore,
turned our minds to think out plans and ruses by

which the enemy might be persuaded to give us a
We had noticed the extraordinary instinct
target.
of the
German
Officer to
move
to a flank,
and thinking
something might be made out of this, we collected

all our officers and went back to the
place where
G. and
end
had spotted the
of the sap.
Hun
sniper or sentry at the
glance showed that he was
still
there.
I
then explained
my
plan,
which was that
shoot at this sentry and in doing
should
so, deliberately
give
away my position and rather act the tenderfoot, in

the hope that some German officer would take a hand
in the
On
game and attempt

either flank about
trench
to read
me
a lesson in tactics.
150 yards or so
down
the
placed the officers under instruction with
and telescopic-sighted rifles, explaining to

them that the enemy snipers would very possibly make
telescopes
an attempt to shoot at me from about opposite them.

I then scattered a lot of dust in the loophole from which
I
intended to
gave
good
fire,
flash
and used
a large
and smoke.
44
.350 Mauser, which
As the sentry in the sap
C^j

was showing an inch or two of
as
the peak of his cap,
him, which G.,

said
who was
had
his forehead as well
very careful shot
spotting for
me
with the
at
glass,
went about twelve inches too high.
The
sentry, of course, disappeared,
and
at
once
whole magazine at a loophole plate,

making it ring again, and by the dust and smoke
handsomely giving away my own position. I waited
poured
in the
few minutes, and then commenced shooting again.

Evidently my first essay had attracted attention, for
two German
snipers at once
the right flank.
began
At these two
me from
firing at
I fired
back
they were
almost exactly opposite the party under instruction,
and
it
was clear that,
if
the party held their
fire,
the
Germans would probably give fine targets. As a

matter of fact, all that we hoped for actually happened,
for the exasperated
German
snipers, thinking they
to deal only with a very great fool, began to
fire
had
over
the parapet, their operations being directed by an

officer
with an immense pair of
psychological
moment, my
field-glasses.
officers
opened
At the
fire,
the
dropped on the wrong side of the

the officer was shot through the head, and
who had increased to five or six, disappeared
large field-glasses
parapet, as
the snipers,
with complete suddenness.

another shot.
It
how
Nor
did the
enemy
fire
should be borne in mind, in reading the above,

great
plague were the

45
skilled
German
snipers to
SNIPING IN FRANCE
us.
One
them might
of
casualties.
easily cause thirty or forty
Later in the war
many
a sniper
of the
enemy.
who
we
had, on our
killed his fifty or
side,
even his hundred
Besides, as I have pointed out, in these
early days of trench warfare the continual attrition
German snipers was very bad for moral.

At a later date we found a means by which we were
able at once to find the position of any German
For this purpose we used a dummy head
sniper.
made of papier-mache.
The method of using was as follows
When a
German sniper was giving trouble, we selected a good
caused by
two
stakes into our
own parapet
until only about a foot of
them remained
uncovered.
To
place opposite to him, and drove
these
we
nailed a board on
which was
fashioned a groove which exactly fitted the stick or
handle attached to the
dummy
inserted in the groove
and the
head.
This
dummy
stick
was
head slowly
pushed up above our parapet.

If
the
enemy
sniper fired at
and
hit the head, the
entry and exit of the bullet made two holes, one in the
front, and one in the back of the hollow dummy head.
The
head, immediately on the shot, was pulled
down
by whoever was working it in as natural a manner as

The stick on which it was mounted was then
possible.
replaced in the groove, but exactly the height between
the two glasses of a periscope lower
which
it
was when shot through.

46
than the position
in
From
[Ernest Blnikley.
a dratfiny by]
Spotting the
Enemy
Sniper.
\_ToJ'ace p. 46.
THE SNIPER
Now
THE TRENCHES
IN
that remained to do was to place the lower
all
the periscope opposite the front hole in the
glass of
head, and apply the eye to the rear hole and look into
the periscope, the upper glass of which was above the
parapet.
In
way we found
this
ourselves looking along the
of the bullet, only in the opposite direction to that
path
in which
it
had come, and,
in the optical centre -of the
holes, would be seen the German sniper who had

fired the shot, or the post which concealed him.
two
Once found he was soon
dealt with.
In
Sniping School,
trials
at
First
Army
we were
able by this invention to locate sixty-seven snipers out

of seventy-one.
Some
of those
who wanted
to give the
dummy
head
a specially life-like appearance, placed a cigarette in

its
mouth, and smoked

It
is
through a rubber tube.

have the head through
it
a curious sensation to
which you are smoking

a Mauser bullet, but it
suddenly shot with

one that several snipers have
a cigarette
is
experienced.
After the
towards the
incidents
flank,
side the 48th.
It
last
described,
we went up
where the 4th Division lay alongwas in this Division that the 2nd
Seaforth Highlanders had just played a delightful trick

on the enemy. Someone in the battalion had obtained a mechanical stop, one of those ticking bits of
mechanism which are made with

47
view to saving the
SNIPING IN FRANCE
of
human
"
"
at
covert-shoots.
This particular stop was guaranteed to
tick loudly for
employment
stop
hours.
The
Germans
Seaforths were facing the
across a
very wild piece of No Man's Land. One night some

adventurous and humorous spirit crawled out and
"
"
about sixty yards from the German
placed the
stop
parapet, and then set
it
The Germans
going.
at
once
leaped to the conclusion that the tick-tick-tick was the

voice of
time,
some
infernal machine,
and
explode
demolish
which would,
them. They
in
due
threw
bombs, and fired flares, and officers and men spent a

most haggard and horrible night, while opposite them
Scotsmen were laughing sardonically in their

trenches.
The whole incident was intensely typical
the
and grim humour with which the Scottish regiments were at times apt to regard the Hun.
Another battalion at a much later date, when the
of the careless
Germans had become very
and mostly spent their

off-duty hours in deep dug-outs, had the brilliant idea
of preparing a notice board on which was printed
in large letters
shy,
and German
"
:
Bitter
Berlin," and then, in smaller type,
first
some apocryphal
was their plan to raise,

posted their snipers, who would be sure to
information.
having
This notice
Fighting in
obtain shots at the
it
Huns who attempted
smaller lettering with their field-glasses.
to read the
I
do not
think, however, that this plan was ever actually carried
THE SNIPER
THE TRENCHES
IN
This was fortunate, since, though ingenious, the

idea was not sound, as it would inevitably have led to
out.
heavy bombardment of the trenches
notice was shown, and the
in
which the
game would not have been
worth the candle.
To
continue, however, with our day.
Late in the
Germans having shown themselves since

the shooting of the officer a heavy bombardment
broke out on the right flank, and we hurried in that
afternoon, no
direction,
as
experience had taught
German Forward Observation
me
bombarded
the
Officers often did their
spotting for the guns from the front-line
the flank of the
that
trench on
area.
Sure enough, we soon picked up one of those large

dark artillery periscopes, shaped like an armadillo.
was being operated by two men, as far as could be

seen.
One of them wore a very high peaked cap, and
"
was at once called " Little Willie
the other had a
It
black beard.
The
nearest point to which
we could
approach was more like five than four hundred yards,

and though we waited till dark, Little Willie did not
show more than

of
forehead.
huge cap peak and an inch or two

As evening fell, we went out of the
his
trenches without having fired, as soon after our arrival
the
bombardment had
gave
good
appeared.
target,
ceased,
and Little Willie never
and the bearded man had
did not wish to disturb
F.O.O.'s in their post
as,
49
now
the
dis-
German
that they were dis4
SNIPING IN FRANCE
covered, arrangements could be
them when next they were
made
to deal with
observing.
The opportunity
occurred three days later, when,

after a very long vigil, an officer shot Little Willie,
and the same evening a Howitzer battery wiped out
the post for good and
As,
when
all.
Little Willie
the act of spotting the
met
first
his end,
shots for his
he was just in
battery, which
had opened on our front line trenches, his death probably saved us some casualties, for it temporarily
stopped the activities of his guns.
It was not only the number of the enemy that our
It was often the
snipers shot that was so important.
psychological
moment
at
which they shot them that
gave their work an extra value.

In the autumn of 1915 there came high winds
It was clear that a heavy fall
following frosty nights.
would take place on the following days. I

therefore asked, and obtained leave from the 4th
Division, to which I was at the time attached, to drop
of the leaf
and instead to go into the trenches

order to spot enemy snipers and artillery observa-
instructional work,
in
tion officers' posts.
On my way down
Headquarters, where
was told that
called at
very trouble-
some sniper was operating at Beaumont Hamel. This

man had killed a number of our fellows. He was
supposed to
live in a
pollarded willow, one of a row not
very far from Jacob's Ladder, which will be
remem-

bered by all who were on that front in 1915. There
was on that day a certain amount of mild shelling of
the communication trenches, but before the advent
of gas-shells this rarely caused trouble in the daytime,
except to those who had to repair the breaches. On

the day in question I was alone with my batman, who,
I
"
can
say,
without fear of
libel,
shot better than he
batted," for he had been chosen because he was a
marksman.
Arrived in the front
line,
about trying to locate the sniper. As

a case, the enemy one seeks is taking a
was not so now, for
as
a bullet, striking low,
At
this point,
soon
as I
we
at
once set
a rule, in
such
but
this
siesta,
looked over the parapet
knocked some dust into
my
eyes.
you must understand, our trenches were
shaped like an arm, with a crooked elbow, the crook or

turn of the elbow being at the bottom of a hill. In
Beaumont Hamel, where
front lay
lines
when
to dry.
in
the
German
arrived a soldier had
Between us
hung out his shirt

and Beaumont Hamel lay a wild
No
Man's Land, with some dead ground on

the Beaumont Hamel side, and at the bottom of the
piece of
hill
the row of willows from which the
sniper was
supposed to operate.
As these willow trees were out of sight from the
place where I had been fired at, I did not put down
that shot to the sniper,
this I
whom we
was probably wrong,
All that morning
we
as
will call Ernst.
transpired later.
tried to locate Ernst,
5i
In
who had
4*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
four more shots at me, but
that
all
had learned
at
(when I imagine Ernst went off for a

well-earned siesta) was that he was a good shot, as
though obviously some distance away, he had made
the end of
it
We
most carefully examined the

pollarded willows, and spotted one or two good snipers'
posts, especially one at the bottom of a hedge, but as
quite good practice.
far as
Ernst was concerned he had
The
an
next day
enemy
howitzer
was occupied
and
it
all
the morning with
was not
after
till
my attention once more to
This time
began
the honours.
which was destroyed by
O.P.
artillery
fire,
could turn
all
at the
bottom
were no loopholes, so it was

almost at once Ernst put in
Ernst.
of the hill.
a case of
a
lunch that
There
looking over, and
very close shot, followed
again by a second which was not so good.
The
shot had cut the top of the parapet just beside
first
my
head, and I noticed that several shots had been fired

which had also cut the top of the sandbags. Behind
the line of these shots was
group of
stood on slightly higher ground
and
at
all
within
as
number
interest.
In
of bullets
had
Crouching at the
head covered with an
small circle.
base of the tree, and with

old sandbag,
and
they
crawled to them,
once saw something of great
the bole of one of the trees

lodged,
trees,
raised
it
my
until 1 could see over the
parapet fifty yards in front, and found at once that

the line of these shots, and those which had struck the
52

tree behind
head, were very nearly the same, and
my
must have been
fired
behind which
looked
Man's Land,
dead ground existed on the

and probably from a large bush which
it
enemy's side,
formed the most
I
No
from an area of
as if
salient feature of that view.
then went back to the trenches, and warned
sentries
to
and the
vicinity.
movement
keep
good
Very soon one
in the bush.
on
look-out
With my
of
this
all
bush
them reported
glass I
could see a
periscope about three feet above the ground in the
bush, which was very thick.
Being certain, as the

periscope was raised so high, and as it had only just
been elevated, that it was held in human hands, I
collected half a dozen riflemen and
giving
them the
a target,
my
batman, and
range, and the centre of the bush as
ordered them to open
On
fire.
the periscope flew backwards and
the volley
the activities of
Ernst ceased forthwith.

It
was
this
experience of looking along the path of
the enemy's bullets that led directly to the invention

for spotting
enemy
snipers,
which
have described
earlier in this
chapter.
No
one can deny that Ernst was a gallant fellow,

lying out as he did between the lines day after day.
Whether he was killed or not who can say, but I should
think the odds are that some bullets of the volley found
their billet.
At any
rate, sniping
ceased.
53
from that quarter
SNIPING IN FRANCE
I
have
now
given enough description of the work and
training which was going on at that time in the Third
Army
The aim and end
in the line.
of all this
work
was the formation of sniping sections in each battalion,

with two N.C.O.'s
consisting of sixteen privates
under an
I
the
had
officer.
realized that
officer.
If I
or twenty officers
my
whole problem turned upon
could succeed in obtaining fifteen
who would be
simply fanatics in
their work, it was perfectly clear that the sniping
movement would spread like wildfire throughout the
.
Army. Already we had got together an immense

amount of detail concerning the German sniping
had begun not only to challenge his
but also to enforce our own. It is won-
organization, and
superiority,
derful
what can be done
in a single
accurate shots along the length of
week by sixteen
line
held
by
You must understand also that the success

of the German sniping rested largely upon the deeds
of certain crack snipers, who thoroughly understood
their work, and who each one of them caused us heavy
casualties.
The first work to be done in the trenches
was the organized annihilation of these skilled German
battalion.
snipers,
had
it
and
their
think this was the easier in that they
own way
for so long.
As time went on, the reports from the brigades

were very good one Brigadier* even going so far as to
;
* Later
Major-Gen. Sir
Guy
54
Bainbridge, K.C.B.

wire
me
"
:
Only one
Hun
sniper left
Can you lend me your elephant

particular
he had not
on
rifle
my
"
lost a
man through enemy
In this
brigade the Brigadier informed
front.
me
that
sniping in four
months.
Sniping,
may be
think, or let us say the sniping campaign,
divided into four parts.
During the
first,
the
Germans had the mastery.

first
aim was to
snipers
able.
kill off
During the second, our

the more dangerous German
and to train our own to become more formid-
The
third was
when
the
Germans had
fairly
gone to ground and would no longer give us a chance.

The idea now was to invent various ways in which to
induce them to give
at a
much
a target,
later date,
when
and the
final
period came
great battles were being
fought, and the work of sniping was beginning to
merge into that of scouting, and snipers were being

trained in great numbers to deal with the new situations
that were arising every day as the
their tactical plans of defence.
55
Germans
altered
CHAPTER
EARLY DAYS WITH THE
nnOWARDS
III
ITH CORPS AND FIRST ARMY
end of 1915 my services were

again borrowed by the First Army, this time
to take a class of Sniping and Intelligence officers
the
through the course of sniping and observation which

was already in operation in the Third Army, and also
to
lecture
to
G.H.Q.
Intelligence
Class
on the
Observation and Intelligence side of sniping
big
subject.
went up the long road through Doullens, Prevent

and St. Pol, which I had traversed so many times
I
from the days when

soldiers
was impassable with French

before the Battle of Loos to the quieter times
it
which had now dawned.
During the war one had
very few relaxations of any kind.
bidden, games were
Shooting was forfor

the unattached
difficult
Ishmaelite to obtain, and often for long periods

impossible to get any change of thought.
drives to
all
parts of the line held
which were part of

ingly pleasant
by
my
it
The
was
long
by the British Army,
work, were, therefore, exceed-
contrast.
56
Wherever there was
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

battle
used to try and get to
it
CORPS
XI.
at the earliest possible
have the opportunity of examining the German trenches, for as time went on sniping
became more and more scientific, and the Germans
moment,
in order to
were always starting some new method which had to

be countered. One of the most important points was
to obtain specimens of each issue of their steel plates,
in
order to experiment on
them with
kinds of
all
bullets.
But to return to the

allotted a curious range
Bethune,
then
Army
on the
thriving
been hardly shelled

battle area.
First
Class.
We
were
town
outskirts of the
of
community, which had
although well within the

Our rifle-firing took place under cover,
at
all,
and each target appeared through a series of holes cut

in a number of brick walls which crossed the range
The
at right angles.
noise in the
room
of the cottage
which formed the 2OO-yards firing-point was deafencold

ing, but as the weather was both wet and
head-cover had
The
officer
class
its
advantages.
which assembled consisted of
from each Division, twelve
command
more
picked
Some
at least, of this class
their battalions,
and one was awarded
the double D.S.O., another the

several
all.
but two,
lost sight of afterwards,
rose to
in
M.C. and
Bar, and
single decorations.
In order that the
class
might be taught the manipu-
lation of telescopic sights, all the rifles of the 1st
57
Corps
SNIPING IN FRANCE
which were
with these sights or with optical

sights were sent down, together with the snipers who
shot them, in order that the rifles might be tested for
fitted
As
accuracy.
at
that time there had been no real
organization or instruction in the use of adventitious

sights in the Corps,
most
it
is
not to be wondered at that
these were incorrect.
of
Of the
first
eighty,
fifty-nine were quite valueless until regulated, and we

were hard put to it to correct them as party after party
arrived.
At length
party of Scottish Rifles came, every one
whose weapons was entirely correct. They were

under the command of a young officer who, when the
trial of his men's rifles was over, saluted and said to
of
me
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
Will
Do
stay
and help you with the other
you understand
rifles, sir
"
?
"
telescopic
sights
Yes, sir."
Have you done much shooting
'
Yes, sir."
"
Won
anything
The
King's Prize, and the Scottish
Open Cham-
pionship, and the Caledonian Shield, sir."

"
"
What
"
Gray,
is
your name
sir."
That evening Corps

was
straightway
Suffice
it
Staff
appointed
to say, that in a
58
was rung up and Gray

Corps Sniping Officer.
few weeks the German
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

snipers
had been dealt with
in a
CORPS
XI.
way
that must have
amazed them.
Later on, Gray's Division moved into the nth Corps,
where I have always thought that sniping on some
sectors reached
was
1916
high-water mark
its
concerned.
as far as
became
he
Afterwards
the year
nth Corps School, and later

Army School. He finally proceeded
First
my
at the
assistant at the
the
to
U.S.A., with the rank of Major, to spread the light

there.
In this he was most successful, receiving the
thanks of the Divisional General to whose Division he
X
was attached for the extraordinary efficiency of his

work.
In my experience of sniping officers in France,
two
are outstanding,
and he was one
of
them.
The
other was Major O. Underbill, 1st K.S.L.I.
on that queer range in Bethune lasted a

fortnight and was instrumental in getting me a bout
Our
class
of sick leave
had to make
such
for
when,
as
part of the instruction,
trench and build into
as snipers use,
we found
it
we
various posts
ourselves working in an
extremely noisome atmosphere. As far as we could

make out, the greater part of the town drainage seemed
to be at
no great distance under the ground
we had
to dig.
fever.
wasted,
The time
as
The
I
result
spent at
was
which
bout of trench
home was
was able to collect
in
large
not, however,
numbers
of
and get the various courses for sniping

instruction written down, which was useful, as I was
telescopes
59
SNIPING IN FRANCE
continually receiving applications for a syllabus from
Third Army.
When I returned to France I was again attached to
the Third Army, but not to the Infantry School, who
units outside the
had secured the
my
absence.
services of
Captain Pemberthy during
This very capable
officer
did splendid
line
Third Army. Instead, I went down the

and resumed my old work of instructing brigades
and
battalions.
work
for the
also
went to the Indian Cavalry
Divisions.
At
a
this time, I
knowledge of
remember, volunteers who possessed

the fitting of telescopic sights were
asked for in the 7th Corps.

ingly
One
typical.
private,
The
who
result
was exceed-
sent in his name,
stated that he was well acquainted with telescopic
and their
having been for four years

employed by Messrs. Daniel Fraser of Leith Street
Terrace, Edinburgh, the well-known firm of gun and
sights
rifle
fittings,
makers, whose work on telescopic sights stands so
deservedly high.
The
staff
who unearthed
this appli-
cant did not continue to congratulate themselves on
having produced exactly the
article
wanted, when,
a letter to Messrs. Fraser, it transpired that,
through
was quite true that the man had been

employed by them, the position that he had held in the
firm was that of errand boy, and that his knowledge of
though
it
telescopic
they
felt
was consequently not one

they could confidently recommend.
sights
60
which
EARLY DAYS WITH THE
XI.
CORPS
During these days I went back to many of the

brigades to which I had been attached six months
The
previously.
casualties
among
had not
snipers
been very heavy and we had fairly obtained the upper

hand.
At this period troops were massing for the
Battle of the
Armies took
a
Somme, in which the Third and Fourth

The use of the telescope was now
part.
matter of immense interest,
all
as
Intelligence
wanted
the facts they could get about the enemy, and
consequently instruction in
glass-work for battalion
and brigade observers became more and more sought

after, and I trained many observers for Major-General
G.O.C. 56th Division.
Hull,
at
Just
however, there was a change in
my
this
period,
fortunes,
and
was ordered to proceed to the First Army, to the

command of which Sir Charles Monro had just succeeded after
I
wonderful performance in Gallipoli.

the Third Army area and went by rail
his
therefore left
to Aire-sur-Lys, in order to report to First
Army
Headquarters, which was situated in that town.

It would be absurd to deny that I was very glad to
be attached to the First Army, where the keenness
which
various
at Aire
had seen on
my
visit at
Christmas time to the
Corps Commanders was glorious.

I
allotted a
reported to
room
the
Town
in the hotel called
Major, and was

Le Clef d'Or."
"
was eating my dinner when the

came across and wanted to know if an
Here
61
Arriving
Town Major
officer of my
SNIPING IN FRANCE
name was
He
present.
and that
was waiting
said that a car
was to go direct to the Army

Commander's chateau to dine and stay the night.
outside,
The
Army Commander
next day the
questioned
very closely about sniping, and about
occurred with regard to
since
it
me
that had
all
he had seen
me
last:
He then informed me that I was to be attached to the

nth Corps, and that my orders were the same as they
had been under him
good
shots,
The nth
and
as
in the
many
Corps, since
of
Third
them
to
Army
make
as possible
my previous
visit,
had started
where they were putting through five

and twenty men on short courses. The school
a sniping school,
officers
was situated on the
far side of
the Forest of Nieppe,
near a place called Steenbecque.
was ordered to
make
It
was
this school
my
headquarters.
Lieut. Forsyth
M.C.
more curious
and
school
it
of
the
6th
Black Watch.
spot
picturesque-looking
were
had
firing points at one, two, three
for
A
a
The headquar-
would be hard to imagine.
ters
in charge of
Flemish farmhouse, kept by an

exceedingly close-fisted family, and the range, which
in a little
yards, was neither
more nor
less
and
than
five
hundred
long sloping
most satisfactory point about the range

which was an excellent one was that it was within
cornfield.
two hundred yards
of
headquarters,
so
that
after
parade hours were over an immense amount of volunIt was here that we first
tary work was done upon it.
62
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

began to tend towards the
really
XI.
much
detailed course of instruction which
CORPS
longer and
we afterwards
amplified to a vastly greater extent at
soon
as
School,
more
First
Army
the courses were lengthened to
as
seventeen days' duration.
From
the
first
may be
it
said that the
men and
who came upon all these courses were extraThey liked sniping, and still more,
ordinarily keen.
officers
observation, because they felt that here, at
the great impersonal

individual
The more
skill.
enormous
realized also the
In
observer.
instances
of
other
imaginative
will
for
them
of
the trained
possibilities of
chapters
in
last,
war, was an opportunity
give
several
the observation of small details which
have had consequences of the most far-reaching nature.

I
think that this feeling of the ever-present possibility
of the opportunity of being able to
formed part
do
big
thing
of the fascination of the S.O.S. courses
"
meaning,
Sniping, Observation
and Scouting," and not " Service of Supply," as it
S.O.S. in
this case
does in the American

It has
been
said,
destructive, but the

privates,
Army.
and
truly, that soldiers are pretty
fajct
N.C.O.'s and
remains that hundreds of
officers
went through
their
shooting courses in the Steenbecque cornfield, which
was traversed in
yet
it
corn.
was
all
difficult
Our one
by narrow paths, and

any downtrodden ears of
directions
to
find
difficulty
was that at one of the

63
firing
SNIPING IN FRANCE
points the corn grew up and obscured the targets.
It had, therefore, to
do not know what the claim sent
yards.
be cut to the area of about ten
by the
claims were
in
damage, but as far as

concerned nothing was ever missed by the Flemish
farmer was for
this
peasant.
spend the
was
used only to
two days of every course at the school
it
Although
first
my
Headquarters
the other days
and brigades, and
passed attached to various divisions

in this
way became conversant with
the trench line of the Corps along the whole length

of which I inspected the snipers' posts.
The 3 3rd
who were
holding the line opposite Violaines

and the Brick-stacks, had had a tremendous duel with
Division,
the
German
difficult
snipers.
one from the
This line has always been
sniper's point of view, as the
Germans had, unfortunately, the

The Brick-stacks made
tion.
best of
ideal
it as
to posi-
sniping-posts,
and there were many other points of vantage which

were very much in their favour. It shows, however,
what
first-class
when
sniping officer can do
realized that the 33rd Division
it
is
who, when they went
Germans very much in

the ascendant, soon reduced them to a more fitting
into the trenches, found the,
state of
It
tion
mind.
was here that Gray
had
making
trying
the sniping officer in ques-
experience.
his tour of duty,
an
64
One
officer told
day
him
while
that there
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

was
sniper
who was
causing
XI.
them
CORPS
trouble.
Gray
asked where he was, and was led without words to the
German
part of our trench opposite which the
was supposed to
sniper
Gray, being signed to do so by

guide, looked over, only to be saluted at about
ten yards' range with a bullet which whizzed by his
lie.
his
ear.
"
That's him,"
said
knew he was pretty
He
shoots
"
one
close.
tries to
By
"
delightedly.
But what am
spot where he
Have you never heard

"
?
demanded Gray.
"
it
if
the officer
Jove, the very thing
was not long before the
of the
"
!
to
do
I
?
is."
sniperscope,
you
cried the officer, and
German
sniper was reduced
to impotence.
But to return
to the
nth Corps
Work
School.
There was nothing to

and nothing to do in Morbecque.
there was certainly strenuous.
do
the village
in
The
nearest
place
of
and Hazebrouck was out
relaxation
of bounds.
was
Hazebrouck,
The
result
that having an interesting course with plenty of
was
rifle
shooting competitions, together with occasional mild

cricket
and
football,
officers
and men were able to
concentrate upon the work in hand, and certainly

their shooting improved with amazing quickness.
time the 33rd Division moved south,

and Lieut. Gray was attached to the School, where he
About
soon
left
this
the impress of his personality and methods.

65
SNIPING IN FRANCE
One
of the difficulties that
we had
always found in
was due to the fact that our trenches,
the First
Army
as far at
any rate
Neuve Chapelle-Fauquissart
the
as
area was concerned, were very shallow, and, indeed
we
lived rather behind breastworks than in trenches.
To make
these
in
loopholes
breastworks
was
ex-
but Gray invented a system

"
which we christened " Gray's Boards
which fairly
difficult,
ceedingly
met the
case.
Thus,
if
iron loop-hole plate, he

of exactly similar size.
he wished to put
in a concealed
of all cut a square of
first
In this he fashioned
hole to correspond with
the
of
wood
loop-
the iron
loophole
then
the
wired
wooden
plate.
plate on to the iron
plate, and having rolled and stuffed a number of sand-
He
bags in exact imitation of the parapet in which he
wished to insert
hammer and
his loophole,
tacks
he tacked these with
upon the wooden board.
The
whole loophole was then built in at night. These

loopholes of his were rarely discovered, and they had
also the
it
added advantage that
if
a bullet struck
had to pierce
the posts were never given
did not ring upon the iron plate,
the
wooden board
first,
so
them
as it
away by sound.
It
was at the
structed
German
a
exact
nth Corps
imitations
School that
of
German
we
first
con-
trenches and
one way or another,

great deal of pioneer work was put in there, and the
sniping posts
in fact, in
school prospered exceedingly.

66
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

The
chief reason,
XI.
CORPS
think, for the success of the
school was the great personal interest taken in
the Corps
Commander,
Haking,
come out from his headquarters at Hinges and
W.
General
by
who would
Sir R.
the school at frequent intervals,
it
as
Hastings Anderson,
inspect
did also Brigadier-
then B.G.G.S. of
We
were inspected in July by the Army

Commander, and from time to time officers from
the Corps.
other theatres of war and from other armies visited us.
In
meadow
of fish,
a time,
full
was the ambition of Gray and myself

There was only room for two fishermen at
which
to catch.
near the school was a small pond,
it
and only on one occaHon was
a fish
caught.
This we gave to the farmer who owned the pond,

and I presume he ate it, for he was up at Headquarters
" medecin ! "
early the next day inquiring for a
nothing could be more delightful than after
three or four strenuous days, on each of which one
Still,
walked perhaps eight or ten miles of trenches, to

before that funny
little
sit
pool in the French meadow,
and forget there was a war.

At the time of which I write, the Corps which
formed the First Army were the nth, the 1st and
the 4th. The 3rd had gone to the Battle of the
Somme.
The
Corps had a sniping school, which,

at a later date, reached an extraordinarily high pitch
of
efficiency under Captain Crang and the late
" The
Lieut. Toovey, the author of
Old Drum
1st
67
5*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
"
and well-known Bisley
Major
shot.
was
It
commanded by Captain Crang which went
party
into the
Portuguese trenches, where it was reported the

Germans were showing themselves rather freely, and
made
The
4th Corps also had a good

school, but they soon moved out of the Army to the
south.
In fact, when I first went there, the system
a
big bag.
in the First
Army
cated, to have Corps Schools of
The
tion.
still
not
of course,
difficulty,
was that there was
no establishment, and that sniping schools did

This was quite
officially exist.
when ^
in the war, for
pupils,
it
While
at
common
and
was
a score of instructors, a
last
at
nth Corps
the
officially
a sniping-officer
thing
went to the large Third
couple of hundred N.C.O. and

did not exist officially.
large staff,
Office
first
Infantry School, with
Army
as
had always advosniping and observa-
was that which
officer
School, the
my
acknowledged
to the extent that
War
existence
received
my
pay, which had been withheld for several months.
After various tours of inspection and work with
was ordered by the Army Commander to form an Army School of Sniping. Greatly
other
Army
Corps,
from the Army

and set out to search through the broad lands of the
Pas de Calais. These were delightful days, but
rejoicing,
search as
find
Gray and
we would,
any place
borrowed
it
a car
was exceedingly
in the area of the First
68
difficult
to
Army which
EARLY DAYS WITH THE

would
our
suit
remember
little
queer
we once very
that
at last
came
the
its
upon
situated
is
slopes
flat.
we went on
to the village of
lies
upon
(it
is
further
Above
Linghem.
an old civilian range
The
a large rifle butt.
range
too
nearly decided
luckily
the village on a high plateau
backed by
all
CORPS
not very far from Hinges, called
hill,
Mont Bernenchon, but

and
was
It
purpose.
XI.
plateau on which
of considerable extent,
and
was July) bloomed heather and
gorse.
"
like
Why,"
said
Scotland
The
"
Gray,
is
trying hard to be
plateau gave us a range of eight hundred yards
and plenty of room
Army
the place
"
for
playing
fields,
which the
always consider to be absolutely necessary to
the well-being of
that the health of our
one
school
men was
reason,
think,
so good.
Having decided that here was the
ideal place for
our projected First Army Sniping School, Gray and

I were
disgusted to see the fresh tracks of a motorcar.
It
was
quite
clear
discovered and had an eye
that
somebody
upon our
find.
else
We
had
did
not even wait for a cup of coffee at the local estaminet
but got on board our car and went full speed to Army
Headquarters, where we informed the Staff that we
had decided upon our location, and were told that

as no one else had
applied for it, it should be ours.
We
were only just in time

69
for as
we
afterwards dis-
SNIPING IN FRANCE
covered
the
apply for
All's
later
well,
and
the First
Corps had decided
Flying
that ends well, and a
however,
left
the
set forth
nth
on
little
Corps School with great

Linghem to found
a lorry for
Sniping School.
Often afterwards I used to go across to see
Army
things were getting along at the dear old
School.
to
it.
on we
regret,
Royal
The
last
time
taken over by a Second
nth Corps
was there, before
Army
how
formation,
it
it
was
was
I must say that I

wintry day with snow falling.
was glad that I had never been attached there during
winter, for what had been a smiling cornfield was
and glutinous mud. The little

becque or stream which ran between our stop-butt
and our targets had overflowed, and Lieut. Hands,
now
a sea of yellow
who had
succeeded to the
command
was urging some one hundred and

prisoners
to
fifty
the stop-butt
reconstruct
scene really might

"
Eastern Front."
of the school,
have
70
been
odd German
The
German
itself.
upon the
CHAPTER
IV
THE FIRST ARMY SCHOOL OF SCOUTING, OBSERVATION

AND SNIPING
r
^HE
First
for
the
Army
Sniping
purpose
of
School was
training
formed
officers,
who
might act as Instructors in the various Corps Schools,

Brigades and Battalions throughout the Army.
The system of Corps Schools was, as I have said,
peculiar to the First
and
Army, who,
for the next year
turned out three snipers to any other

Army's one. Further, the First Army School became
recognized throughout the B.E.F. as the training
a
half,
with the telescope. Indeed, at

date, we were overwhelmed with applications
place of observers
a later
from Corps and Divisions
in other
to send observers for a course.
Armies who wished

This was especially
the case before any big movement, and
almost
have guessed
we might
where an advance was con-
templated by the applications for the training of

observers by the units concerned.
However,
all
this
occurred at a later date, and
SNIPING IN FRANCE
must pick up
Corps School
the
First
breakfast.
my
when we
narrative
Those who were to
in the lorry.
nth
the
left
start
School got aboard after an early
Army
They were only
number, Lieut.
Gray, Armourer Staff-Sergeant Carr, Private Fensome (an extremely capable and skilled carpenter),
myself and two
spares
We
batmen.
we could
in
six
took with us
obtain from the
as well as a lot of
sniping kit
all
nth Corps
the
School
belonging to Gray and
myself.
As we rode through the country in the direction

Aire
of
we passed
huge desolate camp which, I

believe, had once been inhabited by Australians.
No doubt it had boasted a guard at one time, but it
had
now
peasantry
sad
into
fallen
having
appropriated
most of the wooden
came upon two
disrepair,
walls.
all
little
Flemish
the
the
stoves
further on
and
we
or three
Armstrong huts standing

in a field adjacent to the deserted camp, and as these
were in better preservation, and we had no Armstrong
hut of our own,
it
we
the French, so
on the
seemed
set
a pity to leave
to and took one
them
for
down and
This was, no doubt, a very

"
estabwrong thing to do, but when you have no
lishment," you can have no conscience either, or, at
loaded
it
lorry.
you allow yourself such a luxury you

that your job becomes impossible.
least, if
Presently
we
will find
rolled into Aire over the canal

bridge,
72
THE FIRST ARMY SCHOOL OF
S.O.S.
which was afterwards destroyed by long-range guns,

and in Aire we made the little purchases which are
We
messes.
the formation of
for
necessary
officers'
and men's
then passed through the old town by
Army Headquarters had moved away,

and there was now only the Town Major and one or
two A.S.C. columns in possession. On the far
the Cathedral.
side
of Aire
we took the Lambres and
Hilaire
St.
Road, and passed on through the level country. As

we turned off through Lambres, we saw, rising in
which formed the plateau

on which our school was to be situated, and not long
front of us, the high ridge
afterwards
lorry then
we rode
into the village of
Linghem.
went round and disembarked our
The
Arm-
hut upon the plateau, where we at once

erected it, and a fortunate thing it was that we did
strong
there were some heavy showers
so,
for
that night
of
rain
which would have destroyed a good deal of

and more especially our target-paper and
our
kit,
dummy
heads, had
we not put them under proper
shelter.
And now,
esting
fatigue
think,
periods
which
Army
spent
in
at
least
Various
France.
to the Staff, and a working

Service Corps was sent
were rather amused to see that the
working party,
for
men were added
party from the
We
began one of the most inter-
who had been
up.
of this
well behind the line
year previously, thought

73
men
it
quite an
SNIPING IN FRANCE
When
adventure to come up to the school.

rolled
we
their sleeves for digging,
up
they
noticed, too,
that their arms were white, forming in this a great
our fatigue men.
to
contrast
trenches,
dig
make
and observation
A.S.C.
We
energy.
of
party,
hard work the
this
all
with
tackled
party
extraordinary
put up goal-posts, and they had

each
football
and
was necessary to
build snipers' posts
stop-butts,
posts,
working
It
evening.
Several
of
the
game
A.S.C.
believe, were professional football players of
repute.
But
it
would be tedious to describe the growth
the school step by step.
ning with a
class of a
Suffice
it
dozen to
of
to say that, begin-
who
fifteen officers,
were dealt with by two officer instructors, our classes

grew until we had twenty-five officers and forty or
fifty
But the actual teach-
N.C.O.'s at each course.
ing was only one side of the work of the school, for
it
was soon thoroughly known throughout the
that
any Division, Brigade or Battalion
if
or
Army
wanted
its
any individual sniper

found himself shooting incorrectly, all that had to
be done was to apply to the First Army Sniping
sights
telescopic
School.
loads,
The
and
continual
Sergeant
tested,
divisional
single snipers
testing
of
if
came up in
often came on foot.
snipers
rifles
kept
Armourer
'bus-
This
Staff-
Carr busy both on the range and in
armourer's shop.
his
Fortunately, as well as being an

74
c/i
c/i
u.
u
-
armourer, Sergeant Carr was also
excellent
no mean order, having shot
of
S.O.S.
in the King's
shot
Hundred
at Bisley.
The
school had not been long in existence before
Canadian Corps came into the Army. They

were then holding the line which they afterwards
the
immortalized opposite the Vimy Ridge, and we were

at once struck at the school by their great energy
and keenness.
There
no doubt that
is
as a sniper,
scout or intelligence officer, the Canadian shows the
and during the long period, well

which they remained in the Army, our
greatest initiative,
over a year,
was
school
for
by two Canadians
They were most extra-
visited
one Britisher.
every
ordinarily
helpful,
of
services
voluntarily
too,
and
some Canadian
if
ever
officer
wanted the
for
particular
purpose, they were almost always granted, and not
only that, but he was on the spot within

of
my
At
few hours
application.
first
the greater part
of
our
teaching dealt
with sniping, but as time went on the curriculum

was much
extended.
Map reading, intelligence
work, the prismatic compass, the range-finder, in-
on crawling,
struction
were
all
tinual
bullets,
added.
ju-jitsu
and
physical
In addition to these,
demonstrations
of
the effect of
drill
we
had con-
all
kinds of
both -British and German, on the armoured
steel plates
used by us and by the enemy.

75
We
formed
SNIPING IN FRANCE
a
museum, which became quite famous, and
which
in
were various exhibits of German and British sniping

We also had many photographs, and
paraphernalia.
who had been through
again and again officers
course at the school sent up contributions.

said
that anyone going through the
good idea
sniping during the war, and
museum
was
could
of the
really gain a very
an exaggeration.
I soon found that the
It
the
this
development of
was by no means
and men who came
officers
to the school were really in need of a clear mental
change, and this
we attempted
to provide
by giving
long hours to games.
"
For many months the school was
unofficial,"
the
on
at
but
last,
24th November, 1916, more than
fifteen
officer,
ment."
months
had begun serving
after I
we were granted
Up
to
this
time,
as a
"
provisional
it
sniping
establish-
was terribly hard to
keep the school running, not to speak of the Corps

Schools, which were
its
The
offshoots.
was that when each division moved,
moved with
it,
and thus
weeks after the First

Gray's division
was recalled to
it
Army
in
all its
came about
personnel
that, seven
School was started, Lieut.
moved out
it
real difficulty
of
spite
the
of
Army, and he
applications
from
Headquarters that he might be allowed to remain

and continue the good work he was doing, this was
refused, and he went down to the Somme to be
11
.S
ll
Sen
81*
2"o
:i
s s
Jil

made
S.O.S.
charge of trolleys, or sports, or some
officer in
The mere
such appointment.
fact
that he was
most
Prizeman and perhaps the best shot and the

capable sniper in the B.E.F. made not one
whit
of
King's
All
difference.
these
are,
qualities
no
doubt, of the highest use in an officer in charge of

trolleys
Gray's departure there set in for me a very

strenuous time, for at the same moment the Com-
On
mandant
I
away.
course at
and
nth Corps School was also spirited

found an officer who had been through the
the First Army School to take his place,
of the
at the
same time
Commandant
had
as
for
class
many
a
to find a
Corps Sniping School. I

time no assistant myself, and was dealing
at this
with
for the
became necessary
it
1st
of fifteen officers, as well as
as fifty snipers,
who came up from
My
instruction.
day's
sometimes
N.C.O.'s,
the line
however,
stepped nobly into the breach, and Armourer StaffSergeant Carr took over the explanation of telescopic
sights
work which
lay
entirely
At that time there were ten or

these sights in the
outside his
duties.
fifteen patterns of
Army, and each
officer
on the
course had to learn to manipulate every one of them.

In fact, the course was a pretty stiff one, and, over-
worked
as
was,
much knowledge
with them, so
it
was
difficult to
be certain
how
the officer students carried away
started an examination paper on the

77
SNIPING IN FRANCE
last
day, which was of
full
marks were
very searching nature.
hundred, and
tinued until the school closed

tice.
Again
successful
and
of
down
we had
again
member
this
The
paper was conafter the Armis-
classes,
the
least
which obtained seventy-five
of
the hundred marks.
During the period

Lieut.
school
of
the
Gray's
which
in
an
departure,
was alone
attended
officer
after
the
who became my assistant, Lieut. N. Hands,

nth Warwickshire Regiment, I had great
difficulty
in
obtaining
his
month
General exchanged
on Sniping by me.
from the lectures
and
As
as
services,
of
them
but
for
was taken in
finally his
some
lectures
a car to
and
they were to be given after
parade hours, it did not interfere with my work

this was a very pleasant arrangement, but Hands had
not been with me long when there was another
upheaval
at
the
nth Corps
School.
The
6ist
and Lieut. Benoy, who was in charge

of the school, left with it.
So Hands went across
Division
left,
nth Corps School. He afterwards

the nth Corps to Italy, where he
and took over the
proceeded with
was awarded the Military Cross, and did fine work.
However, after another period of running the
school alone on Hands' departure, Army Headquarters
sent
me Second
Lieut. Underhill, of the ist K.S.L.L
Underhill had been wounded at Ypres, and came out

for instructional duties.
The
78
story of his being sent
S.O.S.
an amusing one, in the light of after

experience, for he was the most tremendous worker
that I have ever known.
He arrived at Army Head-
to the school
is
quarters at eight o'clock in the morning, and
hours
unhappy
at
two
still
having nothing
to do, he went to the G.S.O.i, and asked if he could
later,
feeling
not be put to work.
The
who was my
G.S.O.i,
very good friend, seeing from his papers that Under-
had passed through Hythe, and was stated to be

competent as an instructor, sent him out to me, and
hill
thus
it
tant,
was that
and
a better
establishment was
it
obtained
at last
no
man
still
permanent
could have
only a
had.
tentative
one,
assis-
Our
and
was not until some months later that we were
allowed
N.C.O.'s,
the
two
extra
officers
and
four
extra
and the dozen scouts and fatigue-men,
who made up our
staff.
Underhill had, by that time, been promoted to
Temporary Captain,
Adjutant, and
for
good
services,
and became
Captain Kendall, of the 4th
Warwick-
at the
course
School,
Regiment, who, after
had become attached to the Royal Flying Corps as
shire
Intelligence Officer, took over the intelligence duties
and map reading at the school. Lieut. W. B. Curtis,

of the 3 ist Canadian Infantry, became
scouting
he had had nearly two years' experience
between the lines, and had been decorated on three
officer
occasions.
79
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Our
N.C.O.'s, too, were the very pick of the Army.
There was Armourer-Staff Sergeant Carr, Sergeant

Slade, of the Essex
1st
Rifle
Artists'
Yeomanry, Sergeant Hicks, of the

Brigade, and Sergeant Blaikley, of the
All these N.C.O.'s
Rifles.
became
in
time
amazingly proficient at their work. I have never

heard a more clear exposition of the compass than
that given by Sergeant Hicks, who, while one
squad
was
firing,
would
down under the bank with

to them all the mysteries of
sit
and explain
other,
the
the
magnetic North.
The
physical
of
training
the school was in the
hands of Sergeant-Major Betts (Coldstream Guards),

one of Colonel Campbell's magnificent gymnastic
staff.
Sergeant Blaikley, who had drawn for Punch from

time to time, was invaluable as an artist, and it was
he who drew our Christmas card " Der Sportsmann "
depicting
German
gassing
stags
on
Scottish
This picture, which was very widely

circulated, certainly obtained the flattery of imitadeer
forest.
tion, as the
papers a
same idea was used
month
or
no ordinary
was brought up by
brought up
most
of our
comic
two afterwards.
Captain Kendall was

artist of
in
trained surveyor, and an
merit.
officers
Kendall, in his
certainly unassailable.
80
Whatever conundrum
and
a great
many were
own department, was

Besides the officers and sergeants,
member
of the staff
who
S.O.S.
we had another
did splendid work.
This
was Corporal Donald Cameron of the Lovat Scouts.

Lord Lovat had visited the school, and had expressed
his satisfaction at the way in which we were teaching
observation and the use of the telescope.
Chri9tma
Card (1917)
of the Firtt
Drawn by
Army
asked
School of S.O.S.
Ernest Blaikley.
he could get me a really good stalker to assist

me, and he very kindly promised to do so. As one
him
if
own men could not come, he sent me Corporal

Cameron, who showed the greatest keenness, and had,
I think, a
peculiar affection for the last man over
the stile.
If ever there was a weak member in learning
of his
the compass,
Cameron would
81
seek
him out and
explain
6
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The
were wonderful, and certainly saved

several privates from failure.
Cameron, when I
"
offeeasked him his age on his joining, gave it as
it.
He
forty-one."
cially
and
results
was
skilful
very
glassman,
such was of continual assistance to me.
as
remember one day when we were

reinforcements for
some aspirant
Lovat Scouts Sharpshooters, and
trying
through our glasses at some troops

in blue uniforms about six thousand yards away,
most of the observers reported them as " troops in
"
blue uniform
but Cameron pointed out that they
were Portuguese. His reasoning was simple. " They
were looking
must be either Portuguese or French,"

as
they
said he,
"
and
are wearing the British steel helmet, they
must be Portuguese."
On my
establishment,
when
there were apportioned to
me
it
finally
three scouts
eleven privates to the services of
was
entitled.
parading
for
the
remember
these
first
and
time,
came
whom
among
the
the school
eleven
I
along,
privates
remember
also
attempting to pick out, with Capt. Underhill, the

"
three
scouts."
One of the scouts was a Salvation
Army
musician, an excellent fellow, but quite unfit
for his duties.
Another was an ex-barber
of the
White
Star line, and the third had for years been unable
to break into a double.
an
Army
uses
them
School
is
of
As the work of scouts with
supreme importance,
since
one
to personate the enemy in scouting schemes,

82

men
the employment of such
Good
possible.
fortune
S.O.S.
these was quite im-
as
however,
here,
came
to
some performing scouts from G.H.Q.,

who were giving demonstrations, came to demonstrate
our
for
aid,
to us,
and were afterwards attached to the school.
These were boys under nineteen, and the thcee I

kept ended up as past masters of their work.
By
Armistice
Day
they had been at the school for some
eighteen months, were

detail of the course,
equal to any
officer.
first-class
shots,
knew every
and could pass an examination

At the physical training and ju-
jitsu,
which they had almost every day, they were
really
young
terrors.
mercial joy-rider
In
fact,
remember
com-
who was visiting the school, and whom
was showing round, on seeing two of the boys doing

"
'Ere, where do
ju-jitsu, saying with infinite tact
I
you
live
when you
your street on
I
are at
'ome
I'll
keep clear
o'
dark night."
might add that
all
three boys were accomplished
Association football players, so that

really first-class centre forward, left
we
always had a
wing and
half-
back upon the premises. Our Association team, for

so small a unit, was thus a very strong one, though
might have been much stronger had not so many

of the older members of the staff been wounded.
it
think the only other
need mention
a later date,
is
it
member
of the staff that I
Sergeant Foster of the Canadians. At

became our duty to train the Portu83
6*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
guese
in sniping
Army
and shooting, and Sergeant
Foster spoke a kind of Portuguese.
have given at full length this account of the

officers and N.C.O.'s of the school, because whatever
I
was founded upon their

was possible to do so, it was
efficiency the school obtained

selection.
Whenever
it
always a standing order that between courses,
we sometimes had from two
when
days to a week free,
For
instructors should go to the line.
all
this purpose,
arrangements were made with different battalions to

This kept the school in touch with
receive them.
the progress of events.
I
have often regretted that
Book
at the First
did not keep a Visitors'
Sniping School, for certainly

enormous numbers of visitors came to us. Outside
Army
the officers of the B.E.F., of
we had
visited the school,
various
whom
attaches and missions of
and neutral powers
allied
manian, Dutch, Spanish, American,

Siamese and Polish
of journalists,
own
officers, as
Japanese,
Rou-
Italian, Portuguese,
well as large
numbers
from whom, when they were not our
accredited correspondents,
good deal
hundred
several
of the
more
used to conceal a
secret parts of our work.
One
on being informed by the officer-inthe correspondents that they were perfectly
day, however,
charge of
safe,
them
and that
a small
could show them anything,
new
spot the position of
invention by which
German snipers.
showed
we were
able to
carefully
warned

them
that
three
months
S.O.S.
was not to be written about, but about
it
later I
saw
a large
and glaring
article
describing the visit of one of these journalists to the

school.
The
been of
little
served, but
description of the invention could have
it
was there, carefully
the only case
of
nature which
own
which he
interest to the great public
promise of this
a definitely-broken
came
across
This was
set out.
the
during
Our
war.
correspondents, Valentine Williams (afterwards
Captain Valentine Williams, M.C.),

Beach Thomas, Perry Robinson, H.
Prevost Battersby, Percival Phillips,
came
Gibbs,
Philip
M. Tomlinson,
and others who
G.H.Q., were welcome and trusted

throughout the whole Army.
after I left
The
feeling in the
Army
against the Press
for there
certainly was, at one period, such a feeling
very often
officers,
it
a rather
who
are
made
remain
and that
as
will
some downright
long
be
as
Outside the members of the
time to time from various
senior
as journalistic
long
as
wars
Lovat Scouts
believe, the only officer
in catching trout in
Lieut.
C.
B.
these was
in observation.
who was
85
of
Major
who
He
took
was,
habitually successful
French
Macpherson
mistakes
we had help from

who were attached
Among
the
but
last.
A. Buxton, D.S.O., of the Essex Yeomanry,

classes of
staff,
officers
for short periods of duty.
two
really
stupid pose adopted by the younger
usually copy
will always
is
streams.
Balavil,
Second
true expert
SNIPING IN FRANCE
with the telescope and map, was
He came out
school for a time.
two with
also
trained
his splendidly
at
attached to the
the age of sixty-
group
Lovat
of
Scouts Sharpshooters.
Another
officer
who was
temporarily attached to the
was Capt. T. B. Barrie of the Canadian HighHe first came to the school on a course, and
landers.
staff
was afterwards lent to

Shortly after his
two M.C/s
me by the Canadian 4th Division.
first
visit
in a fortnight,
to the school he gained
both in
raids, in
one of
which he penetrated six hundred yards behind the

German line. There can have been few more gallant
officers in
a
France, and his death later in the war was
matter of deep regret to
all
who knew
him.
One day Major-General the Hon. W. Lambton,

commanding the 4th Division with which I had begun
my
sniping duties in 1915,
came
to the school.
His
was then in one of the other armies, but he
division
wished to have observers trained,

party under
Lieut.
and sent up
Kingsley Conan Doyle, of the
Hampshire Regiment, the son of Sir Arthur Conan

Doyle, and one of the best observation officers we
had
at
any time.
Conan Doyle
possessed an extra-
ordinary facility for teaching and was most successful
with one or two
He went
classes of
Lovat Scouts which he took.
back to his Division, was promoted to Captain,
and acted in charge
of the Divisional Battle Observers
It
in the big battles of 1917.
86
is
tragic to think that

when the order came out
for all medical students to
return to complete their studies Capt.
went back
to
England
S.O.S.
Conan Doyle
there he contracted influenza
This has always seemed to me one of

the saddest things in the war to have gone through
so much, to have rendered such good service, and
and died.
finally
down by the horrible influenza

the German shells among which
to be struck
germ instead of
he had walked about
I
have
the
of
now
so unconcernedly.
given you a somewhat rambling account
formation,
and
those
of
who were
connected with the early days, of the First

Sniping School. On the very day on which
founded, Sir Charles
Monro
left
chiefly
Army
it
was
France to take up
appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces

in India.
Sir Richard Haking succeeded to the temhis
porary command of the Army, and as it happened was

the very first visitor who ever came to First Army
School.
at
He
told us that the
once into the
Army
area,
King was coming almost

and that he wished Gray
and myself to go back to the
nth Corps
School to
prepare for a Royal Inspection. This we did, but

unfortunately the King was held up in Bethune by
shelling, so that there
We
was no time for him to
greatly regretted this, as a Royal visit
been of enormous value to sniping
One
visitor
interest to
who came
me.
visit us.
would have
at that time.
to the school was of peculiar
This was
87
my
old friend Sir Arthur
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Pearson,
I
had
who
last
arrived accompanied by his son,
whom
seen at the Boys' Cricket classes at Lord's
when he was
first
in the running for the
Eton Eleven,
He was now
which he was afterwards Captain.

an officer in the R.H.A. Sir Arthur Pearson went
of
over the whole school and asked
me many
questions.
Though he could not, of course, see the loopholes

and all the rather technical work which I explained to
was perfectly amazing to realize the way
in which he gripped it in its essentials.
I think that
it
him,
he knew more about sniping, scouting and observation after the hour or two he spent at the school
than
have known other
men
gather in a week.
The only ladies who visited us were Mrs. Humphry

Ward and her daughter. It was terrible weather
when they came and the little path which led up to
the range, and which was really more or
had become
of a stream,
On
in thickness.
less
the bed
a glacier of ice several feet
the range the wind was blowing
and few worse days could have

been picked for a visit.
I remember Mrs. Ward
exceedingly cold,
me
saying to
and ruthless
one
of
that she thought sniping
killing of
the
most
men with weapons
the terrible
of precision
dreadful sides of the war.
pointed out to her the life-saving side of sniping,
and how many hundreds and probably thousands of

British officers and men were alive at that moment
who,
if
it
were
not for our snipers, would have

88
'
mm
;
/.^-Vv*
:'j
l\
<
JS
ii

been
killed
the force of
by the Germans. Mrs. Ward quite saw

this argument and wrote a most admirable
account of her
proof, but
cut out
to
visit
when
saw
We
tell.
this
in
had
at that
time
of snipers' robes of painted canvas at
The Germans had somewhat
school.
robes and both sides

;
appeared the censors had clearly

certain amount.
Why they had cut it
good number
them
the school.
it
out no one could ever
the
S.O.S.
knew
similar
that the other was using
but the British Censorship would never allow
any mention of these robes.
something
important,
really
or the effect of
some new
which would be
You might mention

some new invention,
bullet, or
any other matter
of real assistance to the
Germans,
but these robes were the one thing which seemed to

Speaking as an Officerin-charge of a very technical branch of work, I can
only say that the Censorship was at times just like
an ostrich hiding its head in the sand.
interest the Press Censorship.
Mrs.
and
Humphry Ward went
over the whole school,
must say that her questions probed our work
more deeply than those

officer
who
of the average sight-seeing
visited us.
Apart from
visitors
to see the school,
who came
we had
also
for various purposes
several officers
came on duty.
T. F.
Among these was

Fremantle, now Lord Cottesloe.
knew more
of telescopic sights
89
and
Col.
the
who
Hon.
Lord Cottesloe
rifle
shooting than
SNIPING IN FRANCE
did any of us at the school, and there can be no doubt
whatever that
was of the greatest assistance
his visit
With him came
to us.
Lieut. -Col.
Robinson,
who
was in charge of the manufacture of telescopic sights

at Enfield, and who did so much to assist us in a
hundred
of
different ways.
the
visiting
school
Cottesloe was the

officers
in
England
which Lord
of
Commandant, but
men who had
and
never had the opportunity
had many
received a sound grounding
there.
Lieut. -Col.
W.
P.
from the very
bably the
first
was interested
earliest days,
and was pro-
advocate schools for the
to
officer
well-known
He
Bisley shot, also visited the school.

in sniping
the
Richardson,
teaching of shooting with telescopic sights.
One
evening after the school had been running
well over a year
when
couple
was
of
sitting
officers
by the mess-room fire

Both
wfcre shown in.
were wearing Burberrys, so that I was not able to see

One
their rank, but both were very young-looking.
"
of them said
We looked in to have a talk to you
:
about schools, for
we
we want
is,
everyone
"
job ?
I
to
know
who comes
pointed out that
are going to start one.
how
to
manages to get
damned keen on their
this school
it
we had
to teach, and enlarged
What
so
a really interesting subject
upon the
great theory that
always used to hold that you did not want to have

90

on
officers
a course too near a big
town.
good subject to teach, and can teach
it
S.O.S.
If
you have
intelligently,
you ought to be able to interest them enough in the

course to keep their minds at work, especially if you
have at least two hours' games for those who want
them every afternoon. If you are near a big town,

it means dinners and sweet
champagne, and other
which do not conduce to accurate shooting.
Our school was rather more than four kilometres
things
from Aire, and no one was allowed to go there without

a pass.
A pass could be had by any officer for the
asking, but I
found
that, once the course got its grip,
except on Sunday, Aire was very
two
little visited.
then ran through the curriculum

of the school with me, and as the room was hot, re-
My
moved
visitors
their Burberrys.
then realized
how
great
compliment had been paid to the School, for both

were regular soldiers of long service as I could tell
a
from their decorations and medals

Presently, they went, and
nor did
that
their
learn their names, but

visit
coming
in
point
to
getting
village.
that
Army
always thought
School of S.O.S.
certainly
Linghem was the

a
we
was about the highest compliment
ever paid to the First
One
and high rank.

never saw them again,
permanent
struck
us
in
our
first
delight of the inhabitants
school
quartered in
their
This, of course, meant prosperity to them.
They had
previously had one or
two
battalions,
and
SNIPING IN FRANCE
there was
"
a large notice affixed
still
on one
of the
but when we came they

had had no British soldiers for the last six months.
houses,
Billet
Officer,"
We
were welcomed with open arms. White wine

which started the war at 90 centimes was 1.50 a
Eggs, fruit, and everything else were cheap.
bottle.
When we
left
in
1918, that same white wine was
10 francs a bottle, and even

to
come
We
owed much
to the courtesy of the Secretary
M. Huart, who smoothed away
kind of difficulty.
is
potato was hard indeed
by.
to the Maire,
arise
That
every
occasional difficulties should
natural enough, but the French were for the
most part extraordinarily kind. Here and there, of

course, one came across difficult people, as for instance,
the determined lady who,
when
Portuguese
class
was quartered in the village, finding that they drank

no beer at her estaminet for the Portuguese do not
drink beer, and the lo-franc vin blanc
beyond them
at her well,
I
village.
refused to allow
them
to
was
rather
draw water
although it was the only decent one in the

had an interview with the lady, at which
she wept copious floods of tears, and said that the
who had reported the matter to me was a

who had always disliked her from the first
Sergeant
diable,
day that he saw her. But she ultimately, of course,

had to give in, under threat of having a permanent
guard placed upon the
well.
92
"I
X
H
&

have often marvelled
how
friction
little
was between us and the French.
really
S.O.S.
If a
there
French
Army were
we
quartered in England in the same way that

were quartered in France, I do not for a moment
believe that our people
would show towards them the
same kindness and consideration which we received

from the French.
When Gray
and
had spent seven very strenuous

weeks at the Army School we were both granted
eight days' leave.
Immediately on our return we
I
Henry Home, the new Army

Commander, who came out many times afterwards.
were inspected by
Sir
was always a matter of pride to the School to have

some new thing to show to the Army Commander.
It
On
one occasion Lord
Scouts
our
Home
inspected
some Lovat
whom we
Army
were training as reinforcements for

Groups, and after this an order came through
to us to hold ourselves ready to train
all
reinforcements
Lovat Scouts throughout the B.E.F. How much

Lord Home did to encourage and help the School
for
no words can describe.
At
this
time
or a
little later,
Major-General
of Staff at
Anderson
was
Chief
Hastings
appointed
First
Army
also,
Headquarters.
93
CHAPTER V
"t
yl
THEN
came
first I
into the First
Army
area the
main point which struck me was the difference

between the trenches where my work now lay and
those of the Third
course, taken over
were
any
The Third Army
Army.
from the French, and
really in the nature of
amount
vast
of
had, of
their trenches
deep ditches, without
sandbags.
Sometimes
these
trenches extended through a clayey formation, but
more often they were
in
chalk.
This chalk made
front line observation in the bright sunlight some-
what
was always a dazzle in the rays

In the Third
reflected from the white background.
trying, as there
ground was rolling, and it was

nearly always possible to obtain some kind of a position
For this purpose I
of vantage behind the parados.
Army
also the
area
had had
something
special
in the
portable loophole made, shaped
form
of a
wide
triangle,
but the back
This back
shutter of which slid along in grooves.

shutter was
made
protection, as even
of steel
if
and
formed
very fine
an enemy sniper put a bullet

94
a.
c/j
Vc
UJ

through the front loophole, the bullet was stopped
by the sliding shutter behind,
unless, that
is,
the shot
twenty to one chance along

the exact line in which one was looking through the
two loopholes. A good many of these loopholes were
used in the Third Army, but I found that conditions
happened to be
fired
Army rendered them of no great value.

The First Army were holding from just south of
Armentieres down to Vimy Ridge, and subsequently
in the First
it
held almost to Arras, but at this time their lines
did not stretch so far south.
All the northern part
was in an absolutely
of their trench system
flat plain,
where trenches were shallow owing to the presence

of water at no great depth underground, and were
really
much more
most places
as
was
in the nature of breastworks.
In
go out behind the parados,

the ground was so low that you got no view. This
refers, at
it
any
useless to
to
rate,
the northern
all
line,
after
which we entered the coal region, where posts could

be dug in the slag-heaps and in the ruins of shelled
As
buildings.
to
rule,
put
post in a shelled
building in the northern part of the line was simply

to
court
disaster,
as
these
buildings,
where
they
were near enough to the line to admit of sniping, were

continually shelled and sprayed with machine-gun
bullets.
But further south buildings were more
common and might

however,
be
made
use
of.
As
rule,
found that the placing of sniping posts in

95
SNIPING IN FRANCE
either
buildings or trees was a mistake.
For once
such posts were discovered by the enemy he had

in ticking
difficulty
on
off
more open ground, but
in
map and
his
de-
Of course the same was true
molishing them.
posts
them
little
these were
of
much
harder to spot and it is better to be shelled in the open

ground than in a house where you are liable to be
hurt by falling bricks, etc.

The problem then that the First
and
sented was an interesting one,

it
thought
much
for sniping of
which
have always
had knowledge.
work in the trenches
in
the First
different,
but after
Army
of
the
had
The problem was
of all to unlearn a great deal.
essentially
line pre-
the most difficult line to organize
Having learned my
Third Army I found that
first
Army
year's
experience,
during which practically every portion of the Front

was visited, one collected a great number of ruses and
plans.
Still at first to
the Fauquissart or
put
concealed loophole into
Neuve Chapelle breastworks was
problem, which indeed was only

solved when, as I have explained in an earlier chapter,
"
"
were invented. These were imGray's Boards
a
really
difficult
mediately successful, and from the time that they were

first
used,
it
was
easier to
make
good loophole
in
the breastworks than in any other part of our line.

There were here and there, all along the Army front,
what may be known as " bad spots," that is, places
96

where, through some advantage of ground, the enemy
dominated us. In such places our snipers had to
and even then the enemy

thorn in our sides. There were other
redouble
their
remained
efforts,
where we had an equivalent advanand there we were soon able to force the Germans
places, of course,
tage,
to live an absolutely troglodytic existence.
orders were published in the

fronts, that
when
man was
In fact
German army on some
off
duty he was to remain
in a dug-out.
Of course the
the
continual
would
its
just
greatest difficulty that
movement
of
divisions.
we had was
division
down comfortably and getting

good order, when it would be ordered
be settling
sniping into
to depart to another
Army, and the incoming
division
would almost always succeed in giving away some of

the posts. This was a necessary evil, and could not
be helped, but the advent of a single really bad sniping
division gave an immense amount of extra work.
was exactly as if a party of really capable sportsmen

were shooting an area for big game, or, better still, a
It
Scottish
deer forest.
Imagine these sportsmen
placed by careless and ignorant tourists.
re-
The ground
would inevitably be maltreated, the wrong beasts shot,

corries shot when the wind was unfavourable, and all
the deer stampeded onto the next forest.
this case
Of course
in
the deer did not stampede, but plucked up
courage and shot back.

97
SNIPING IN FRANCE
This condition of things was of course impossible to
remedy, but we were luckier than other Armies, since
our southern wing was formed by the Canadian Corps,
who had the same trenches for fifteen months, and
who
In this Corps
never changed their divisions.

of the reliefs
worked
beautifully, the
incoming
and the outgoing sniping officers being thoroughly in
accord with each other. Major Armstrong, a wellknown British Columbian big-game shot, was Corps
Sniping Officer, and there was no keener.
many
Of course
it
must be understood,
as I
explain before, that in writing this book
my
realize that
an exceedingly narrow one, and

look at everything from the point of an officer
point of view
that
have tried to
whose business
is
was to consider sniping, observation

and scouting of paramount importance. We were
it
new
continually getting
of those
who had
them
enemy much
case.
follows
to think
more
New
that
has
took the places
casualties,
snipers
was
it
damage
conversation
quite
Morning, you two
"
Good morning,
Anything doing
"
Smith got a 'un
sir."
'
morning,
98
had
were nearly
a
common
been known to run
"
this
or
they were doing the

than was really the
"
"
become
either
been put to other work.

always
optimistic, and
thing for
who
snipers
sir."
as

"
Good.
"
He
give a
Now
of
"
How
this
do you know ?
cry, threw up his hands and
may have been
fell
back."
correct, but, as a matter
continued observation showed that a
fact,
trench
shot in ordinary
warfare
very very
man
rarely
threw up his hands or fell back. He nearly

For this
always fell forward and slipped down.
"
the old Greek rendering is best,
And his knees were
either
loosened."
We
soon found that
scope could
was the case

visible
very skilled
pretty
man
with
accurately whether
a tele-
man
had merely ducked, and this

"
even when only the " head of the target
had been
fired at
was
tell
hit, or
but to be certain of
his accuracy, it
was
necessary that the observer should have had a long
experience of his work, coupled with real aptitude

for
The
it.
idea of
how
to spot whether a
German
was hit or not was suggested by big-game shooting

An animal which is fired at and missed
experiences.
always stands tense for the fraction of a second before
bounds away, but when an animal is struck by the

bullet there is no pause.
It bounds away at once on
it
the impact, or
heart
falls.
commences
within
sudden
whereas
through the
once, to fall dead
a stag shot
death rush at
his
fifty yards,
tell-tale
Thus,
a stag
missed
gives that
start.
In dealing with
trench
99
warfare sniping a very

7*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
capable observer soon learned to distinguish a hit from
a miss, but there
were naturally many observers who
never reached the necessary degree of skill. A reason

once advanced for claiming a hit was that the Germans
had been shouting for stretcher-bearers, but a question

as to what was the German word for stretcher-bearer
brought confusion upon the young sniper, whose
talents were promptly used elsewhere
!
But taken long by broad the accuracy of the information given by snipers was really wonderful.
On
one occasion the snipers of the 33rd Division

reported that two Germans had been seen with the
number 79 upon
This information
helmets.
their
went from Battalion, through Brigade, Division and

to
Corps,
Army,
who
rather
snipers' accuracy, as the 79th,
pooh-poohed
when
been upon the Russian front.
last
Within
heard
of,
the
had
day or two,
however, the Germans opposite the battalion to which
a
belonged sent a patrol out of their

trenches one misty morning. The patrol fell in with
these
snipers
who
our scouts,
two and carried back the
killed
These proved the
regulation identifications.
sentries
to be correct.
It
was in the same Division that in ane tour of duty
the snipers reported the cap-bands of the Germans

opposite
as
(i)
brown
(2)
yellow
(3)
white.
This again raised a doubt as to their accuracy

the matter was interesting, as it seemed possible that
;
100

the trenches had
Uhlans.
been taken over by dismounted

But before long the snipers were once again
justified.
that the
men
prisoner was taken,

of his unit had,
who acknowledged
under orders, covered
the state badges on their caps with strips of tape
wound round and round

on
it
he
this tape,
said,
the brims.
many
of his
Prior to putting
comrades had dipped
in their coffee.
It is
only
fair to say
that the sniping officer of the
was Lieut. Gray, and the exof the officers and men under him may
division in question
ceeding
fairly
skill
be laid at his door.
There was
in the trenches a very simple
way
testing the accuracy of the sniper's observation.
various
German
Duchies or
States,
wore two badges on their
caps,
Kingdoms
of
The
all
one above the other,
the higher being the Imperial badge and the lower

the badge of the State.
Thus, the Prussian badge is

black and white, the Bavarian light blue and white
;
the Saxon, green and white.
more
These badges
or, to be
correct, cockades, are not larger than a shilling,
and the colours are in concentric

experiments carried out at First
rings.
Army
series of
School by the
and some of the best Lovat Scouts proved that

these colours were indistinguisable with the best
Staff
Ross telescope at a distance of more than 150 yards,

except under the most favourable circumstances.
So
if
ever a sniper (who, of course,

101
knew what troops
SNIPING IN FRANCE
he was faced by) reported the colours of cockades
when more than 150 yards from the enemy, it was at
once clear that
of his useful
his
imagination was too strong to admit
employment with an
Another great duty

the enemy.
Thus,
of snipers
the
if
observer's telescope.
was the blinding
of
Germans bombarded any
portion of our front, their artillery observers almost

always did their work from the flank, where very often
from some other point of

vantage they spotted and corrected the shell bursts
from the front
their
of
line
On
gunners.
opposite both
or
such
flanks of the
periscopes of the
German
occasions
bombarded
observers,
our
snipers
area broke the
and thus often
succeeded in either rendering them blind, or forcing
them
to take
risks.
When Germans
we had
number
and shot our periscopes,

dummies made, and by taking
retaliated
of
the entry and exit of the bullet through the back and
front of these,
we were
which the Germans were

the
enemy
much
many posts from

The result was that
able to spot
firing.
suffered casualties.
to say that in these
It
is,
in fact, not too
ways we were able from very
any sniper who

troubled us, and, once placed, there were many methods
by which the man could be rendered harmless.
early days to place the position of
Another point that was not without interest was

the fact that occasionally, and apparently for no
reason, the
Germans
sighted their
102
rifles
by
firing at

marks upon our parapets. If they did this in a high
wind, it might have been possible that they were
wind allowance to put on

but as they often did it, and it happened
their rifles
all along the line on a still morning, we felt we must
trying to get the correct
;
seek
some
other
Collaboration
explanation.
with
proved that this orgy of rifle sighting

seemed to coincide with the relief by one battalion
It was one of the many
of another in the trenches.
Intelligence
little
straws which showed which
way the wind was
blowing.
The
was
psychology of the different races of snipers
always
The
interesting.
English
were sound,
exceedingly unimaginative, and very apt to take the

most foolish and useless risks, showing their heads
unnecessarily,
and out
Nor did the death
of a kind of unthinking optimism.
of their
comrades cause them to
keep their heads down, except in the particular place
where
man had been
killed.
Unimaginativeness is
a great quality in war, but when one is playing a very
close game, in which no points can be given away,
between
skilled
antagonists
as
we were doing
one sometimes wished for a little

"
and a
so-called
headed " bravery
sniping,
less
in
wooden-
little
more
finesse.
The Welsh were
good indeed,
very
their
38th
Division keeping a special sniper's book, and their

sniping officer. Captain Johnson, was very able.
103
SNIPING IN FRANCE
think that in early 1918, the snipers of this Division
had accounted
The
for 387
Germans
the
Canadians,
in trench-warfare.
and
Anzacs,
the
Scottish
Regiments were all splendid, many units showing an

aggressiveness which had the greatest effect on the
Of the Australians
moral of the enemy.
my
deep regret,
the
name
had, to
no experience, but they always had
good indeed.
of being very
The Americans were
also fine shots,
and thoroughly
enjoyed their work, but my experience of them lay

simply in teaching at the school, and I never had the
opportunity of seeing them in action.
Of the Germans as a whole one would say that,
with certain brilliant exceptions, they were quite
sound, but rather unenterprising, and that as far
as
the various tribes were concerned, the Bavarians were

better than the Prussians, while
were
some Saxon units
really first-rate.
remember once being in the trenches at Ploegsteert Wood, where the Saxons were against us, and
our fellows were talking about them being " good old
I
did not do to show the

"
breadth of your forehead to the
good old fellows,"
fellows."
for they
All the same,
were
really
other this idea of the

in
my
as a
mind, and
it
admirable shots. Somehow or

"
"
old
good
fellow
used to picture Fritz the sniper
man, who sat in

took no chances, and carried
stout and careful middle-aged
-his steel
box with
rather stuck
a rifle,
104

on
his
work
This idea
respectable tradesman.
like a
bearded sniper, however, was not supported

by the telescope, through which I saw some of the most
desperate and bedraggled-looking snipers that one
of the fat
could wish to
own
their
"
Those who sometimes got outside
see.
lines
were, however,
wild boys," and after
we got
rid of
back upon a kind of sober rifle

the main bulk of their sniping.
fell
One
who
them the Germans
fire
noticeable
German
rather the
which made up
was
snipers
shot very well before
the
of
good
certain
dawn and
to-
In the very crack Jager regiments, such
wards dark.
regiments
the
of
focussing powers
regiments,
was
that
point
think,
as
were,
suppose, recruited from
Rominten
where the great preserves

which were a large percentage
or Hubertusstock districts,
of the Kaiser lay,
of Forest
Guards,
and
in
this
was very noticeable.
But
for
long distance work, and the higher art of observation,
Germans had nothing to touch our Lovat Scouts.

This is natural enough when one comes to consider
the
the dark forests in which the

live,
German
and in which they keep on the
movement
Forest Guards
alert
for
the
of deer or boar.
Mostly game is
seen within fifty or seventy yards, or even closer, in
these sombre shades, and then it is only the twitching
slightest
of
an ear or the
gloaming.
movement
of an antler lifted in the
Compare the open
Scottish
hills.
It
was
the telescope against the field-glass, and the

telescope
105
SNIPING IN FRANCE
won
every time.
the trenches,
I
In
in
fact,
never saw
the time
all
German
was in
telescope, whereas
saw hundreds and hundreds of pairs of field-glasses.

Now the best field-glass cannot compare with the
Anyone who
telescope.
on the
has tried to count the points
antlers of a stag will
know
deal of difficulty in convincing
who were
used to
this.
some
had
our
of
officers,
but there
field-glasses, of this fact,
which
a great
early days the carved figure of a
was quartered in
knight in armour
standing on the top of a chateau.
This knight had
was near by the place
at
very large spurs, and I would ask student officers to

They
try and count the rowels with their field-glasses.
never could do
my
so.
beautiful Ross glasses, and there always
invariable question,
this
would then hand them one
"
Where can
of
came the
get a glass like
"
?
The
telescope sight, of course,
ing in the half-lights very
some valuable minutes

to use
open
sights
much
after it
made
easier,
accurate shoot-
and indeed
had become too dark
the telescope sights
At
definition.
With
times,
and which was very kindly lent
Graham
large
telescope
sight
they
still
were
clear
night
for
gave
invaluable.
which magnified
five
me by Lady
of Arran, several of us succeeded in
making
group on the target at a hundred yards by

a
moonlight, and even by starlight once we made
a six-inch
two and
a half-inch group.
1 06
I tried
hard to get an

somewhat
of
issue
similar
when you
authorized, for
for
sights
night
think of the large
firing
amount
coming and going which continues all night behind

an occupied trench, there is no doubt that plenty
of
of
are
targets
the
Government
useful
many
at
were quite
would have been
issue of telescopic sights
but their
night,
Even
presenting themselves.
always
times increased had
it
effect
been possible to
fit
them
with a large object glass.

both sides thousands upon thousands of
for this purpose
On
was not easy to judge

the trenches, and as the targets aimed
were saved by wind, since

strength in
were usually only half
it
its
at
a head, the very smallest error
judgment resulted in
whizzed by a German's
of
Once
a miss.
ear within a
a bullet
had
few inches,
second exposure of the head was rarely
same
lives
made
in the
place.
Trench sniping was,

"
Langford Lloyd,
in fact, as defined
the art of
hitting
by Colonel
very small
object straight off and without the advantage of a

sighting shot."
At
spot in our lines not very far from
a certain
Auchonvillers,
known
to
fame
as
"
Ocean
Villas," a
German sniper had done fell work. It is hard to say

how many British lives he had taken, but his tally was
not
small.
He
lurked
somewhere
in
the
mass of
heaps of earth, rusty wire and sandbags which there
formed
strong point of the

107
German
line.
There
SNIPING IN FRANCE
were twenty or thirty loopholes from which he might
be firing. The problem was from which of these did
his shots actually
come
The Germans had
of multiplying their loopholes in this fashion.
a trick
Many
steel plates were shoved up on the parapet in the most

obvious positions. These were rarely shot through,
but they were certainly sometimes

man argument must have been that
loopholes,
it
is
On
The Ger-
you have thirty
thirty to one against the particular
one from which you

that particular
us~-d.
if
fire
being under observation at
moment.
our side there was no loophole whatever cover-
German
ing the area in which this
sniper worked,
and any attempt to spot his post had perforce to be

done over the top of the parapet. As he was simply
waiting and watching for people to look over, it was
only a very hurried and cursory glance that could be
At
taken.
an
officer, in
the vicinity
-of
Hun
was located by
two enormous steel plates
length, however, the
set near the top of his parapet.
As
no loophole upon our

orders were given that one should be put in
have
side, so
said,
there was
during the night right opposite to those two big

The next morning it was hardly light when
plates.
the German sniper shot into our new loophole, which
was
at
once closed.
The
trap was
now
ready, and the
whose duty it was to deal with the matter went

one hundred yards down the trench to the right
officer
108

flank,
while an assistant protruded the end of a black
which he happened to have in his hand, keeping

the same time well to the side. At the same moment
stick
at
the officer on the flank shot at the right hand of the
two big
plates
The
German
once, and then again.
bullets
rang aloud upon the plates, and the

sniper
at the second shot betrayed himself.
Thinking as he
did that the shots were fired from the open loophole
opposite to him, he fired at
rifle
gave away his position.
and the gas from his

The two big plates were,
it,
dummies, and he was firing almost from

ground level, and from an emplacement cleverly
of course,
The
concealed by a mass of broken wire.
was
now
shut for a
moment
or two,
loophole
and then once
again opened, the officer on the flank having

to a position
where he could command the German

His cap had fallen
sniper's loophole.
bald head.
moved
off.
Once found, and unaware
He had
of the fact
the sniper was soon dealt with.
One could
relate very
are rather grisly.
many
such incidents, but they
Sooner or later nearly eveiy trouble-
some German sniper met his fate.

But the duty of the sniper changed as the war
went on. At first his job was to dominate the German
snipers, destroy their moral,
his
own comrades.
Intelligence work.
and make
life
secure for
At the same time there was his

Later, as the warfare
became more
open, he proved his value over and over again in attack,

109
SNIPING IN FRANCE
When
was taken,
a trench
it
was
duty to get out in
his
front and (lying in a shell-hole) to keep the
down
heads
newly-won
up by
enemy
while his companions consolidated the

When an advance was held
position.
machine-gun, it was the sniper's business to

out of action if he could, and the list of V.C.'s
a
put it
and D.C.M.'s,
as
well as thousands of deeds of nameless
men, prove how often he was successful. In the last

advance of the Canadian Corps, their very skilled
sniping officer,
Major Armstrong,
told
me
that a single
of 5.9 guns, shooting

sniper put out of action a battery
down one
who
after another the
served
it
great
German
piece
of
officer
and men
work,
and
one
thoroughly worthy of General Currie's splendid Corps.

But the machine-gun was the sniper's special target.
Once,
machine-gun was spotted, or moved

single sniper was quite capable of
of course, a
in the open,
putting
it
out of action.
In
fact,
the sniper's duties
were legion. He had to be a really high-class shot, a

good and accurate observer, and a good judge of
distance,
wind and
light.
Suffice
it
that in the
more
open warfare many a sniper killed his fifty Germans

in a single day, and whether as a rifleman or scout, he
bore a part more perilous than that of the rank and
If you who read this know a man
file of his comrades.
who
served his year or two in the sniping section of his

battalion, you know one whom it is well that you should
honour.
no
A
is
of
which was much used by German snipers

supposed to have been trees. This was the theme
position
many
pictures in the illustrated papers, but as a
high tree makes a wretched sniping

rarely allowed one to be used on our side.
matter of fact
and
post,
The Germans, however,

which were
pollard willows
the First
Army
did
front.
We
so
extensively
common
the
use
a feature
did not use them, as
on
have
we found that the German sense of humour

appears to be much tickled by seeing, or thinking he
sees, a Britisher falling out of a tree, and when our
but
said,
shy of
became very good, and the enemy consequently

giving a target, a dummy in a tree worked by a
rope
sometimes
sniping
caused
Fritz
and Hans to show
themselves unwisely.
When
all
the sniping was of high class on both sides,
kinds of ruses were
to give a target.
employed to get the other side

But one had to be very careful not
to go too far in this sort of
work or
trickery, lest a
minenwerfer should take his part in the duel.
From time
in
to time wild geese crossed the trenches
the winter, and their appearance was usually a
signal for a -fusillade in
which every
rifle
and machine-
gun that could be brought to bear on both
sides took
was one brought down, though it

possible that along the whole front in the years of
war a dozen may have been killed. One in particupart.
Very
rarely
is
lar,
on
wild and stormy evening, was shot by the
in
SNIPING IN FRANCE
British
and
German
in the
fell
lines.
The enemy
the
next day hoisted a sign on which was painted in

"So many thanks " which was
English the words
:
indeed hard to bear
There
is
another incident into which birds also came
which occurred on the Brick-stacks front

It
Army.
of the First
was when our sniping had reached
water mark in the
nth
Corps.
we had been dominated on

Division had put
One
day
trenches on
its
Not very long
this front,
high-
before
but the 33rd
that right.
all
Lieut.
was
Gray
coming
a tour of inspection,
down
when he found
private soldier with five partridges lying before
on the
"
"
"
"
"
fire
How
did you get
Yes, but
them
"
?
said
Gray.
sir."
mean how
sir.
It's
all
'
did you get their bodies
Crawled out, sir, and picked them up."

By daylight, and in full view of the Germans
Yes,
him
step.
Shot them,
"
the
right,
sir
'
they never shoot
now."
Gray gave the
private in question a good dressing-
down, but the incident was not without
its
signifi-
cance.
One day
in 1915
was knocking about on the top of
Hill 63 with a telescope.
The edge
Wood
and
abuts
upon
this hill,
as I
old cock pheasant walking about.

112
of
Ploegsteert
came up I saw an
At that moment a

shell burst
He
very close to him.
was not
hit,
but he
was certainly very much dazed, for he stood stupidly

watching the fumes rising from the cavity, and had it
not been for the strict orders concerning
the probable arrival of
captured him
which he
sat
more
but after
with
shells
game
and
could easily have
few
his feathers
moments, during
all
fluffed out, he
gathered himself together and disappeared into the

nearest thicket.
I
was always very
that,
start
much
afraid all
through the war
having started poison gas, the Germans might

using shot guns loaded with buckshot for work
Had
between the trenches.
would have become
they done
a horrible business
that they were restrained
so, patrolling
but
suppose
by the fact either that such
weapons are not allowed by the Geneva Convention,

or that the British Isles have such a supply of shot
guns and
cartridges that the advantage
remain long upon their
much more
bullets
it
was, things were
was plenty of exMan's Land, what with machine-
satisfactory, for there
citement out in
gun
As
side.
would not
and
No
rifle fire,
without the added horror of
charge of small shot in the face.

I
have touched on the work of observers in the front
line in this
chapter,
in the next
this side of
but
it
will
upon the subject

the sniper's work
113
be more fully considered
of Observation, to
really belongs.
which
CHAPTER
VI
AN OBSERVER'S MEMORIES
have already
in the B.E.F.,
when
said,
we owed our
sniping was started

fairly rapid
and cer-
tainly very definite success in the task of dominating
Hun
the
Whereas the German
to a single factor.
sniper usually worked alone,
we put up
against
him two
"
men, one of whom, A," used the telescope and kept

"
"
a close watch for
targets
upon a good sector of
"
B," his comrade, used
enemy's line, while
"
"
"
the rifle and shot at the
which " A found.
targets
The result was that at a hundred points along the line
the
you could
daily hear a conversation such as this
A." Black Sandbags

'ead showing.
"
B.
Hope
B.
he's
come up
two
feet
down
"
'alf a
'Un's
again."
"
!
(Fires).
"
A.
son
he'll
A." He's up
left
Close shave
six
inches high
"
!
114
bad
luck,
ole
Now
the total result of the above passage was in
probability not only that a
German
all
the trench
"
A,"
opposite had been fired at and missed, but that
the
telescope
in
man, had seen certain
which
details
"
A," at once,
might prove of interest. These details
as a matter of routine, entered in his log book.
He
11.18 a.m. let us say.
enters the time
The place is
C3d.25-85 on the squared map. So far all was simple
but the next entry as to what he had seen was impor;
tant.
Hun's head, or
yellow-bearded Hun, or
an ugly Hun, meant nothing;

Prussian cockade, or a
Hun
but
wearing
Hun
a
wearing a
helmet with
No. 119 on the cover these things were of importance, and soon, under instruction, sniper-observers
up
gave
who
Germans
black-bearded
reporting
leaned over the parapet, and realized the value of the

all-important
game
of identification.
They
entered
besides the details already given, a note of the action
taken and the result

In the case
"
Fired one shot missed."
:
It will
we have imagined,
be further understood that
a sniper's observer
much
(and do not forget that the observer's work is

"
"
"
"
the
more
places
eyes),
lines
trying,
and that
and
change
every twenty minutes to rest the observer's
saw
a great
many
things
which did not come under
happen
in the
enemy
the heading of
"
tar-
Earth being thrown up usually meant work in

gets."
The occurrence was, of course, noted down
progress.
115
8*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
reference at which
in the log book, with a
map
place and the spot,
worth while, bombarded with
trench
mortars.
if
Or
the
observer
might
it
took
spot
machine-gun emplacement, or locate a mincnwcrjer.

But it will be seen that the possibilities are endless,
and
as
the war went on the snipers provided a mass of
much
detail,
which was confirmed by raids and

taken from prisoners or from the dead,
of
identifications
and very
could happen near the enemy's front
without our Intelligence being at once aware
lines
of
little
it.
An
which arose was whether
interesting question
sniper should enter deductions as well as facts in

reports,
and
this question
his
The
was often asked me.
reply was that he should invariably do this provided
he marked
his
The most
deductions very clearly
brilliant piece of
was that of an
across
as such.
deduction that
officer in
came
the Royal Warwick-
remarkable sequel. At
one point of a supposed disused trench, a cat was obThis was
served sunning itself upon the parados.
shire
Regiment, and
it
had
duly reported by the observant sniper, and in his

log book for three or four days running came a note of
this tortoise-shell cat
sunning
itself,
always at the same
spot.
The
talion,
Intelligence and
on reading his
Sniping Officer of the bat-
entries,
made his deduction,
that the cat probably lived near by.

116
Now
to wit,
at that part
was
of the British line there
which was probably at

German side. So our
was
a luxury,
tainly
officers
and that
a terrible
plague of
rats,
least as
troublesome upon the
officer
deduced that the cat
this
being
so, it
had most
cer-
been commandeered or annexed by enemy

and probably lived in some enemy officer's
headquarters
possibly a
company commander's dug-
out.
Some
aeroplane photographs were next taken and
studied, with a result that an
discovered,
enemy headquarters was
located and duly dealt with by one of the
which made
batteries of howitzers
a speciality of
such
shoots.
I
give the full details of this incident in a later
In
chapter.
fact, in
trench warfare there was a great
deal of scope for deduction.
At one time, before the Germans received the large

numbers of light machine-guns which were issued in the
later stages of the war, their heavier
mounted
in
fixed posts,
weapons were
which were very carefully
Sometimes these guns fired a burst at

night, and we invented a way in which it was possible
to locate them.
We had a large tin structure, shaped
concealed.
like
an oblong box and
some inches
square sticks
of three walls of tin, each
This was mounted on straight

These
fixed at either end of the box.
apart.
iticks fitted into
set into
made
grooves which were nailed on boards
the parapet, and after dark were run up until

117
SNIPING IN FRANCE
the tin box was above the parapet.
happen
position
as
fire,
Should
it
in this
to catch even one bullet of a burst of
an enemy machine-gun sprayed our trench,
was only necessary to slide down the legs through

the grooves, and to place a periscope in front of any
it
machine-gun bullets had made. In this

way the observer found himself looking down the course
along which the bullet had come, direct at the spot
the
hole
from which
it
was
fired.
clumsy and very uncertain device,

was used in a dozen other forms. Had it been
This was rather
but
it
invented
earlier,
before the issue of light machine-
guns which I have referred to above,

been quite valuable, but it came too
might have
late, and was
it
soon discarded.
To
spot a hostile machine-gun emplacement was one
most valuable
of the
services
front-line observer
could render, since of course a single machine-gun
can hold up an attack

Therefore,
spotted
but
its
when
and
inflict
great casualties.
machine-gun emplacement
was not necessarily put out of action

map reference was noted and sent to
it
gence, where
divisional
it
was
artillery
at
filed,
was
at once,
Intelli-
and action taken by the
the correct time, usually just
before a raid or an attack.
On
the
nth Corps
front in 1916 our troops were
continually making raids, and there was a great deal

of competition as to
who
should make the most success118
The
was that the enemy was kept continThe Germans were allowed
ually upon the jump.
very little sleep during those months.
ful.
One
result
night they decided to try and regain the lost
and
initiative,
German
raid
was turned on, which,
in fact,
however, did not meet with great success
things began to be critical for the raiders, and the
;
German Company Commander in charge came out into

No Man's Land to see for himself what was amiss.
There in No Man's Land he was killed by our men,
and from
his
body
map was
position of no less than eighty
At
ments was marked.
map on which
first it
taken on which the
machine-gun emplacewas thought that the
emplacements were defake intended to mislead us, but on
these eighty
scribed might be a
with the emplacements discovered during

the previous weeks it was found that no fewer than
forty-two of the eighty had been spotted and ticked
comparing
it
though
been taken.
off,
Such
as yet
no
serious action against
them had
chance never comes twice, and a few nights
gunners blew up all the machine-gun emplacements while the South Wales Borderers went
later the
across
and raided the German trenches.
To
tune was the raid carried out that, though
number
of prisoners
were brought
in,
such a
record
the raiding party
any loss themselves.

More than one officer in the war must have found
suffered hardly
119
SNIPING IN FRANCE
when captured by
enemy with important maps of his own lines in
himself in a dreadful position
the
his
Carelessness, darkness, or misadventure might
pocket.
each or any of them be responsible, but bad as was the

lot of the ordinary prisoner, how much worse was that
of
one whose capture had given valuable
tion to the
enemy
It
is
informa-
local
too painful a subject to pursue.
Many people seem to think that all

now done from aeroplanes, but this is
observation
absurd.
is
The
airmen can spot hostile concentrations and do invaluable work in a hundred ways, but, as the war went
on,
more and more was
was
it
from
different
angle,
how
recognized
the ground-observer, for
and
he looked
his
necessary
at the
enemy
reports were often
of the highest value.
Once the Germans
started a
new and
large
form
of
and we ceased destroying them at once

the moment a clever observer found that with the
periscope,
telescope he could read the reflection of the
on the shoulder
straps of the
numbers
Germans who used them,
thereby allowing us to identify the opposing unit

with both comfort and ease.
It
first
was perhaps natural enough that when
won
his
way
a sniper
into the sniping section of his bat-
he should desire to shoot rather than to observe,

yet, as a matter of fact, the observer's was, in my
It was very hard work
opinion, the post of honour.
talion,
too, especially in
summer
time, and
120
more
especially
still
Some
the chalk country.
in
of
the happiest
days of our lives were spent with the Ross telescope,
watching the German lines from the front

trenches or from some observation post further back
either
overlooking the wide
On many
areas
became
occasions one
meals were forgotten,
that lay behind them.

so
interested that
the telescope searched and
as
waited for the artillery observers' observation posts.

Such a one there was at Beaumont Hamel. It
was in the autumn of 1915, and the leaves were falling,

which is the best time of all for spotting the posts
Right back in the village was
a building which, though it had been heavily shelled,
of
observers.
enemy
still
stood in a fairly
had
commanding
position.
direct
some previous time smashed a jagged hole

under the eaves through which one could see a beam
hit
at
stretching across.
which
first
It
was the presence of
drew attention to the
spot, for
this
It looked, indeed, as
wards
and
it
but
was
not have
it
was
if it
seemed
it
strange that the shell should not have carried
beam
it
away.
had been placed there
after-
a little
back in the room behind,
difficult to tell
whether the
shell
might
left it intact.
In the morning,
when
the light was bad owing to
was very hard to spot the

and the beam was invisible, but one day
when the light was very good in the afternoon, the
the position of the sun,
it
shell hole,
glass revealed five bricks
standing on this broken beam.

121
SNIPING IN FRANCE
but not quite so natural when the
Natural enough
had changed their position.

On the first day four had been lying along the beam
at full length and one was set upon its end.
On
next day the
the
second
five bricks
second
day
had adopted the
erect
position.
Late in the afternoon of that
who had
observed and
five bricks
saw through
hand moving the

of
who was
bricks
his
day the
clear
officer
taking interest in the
3O-power
and the
glass a
light glint
German
on
a pair
German field-glasses levelled amongst them.

The second shell from our gunners removed for
that post of
Beaumont Hamel.
That was one
side of the
The
other was
as it
sometimes did
in
some
or
by some
game.
when your own

usually
unskilled hands,
post got given away
by the
flash of a glass
by aeroplane photographs,
idiot approaching the post
when
allowed of good observation from the
Then the first news you had of

the German shells.
Followed
to stick
war in
it,
ever
it
the light
German
was the
the
either
line.
arrival of
decision
or the climb, during the later stages of the
a gas mask,
down
the ladder and
dash for the
nearest dug-out.
Once on
a certain
famous ridge riddled with our
can remember finding a path

leading to every post clear in the new fallen snow,
observation posts,
and
German
aeroplane imminent overhead.

122
Now
supposing that plane happened to be
plane, as
posts
map
across
can remember
parties,
A fall
photographic
most probably was, the whole
it
would be given away
sent a
as
clearly as
if
with them marked upon
how we made
and never did
soldiers
of
the
we had
it.
false trails in little
double
at a faster
pace
snow helped us a great deal as far as aeroplane

photographs were concerned, and no doubt the
of
Germans
flying
but even
also,
man
did not
at
German
such times the
come much over our
lines.
There was another post which we used

time, the only road to which lay along
for a long
a
disused
trench in which were several deep shell holes.

this
trench was
full of a
kind of thick dust or
As
mud
according to the weather, and as the whole length
had to be passed over by crawling there was

great fear that the trails of the observers would one
day be photographed from the air. At one point,
of
it
therefore, an entrenching tool was left with
each observer obliterated his
One becomes very

one's life hangs
trail as far as
he could.
careful in these small details
upon the
which
when
issue.
Perhaps the most remarkable observation posts

used during the war were three famous ones in the
French
lines.
At one point there was
a slight rise
French position and above the German.

Both trenches cut across the Paris road, and exactly
in front of the
upon the top
of the rise
between the trenches where

123
SNIPING IN FRANCE
the observation was best stood a milestone on which
was stated the number of kilometres to

This
the
milestone
Paris.
The
French photographed.
photograph was sent to the Camouflage Works, where

an exact copy of the milestone, with the number of
kilometres printed on
observation eye-slit
it,
was made in
but with an
steel,
Then one
covered with gauze.
night a French party crept out and removed the real

milestone, putting in
its
stead the camouflaged one.
tunnel from the trench was next dug, and for
months
many
inside that harmless-looking milestone a pair
keen French eyes noted much of interest that

happened in the German line.
of
In another case, a huge dead, yellow-bearded Prussian lay, on a point of vantage, staring at the sky.
He,
too,
hollow
was photographed and copied, and from the
shell,
fulfilled his
clothed in his uniform, another observer
duty.
dead horse likewise was replaced
and used.
In
fact,
forming, as
the
it
romance
did,
of observation
human
one of the more
the world-war, for here, at
was often dependent upon
least,
his
was endless,
phases of
an observer's
own
skill.
life
Observers
often lay in full view, their lives depending upon
quiescence and their art of blending with the back-
ground.
When,
British
at a later
Army
date, there
was an
issue in the
of sniping robes for the use of snipers
124
and observers
robes which tallied with any back-
ground and were ornamented with all kinds of dazzle

painting there was a tendency to send snipers and
As
observers out in front.
a rule I
mistake, for the hours out in
think this was
front from
dawn
to
dark were very long, and the observer had to keep
upon the
smallest
qui vive for too long a period.
movement would
give
him away, and he was
rarely in a position to use his telescope over

area.
Freedom
of
movement
observer, and as to the sniper,
Also the
is
necessary
always
felt
any large
the
to
that
it
was wrong to send him out except on a definite

quest, for the man behind the trench is always in a
superior position
man who
to the
is
lying on open
ground without any chance of escape.

So far I have dealt with what is known
line observation
but besides
this
we have
as
front
to con-
wide subject of back area observation.

The sniper's duty is to watch the enemy's front and
support lines. The brigade observers, if any and
sider the very
keen brigades were always sending
them
to be trained
and the divisional observers working from posts

on their own support lines, or from some point of
vantage far behind, watched the areas lying at the
back of the enemy fighting lines as far as the glass
could
see.
To some
Corps were attached the

Lovat Scouts Sharpshooters. This name turned out
of
the
Army
125
SNIPING IN FRANCE
in a
way
really a
misnomer, for the Lovats were found
be so invaluable with the telescope that they

were in many cases forbidden to use the rifle. Many
to
had groups
also
Corps
of
formed from
observers
Besides these we had the

Corps Cavalry.
F.O.O.'s and Artillery observers who, however, do
their
not come within the scope of this

work is so largely for the guns.
chapter
as
their
In order to understand fully the tremendous mass of

work done by observers, you must realize that behind
the lines the Major-General, the Corps
Army Commander and
the
Chief himself are

battle,
they
do
but
it is
And
see.
It
his part.
blind
General
all
blind.
the
Commander,
Commander-in-
Their brains direct the
with the eyes of Sandy
C4-3
at
behind learns
how
the battle goes
th are held up by wire
least
that
nobly through the war did Sandy

is from him and his officers that the
that the brigade have gained their

that the
McTosh
six
German
for a counter-attack.
In the
battalions
Vimy
first
objective
that at Nz6,
are
massing
Ridge battle did
Whamond
and Sergeant Fraser observe,

and did not the guns they warned break up, a mighty
counter-attack before ever it was launched ?
not
Lieut.
The duty
of the battle observer
how
is
to obtain the in-
each phase of the battle goes,

and then to get that information back to where it
formation
as
to
should be of value,
126
The
posts,
battle observer's post or, rather, his series of
an advance,
in
begin in an observation
may
post, proceed forward
to a series of shell holes
and
wrecked German lorry stranded upon some

convenient slope. He will use the telephone. His
finish in a
runners
who
take back his
are cut
phone wires
shell fire
by
occasion almost unshot at
when
reports
the tele-
will escape
on one
on the next gas
shells
The
pursue them with positive malignancy.
observer cannot observe in his gas mask, so that gas
will
enemy, and in many of the

attacks the Germans at once drenched all possible
shells are his particular
later
observation posts with gas.
But,
as I
say,
Command.
the observer
Far away
Staff are looking at
is
the eye of the High
General and
map.
An
Chief of
his
orderly enters and
hands over a flimsy to the Chief of Staff. He reads

out the message. The General gives a sigh of relief.
He knows now
that the danger spot
is
behind the
remnants of the gallant battalions of the 38ist Brigade.

"
"
siccar
he has seen
Sandy McTosh has made
he has verified he has got his report back. Those
eyes, trained
had
on the
their share,
hill
among the
deer,
may have
and that no small one, in the making
of history.
Battle-observing was the blue ribbon of observation.
Although the
Gallipoli, and
first
battalion of Lovat Scouts
later to Salonica, only
127
went to
coming to
their
SNIPING IN FRANCE
work
true
in
France in
1918, yet since
1916 this
splendid regiment was represented there by the Lovat
Scouts Sharpshooters whom I have referred to above,
and
of
whom
nine groups, each about twenty strong,
and each under an
Army
stalker
were attached to
officer,
a certain
Every man of these groups was a picked

and glassman, and they were used largely
Corps.
for long range observation.
the First
their reinforcements.
Sniping School to train

Keener men never lived, nor
more
remember
It fell to
dependable.
was reported
six or
Army
the
as falling in
once
Zeppelin
enemy back areas some
seven thousand yards behind the
German
line.
This report was made by divisional observers, but it

was promptly denied by the Lovat Scouts, who stated
very gravely that there was a difference between a
Zeppelin and a half deflated balloon
!
Lovat Scouts Sharpshooters were trained at Beauly

in map-reading, compass work, etc., and first came
out in separate groups. A little later Lieut. -Colonel
Cameron of Lochiel arrived in France to co-ordinate
their work.
At
this
time their raison
d'etre
was not
always apparent to the units to which they were

attached, and some of
for
enemy
them were put on
aeroplanes, in
which work
But
to observe
their
skill
was
was largely put right

Later they
by Lochiel, whose work was invaluable.
were under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Grant,
rather thrown away.
this
128
and towards the end
of the war, as I
have mentioned
Lovat Scouts were brought home

from abroad to take up their true work of observathe First
above,
whole period of the war too late.

they were quarantined for a time, as most
tion, just the
At
of
first
them were
suffering
onwards tremendous
from malaria, and from then

were made to train the
efforts
whole regiment in the higher forms of map-reading.

It is, I believe, a fact that it was only on November nth, the day of the Armistice, that the order
finally
came through from the War
establishment
the
the
of
which
Office
Lovat
settled
with the
Scouts
British Expeditionary Force.
The Lovat
of
Scouts were intensely and rightly proud
regiment and
their
its
Once
work.
received
orders to train forty foreigners as Lovat Scouts, and
up an old Lovat and told him

him to make certain arrangements.
called
"
so
and ordered
Yes, sir," said he and saluted.
One
was lying behind a hedge observing, and on leaving me the old Lovat walked
down this hedge soliloquizing. He did not see the
officer,
of
my
officers
who, however, overheard
ran thus
"
his
soliloquy.
It
Forty Englishmen to be trained as Lovat Scouts

"
Abominable
and it can't be done !
Preposterous
!
The
1st
Corps had
a splendid
the Lovat Scouts attached to

129
it
system under which
worked.
It possessed
SNIPING IN FRANCE
grand group under Lieut. Whamond, M.C.,
whose equal at his work I never saw in France. The
a
system was this
Scouts from the group were avail-
on application to the Corps Intelligence Office.

Thus, if a battalion had been ordered to raid the
able
enemy
trenches,
the
Commanding
battalion could indent for
of
that
some Lovats to go and
make
reconnaissance of the
Or
Divisional
if
Officer
enemy wire
Commander thought
for
the
him.
enemy
increasing, he could obtain some special

pairs of Lovats to watch the part of the line he considered threatened.
The group, in fact, were at the
activities
service of
that
was
all
units in the Corps,
when they were

fully valued,
and the
result
was
their
assistance
and they went always to
a definite
applied for,
job.
Various scouts from this group used to come up

to First Army School of S.O.S. to recoup, for,
during the long drawn out operations in front of

Lens, the continual use of the glass was very trying.
A story, probably apocryphal, was always told
in the 1st Corps concerning a gigantic corporal of the
Lovats
who
stood
six feet five
inches in height, and
was certainly one of the strongest men in the Army.

He was talking with his companion for the scouts
worked in pairs when his conversation was overheard
by some men of a new formation. As the Lovats

were speaking Gaelic, these men at once jumped
130
to the conclusion that they
were listening to German,
and demanded an instant surrender.
The
night was dark, but, as the story goes,
it
was
new formation who brought back the Lovats

prisoners, but the Lovats who brought back the
not the
as
new formation.
The
final
took effect,
arrangement in the B.E.F., which never

allotted groups of Lovat Scouts to each
At each Army there was to be a Major

charge on the Headquarters staff, and a captain
the Corps
but, as I have said, this system had
Division.
in
at
hardly begun to operate
when the war ended.
In training glassmen, one wonderfully soon realized

how impossible it was to teach any man to use his
telescope skilfully
it
from
who had
early youth.
not been accustomed to
Every
soldier can,
of course,
how to
men who began
be taught which end to look through, and
and such
focus,
late in life
as
did the
details,
but these
never got the same value from their glasses

gillies
and the
stalkers, arid
from the point
view of accuracy they were in no way comparable.

The truth, that to use a stalking telescope well needs
of
just as
class
much
time, practice, and natural gift as
shooting, was soon recognized,
observers were sent to the First

all
over the B.E.F.
first-
and would-be
Army
But work on them
School from
as
we would,
they never averaged anything like the Lovat standard.

It sounds a bold statement to make, but the Lovats
131
9*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
never let one down.
they reported a thing, the
they reported it. Certainly the men

follow the red deer of Scotland proved themselves
thing was
who
If
as
once again in this war to possess qualities which,

us hope, will never pass from the British race.
let
As ammunition grew plentiful, and observation

more and more adequate, it naturally became less
and
less
his
back
officers
healthy for the

in
areas
happened
German
to
Thus,
daylight.
move about
one
two
day,
to be in an observation post
in
which
was connected with the guns, when out of a wood

some thousands of yards behind the German line
emerged three figures. The light was beautiful,

and as the figures came nearer and nearer one of the
officers
As
began to take an
not ring up the

party of Germans over half a dozen
a rule, that observation post did
guns unless
in
interest.
number was
seen, but presently the officer at the
telescope spoke.
"
"
"
I say
"
?
Yes."
Get on
"
battery).
to
Tell
"
them three Hun
cloaks lined with light blue
shining swords, will

45.5
in
about
code name of the
(the
Stiggins
five
silk,
officers
with blue
blucher boots and
Hi 6,
be at the cross-roads at
minutes.
Tell
them they
probably Prince Eitel Fritz and Little Willie.

give the word when to let them have it."
132
are
will
Through the
glass
could be clearly seen
was
it
afternoon, and the sun was in a perfect position
the nonchalant
Hun
looking
way
in
which those three arrogantabout
officers stared
as
they approached
the cross-roads.
Then,
"
Now
"
due course, the observing officer said

and a moment later the shells passed over
in
the observation post with a sound as of the tearing
and the three " princes," blue cloaks and swords

were flying at all angles as they dashed back from the
of
silk,
cross-roads, only to run into another shell burst.

fell
made good
the other
learned
who they
his escape.
It
Two
was never
were.
Another incident.
One
very misty day two
officers
were in an observation post looking out over the huge

devastation of the Loos salient. They were not in
but in an Intelligence observation post,
which, however, was linked up with the guns. Sudan
artillery,
denly the mist
German
lines,
thinned,
revealing
7,000 yards away, a
far
behind the
number
of figures
engaged in harvesting.
"
'
said one
officer,
Ring up
Compunction,'
"
and tell them that sixty Huns are working on the
'
corn at U22, A45.7O."

"
By God, cancel that," cried the other, whose
"
There are women
eyes were still on the telescope.
among them."
They were French women, with

133
a sprinkling
of
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Bavarian
Prussian
or
observer saved
lives,
The
soldiers.
long distance
Hun
even behind the
lines, as
well as took them.
-Sometimes
single
it
German
was the observer's duty to watch
watching
happened
perhaps to be a sentry
or,
man,
particular
^but
because the
man
on the particular
which was under observation.
piece of line
I
for days at a time, not for the sake of
remember watching a German

rather, seeing him from time
sentry in this way,

to time from the
He
never gave an opportunity for a shot, though periodically he used to
Monday
to the Thursday.
peer quickly over the parapet
and
as
quickly sub-
but one got quite used to his routine. His

dinner was brought him at his post, where he seemed
side
who
to remain for very long hours.
Once
was engaged in painting

sit and talk with him.
seemed to come and
a notice,
The
sentry himself was an
exceedingly young German, and
bad
traordinarily
shoot at us
if
He
sentry.
we gave him
appallingly bad shot.
a friend,
should say an ex-
sometimes
used
to
provocation, but he was an
He
was so exceedingly young

that I was very glad that I had not a rifle with me,
for when at last he did give a chance it was the Company-Sergeant-Major,
or old,
who
who
cared not
if
he was young
did what was necessary.
There were
certain observation posts in or outside
the British lines from which no shot was ever allowed

134
to be fired, lest the post should be betrayed, so valu-
From one you
able were they for observation.

see at close range a
man
was
he
You
traffic.
not
German mounted
always
could
military police-
mounted
directing
the
could almost see the expression on the
Huns.
faces of the
At another point an observation post which was

linked up with the guns had a long distance view of
road near a ridge running behind the Ger-
a straight
man
lines,
wont
to
move
in small bodies.
One day an officer and

when the corporal drew
to a single figure
tion
it
Huns were
along which even in daylight
was that
a corporal
this post,
the attention of the officer
moving along the

of a
were in
German
road.
officer, for
By deducevery now
and again he would meet little parties of troops coming

along the road in threes and fours, not enough to shoot
at.
"
lot
is
Sir," said the corporal,
and kind
"
the
of seems to inspect
officer stops
them.
each
expect he
a disciplinarian.*'
The officer smiled.

Some little distance
further on he
knew
point
on the road was registered by our guns. Before

the officer came to this he gave the word along the
Hun
officer
after the
As
approached the
hurled himself to the ground, from which,
to
telephone
fire.
the
smoke cleared from

135
shells
very nice shot, he was
SNIPING IN FRANCE
not seen to
the
"
If not,
officer of
But the chances
rise.
German Army
he crawled away.
was certainly short of an
are
push and go."
Of course the
between the
difference
observer and the makeshifts
came
act in their places
the longer ranges.
who sometimes had
out in a very
The
latter did
marked degree
the
best
results.
fact,
to
at
not understand the
telescope, and were never able to focus
In
really skilled
it
so as to get
when happenings were
quite clear to anyone used to the telescope, these
men were
and could not distinguish much.

Anyone who was a real artist with the telescope
was, of course, always trying different glasses and difat sea
all
Apart from the telescopes

which I had purchased with Mr. St. Loe Strachey's
invaluable fund, the Lady Roberts fund sent me
ferent
magnifications.
out a number of very high-class glasses of
and
tions,
came
when
all
our work
it
with
magnifica-
deal of experimenting
the sun was facing us,
whereas, of course,
us,
great
to the conclusion that during
hours,
for
after
all
all
the morning
we should do
lo-power
we
best
magnification,
when the sun went round behind
higher-powered glasses gave better results. Still,

was very rare indeed that it was worth while to
pull
out the
3o-power
stop.
Glasses
even of the
same magnification vary to an amazing extent.

are what may be called sweet, that is, easy and
for
the eyes to look through.

^
Some
restful
Others, of perhaps
by the same maker, are hard
Most of the Lovat Scouts
exactly similar type and
and
unsatisfactory.
brought out their own glasses, nearly all Ross's indeed,

I never knew of
any glass to compare with those made
by this maker.
There was one duty of back area observers which
was always interesting, and this was watching
enemy
railway
All
crossings.
these
crossings were,
was the duty

of the observer to keep a good look-out on them,
and when a train stopped in the station, and consequently a good deal of traffic was held up on either
of course, registered
by our guns, and
it
he would ring up the

few well-placed shells would then wreak
side of the railway crossing,
guns.
havoc upon the enemy.

A system which was extraordinarily clear and inThis Corps
teresting was adopted by one Corps.
had, let us say, five posts
manned by
observers.
All
up with artillery. Back at

Corps, stretched on an enormous table, was a large
map, on which, of course, the five observation posts
these posts were linked
were marked.
The
observers in the posts
sent in
and when anything

was entered on this large
their daily diary of observation,

in it
map.
was of importance,
Thus, we
will
it
call
the
posts
Tiger,
Lion,
Puma and
Leopard,
were known.
Jaguar, the names by which they

Everything observed from Lion was
entered in red ink, everything from Tiger in violet,

137
SNIPING IN FRANCE
and from the others
coloured
also in different
.inks.
was thus possible at a single glance to tell exactly

what had been seen during the past week from each
Of course sometimes two posts observed the
post.
It
same thing, but only on the extreme
limits of their
area of observation.
good observation post was a great asset, and sore,

indeed, were the observers if it was given away. There
was one such post on
which
a certain front
lay within
hundred yards of the enemy's front line. This

post had been used, and had remained undiscovered
six
for four months.
One day
there was some change
in the arrangement of Corps,
and
smart young
staff
captain arrived at the post and stated that he had

orders to take
it
over from the observers.
Luckily the observer
was in the post, and he
is
There
two ways,
are
shall
be nameless,
reported to have addressed
that staff captain as follows
"
who
officer,
sir,
in
which
this
can be done.
you were to bring me a written

authorization from the head of Intelligence in my
Corps, telling me to deliver up the post. That would
The one
v/ould be
be the proper and

to
throw
me
out.
if
official
Which
way.
The
are ye for
other would be
"
?
As the speaker was over six feet high, and had to

pass most doors sideways, he remained in unmolested
possession of that post.
One
lingers
over observation,
138
because
it
was
so
intensely
period of
in
During the long and weary

trench warfare, when one saw so few Germans
interesting.
the ordinary course of events,
it
was delightful
to be able to go and look, with the help of a Ross glass,
into their private
me
officers say to
Many and many
life.
time did
that one of the things they most
would most enjoy would be to go for

short tour behind the German lines and see what
desired and
a
it
all
looked
like.
quite agreed with them, but by
the use of the telescope

a great deal of the
we were
able to visualize
German common
task
and daily
round.
One
morning, when
early
was
at
First
Army
became necessary that a recentlySniping School,

joined N.C.O. who had just come out from England,
it
should be what Archibald Forbes'

"
called
a little snooted."
Almost
as
soon
general
as it
was
and crawled up through

wood which overlooked the German lines. This
light
a
we went down
German
to the line
wood would have been an almost

servation, and, indeed, there
servation posts
division
there,
were two or three ob-
some incoming
the material which went
but, as usual,
had wanted some
of
to the making of these posts and
thus
giving
ideal place -for ob-
them most
had torn
royally
away.
it
from them,
The
result
was that the woods were by no means a health resort,

as one never knew when the Germans would start
shelling
them.
139
SNIPING IN FRANCE
That summer morning, however, the sun had
clear
and bright, throwing for
some kind
of
one began to
feel a
distortion
ugly
beautiful,
this
two
of
rarely
was
of the front at
any
war.
Very
morning there was
we reached
or three years in France
horror of broken masonry and the
on that part
was good to be
period of time
over the sad and war-worn
for really after
landscape
on
illusion
a short
risen
tang in the
With our
alive.
scene
rate,
air,
but
and
it
telescopes, as soon
we were able to see

various slight movements in the German lines.
It
was a curiously peaceful movement fatigue parties
as
a point of vantage,
moving about carrying large pots full of cooked

rations.
In front of us and at no great distance there
rounded hummock, which had obviously
been strengthened with concrete. Two men came
was
a little
up to
this,
bearing two large pots slung upon
between
them, and
arrived.
All
shortly
went into
four
pole
more
concrete fort which was
too large to be a pill-box.
who was with me
afterwards
suggested to an officer
that the place ought to be shelled,
"
but he laughed and said
They have tried it a
couple of times, but the shells have simply bounced
off.
And now they have the place safely registered
:
on the map, and if we come to advance in that quarter

we should put some howitzer on to it which would
do the work properly."
Some
of these
German
strong posts certainly did
140
need heavy guns
there
to
with
deal
a great satisfaction in
is
No
them.
doubt
having an absolutely
which to creep when artillery fire begins,

doubtful whether it is good policy to make
safe hole into
but
it is
Many Germans
too good arrangements of this kind.
no doubt saved
their lives
by going down
their
deep
but
many
dug-outs and into their concrete pill-boxes,
came
men
more, as is common knowledge, when our
over, stayed down too long and were bombed to
death.
Lying on that
But to return.
morning
has
reason, one of
always
my
hillside in
remained,
for
no
most vivid memories
the early
particular
in the war,
probably because there was no shelling on either side,

and one had for once the opportunity of watching
the enemy moving peacefully about his tasks.
One
point that struck

of
appearance
very
much
less
me
very strongly was the
Germans, who were certainly

smart than our men. The little round
the
reminded
caps which the privates wore always
a
cook's
cap,
and
if
the French
steel
me
of
helmet was
beauty and the British certainly not, the

was hideous beyond words. The colour of
a thing of
German
the German uniform was
splendid, and very difficult
to pick up.
When in
back area observation post, one was often

watching both Germans and British, and there is
no question at all that the British were much easier
a
141
SNIPING IN FRANCE
than the Germans.
to see
This was not because
khaki was a bad colour to blend with backgrounds,
but because the tops of the British caps were all of

so much larger area than the German.
The flat-
topped caps which so many of the British at one time

wore were simply an advertisement of their presence,
and even the
soft
for wearing
caps,
which
officers
were arrested when on leave by conscientious A.P.M.'s,

were too wide. Any flat surface worn on top of the
head
certain to catch every bit of light, and a flash
is
means movement, and draws the observer's
of light
magnet draws metal.
telescope as a
The
ideal
army, could
clothe
it,
would wear
very curious shape of cap, with certainly an uneven

outline.
But
do not need to labour
this point.
You have
only to look at the photographs contained in this
book to see what
a terrible
handicap
a definite outline
'
is.
There was
although
it
one incident of observation
which,
did not happen often, gave one a distinct
Most
done by the
Germans was on registered cross-roads and suchlike spots, and" always when they saw a body of men
feeling
of
of
size
any
observer,
as in
importance.
shelling
they would, of course,
who
usually
went into
shell
it.
But the
his post rather late
the early morning observation, owing to the
mist and the position of the sun, was impossibL

142
often received the honour of a special shelling
to himself.
as that, as I
This was not the usual chance
have
said,
all
shelling,
was always done upon the roads,
and very often the observer made
his
way by
foot-
paths or across the open ground.

I
think the
posts,
Germans often suspected observation
and they paid
shelling
all
those
compliment to observers by
who moved
143
in their neighbourhood.
CHAPTER
VII
THE CURRICULUM AND WORK AT FIRST ARMY

SCHOOL OF S.O.S
I^HE
making of a good shot in a course of seventeen

days is no easy matter. The First Army School
of Sniping was, as I
have
said,
struction of officers and N.C.O.'s

turn, instruct, and
all
who came
founded
for the in-
who
should, in their
to
were supposed
matter of fact
"
it
good shots." As a
the standard was wonderfully high, and we very
Did such a man put in
rarely had a hopeless case.
to be already
his appearance, there
was only one thing to be done,
and that was to send him back to
his battalion.
Yet although a great mass of good material came

to us, we were nearly always able to improve every
It
is
won-
in seventeen days
if
both
student's shooting by 30 or 40 per cent.

derful
what can be done
J:he class and the instructors are working in unison.
Each
rifles,
class
used to begin with
an inspection of
followed by a lecture on care and cleaning, at
which the value
of the polished
with no uncertain voice.

144
barrel was taught
THE CURRICULUM AND WORK

There were many
difficulties in
shooting with telescopic

these was so limited as
officers
who ought
the
way of teaching
when the issue of
sights,
was in France.
it
to have
known
Many
times
better advocated
the shooting away of a mass of ammunition through

telescope-sighted
was hard to make these
It
yards.
ranges of five or six hundred
rifles at
that the sole value of a telescopic
accuracy, and that
rifle
realize
officers
lay in
its
extreme
were continually fired

through, the barrel would become worn, and the best
shot in the world, were he using it, would find his
if
the
rifle
group spreading ever more widely upon the target.

It was necessary, therefore, that the happy mean
should be struck, so every officer and N.C.O.
who
came to the school was ordered to bring with him

two rifles, one of them with open sights, and until
a
man had proved
with open
sights,
he was not allowed to touch
matter of
fact,
anyone who can make good
shooting with the ordinary service

little difficulty in
he
is
improving
promoted to
One
his
rifle will
which
find very
marksmanship when
a telescopic sight.
of the greatest difficulties that
difficulty
rifle.
telescopic-sighted
As
that he could shoot really well
literally
we had
haunted the whole
the
of in-
struction in France, was the fact that the telescopic

sights
of the
were
not on top, but at the left-hand side

This caused all kinds of errors. The
set,
rifle.
145
10
SNIPING IN FRANCE
set-off, of course, affected
had to be allowed
for,
the shooting of the
and the clumsy position
men
was very apt to cause
sight
and some used the

in trench warfare
ment pattern
rifle,
was the
of the
to cant their
Worse than
left eye.
fact that
all,
rifles,
perhaps,
with the Govern-
which was
of telescopic sight,
and
set
on
was impossible to see through

the loopholes of the steel plates which were issued,
as these loopholes were naturally narrow
and looking
the side of the
rifle, it
into the telescopic sight,
when
the muzzle of the
was pointing through the loophole, one got nothing

but a fine view of the inside of the steel plate and the
rifle
side of the loophole.
on the
set
the telescopic sights were
was never definitely or

explained, but it was always said that
sides of the rifles
satisfactorily
it
Why
was done
so
that rapid
fire
should be possible.
was taken in the
believe the decision
War
Office,
true,
sight was set on the side
for this reason (and one can see no other reason why
then surely whoever
it should have been so set)
and
if
this
and the
is
was responsible can have had no knowledge whatever

of the use of telescopic sights.
To
take a telescope sight off a
two seconds
of time,
and to think that
or would ever do rapid

or need to load with a
incredible
ignorance.
made no such
rifle
occupies not
a sniper could
through a telescope sight,

clip, shows nothing short of
fire
At any
rate,
mistake, though they

146
the
Germans
made many others.

Nevertheless,
the sights came out to us in this
form, and by the time that representations had been
made from high
quarters in France asking that tele-
scope sights should be set on top of the

tion was impossible, as
the factories
To
would have thrown out
who were engaged
of these weapons.
owed
it
an altera-
rifle,
But once
in the
again,
all
manufacture
a
many
German
his life to the original decision.
take a concrete instance.
One day
was down
and watching No-Man's-Land with

There was a sniper beside me who
in the trenches
a
telescope.
had one
of
my
rifles, a
Mauser, which had
a telescope
on the top, and with which he was able to fire

through his loophole. It was very early in the mornsight
had not strengthened, when a working party of Germans appeared who had been working
under cover of some dead ground. They had but a
ing,
and the
light
few yards to go to regain their own trench. The

sniper who was next to me got off a shot, but two of
the
armed with the Government weapons

farther along, who were waiting at loopholes,
snipers
a little
found that neither
of
them could bring
to bear at the extreme angle at
their rifles
which the Germans
were disappearing. Both ran out from their posts

to try and get a shot over the top, but they were,
of course, too late.
only one instance of a thing that was always

happening. As we could not get the sights altered,
This
is
147
10*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Army and
the First
the
nth Corps
arranged that
their workshops should cut special sniping plates with
loopholes for the use of snipers
large
telescope
satisfactory,
a
But even
sights.
and the
sight
so
was
it
on the
armed with
un-
always
side of the rifle
very circumscribed field of view
had
when used from
behind cover.
how
In order to show
understood,
it
Colonel P.
W.
was,
telescope sights were
think, in July, 1916, that Lieut.
Richardson came out to France to
on telescopic
lecture
little
sent in a report to
sights.
G.H.Q.
On
as to
his
departure he
the inaccuracy of
Colonel Richardson intended to draw
these sights.
attention only to the inaccuracy, for there
who
is
keener on these weapons or
value better
the report
fell
is
no man
who knows
their
but the authority into whose hands

read it quite differently, and a month
two afterwards there came down to Brigades,

and indeed to all our formations, the question from
or
G.H.Q.
as to
telescopic
was
now
whether
sights
it
would not be well to abolish
altogether,
especially as
The
answers that
so urgent."
"
economy
went back
to that question from G.O.C.'s were couched in
no
hesitating language, so that our telescope sights were
German
Had
they been taken away, the

would once again have attained his sniping
not taken away.
and there would be many a man now

and enjoying life who would never have left
superiority,
alive
148
*.j
Q
=
J!
81
I Q
Kj
J
C/5
a:

the endless
trenches
of
series
which we were yet
destined to defend or capture.
But to get back to the course at the school. Our

aim was to create good shots in as short a time as
possible, and not only must they be good shots, but
they must also be quick shots. After finding out
errors in the ordinary way by grouping, we eschewed
as
far
as
shooting at targets
possible
the round
black bull on the white
ground was very rarely used,

and all kinds of marks were put up in its place. The
head and shoulders was the most efficacious target,
and practice was further carried on
carried
at
pace
walking
where such
are lacking,
at tins stuck
as
appliances
it
is
along
at
dummy
trenches.
we had
at
In
the
far better to allow snipers to
up on
sticks
heads
fact,
school
shoct
than to permit them to become
pottering target shots.
Speed was always the essence of sniping, and it was

wonderful how, after short practice at the disappearing
head, the
men began
Competition was
to speed up.
and on every course a picked

team of men shot against a picked team of officers.
encouraged to the
limit,
Those who were chosen
who
for these
matches were those
obtained the highest scores during the course.
Further, a
number
of prizes
were offered, and com-
petition for these was -/ways keen.
Sometimes we
had the Canadians and Colonials shooting against

what they called the " Imperials," and sometimes
149
SNIPING IN FRANCE
the representatives
of
the
Scottish
regiments shot
against the English.
One
thing
we
always
made
was to take up every shooter to

him exactly what he had done.
who
scope
in
of,
and that
his target
and show
point
A man
spots each shot takes infinitely
what he
is
doing than does
with
more
a tele-
interest
man who merely
has results signalled to him, but going up to the

target
is
the best method of
all.
After eight days with the open sight, those
who
were considered worthy passed on to practise with

the telescopic. One of our great difficulties was that
the telescopic sights were so much wanted in the line
that it was hard to call them away for courses
but,
;
seemed to keep
fact, many
a telescopic sight which they always sent on the
It was generally a bad one, but this did not
course.
as a
matter of
much
matter, as
battalions
we were
continually having snipers
they were actually using,

in order that they might shoot them at the school.
Thus a man might come on a course, and if he got
sent
up with the
rifles
good report, might be back at the school within a

week with a telescope sight which he was thencea
forward to use and which we were asked to regulate

to his hold.
do not want to go too far into this. question

of shooting, and it will not be necessary to say more
than that of every hundred students who came to
But
150

somewhere about seventy-five went back as
We had many, of course, far above
quite useful shots.
"
the class of
useful," and sometimes the competition
a
course,
for the
champion shot
keen.
Considering
continually
the
moving
was extraordinarily
small bulls and the
of the classes
very
targets,
the scores made' at the
school reflected great credit
upon the
students.
But though there was a great deal of shooting

the school there were many other subjects also
which students were instructed.
The way
observation.
exactly the
same that
that
I
One
was
this
Two
of three or four
hundred yards
trenches were
dug
apart,
in
of these
was
taught
was
had used from the
days of 1915.
at
earliest
at a distance
and one of these
trenches was an exact imitation of a piece of
German
Those who were to be taught observation

were put with their telescopes and note books in the
line.
other
trench,
while a couple of scouts dressed in
German uniforms showed themselves at certain points

of the German trench, and generally attempted to
produce the exact happenings that would occur
were those under instruction watching an actual
German
Thus
one point of the

trench earth would be thrown up, and five minutes
piece of
later at
another
line.
man
in a
at
helmet
carrying a pick
would pass along. Here and there a loophole would

be opened, and so on. The observation class kept a
look-out
upon the German trench, and noted down
SNIPING IN FRANCE
in their note books
the time and place of
all
that
happened therein which they were able to observe.

As
far as possible,
every
member
of the class was given
a telescope of
equal power, and
it
thing to see
how
men
while some
was an extraordinary
sent in excellent
seemed to be quite incapable of accurate
reports, others
observation.
Besides teaching the use of the telescope for front

line
work, this system gave a very useful practice

lesson in the art of reporting things seen.
Sometimes
the
officers of
the
the Lovat Scouts attempted
staff or
to crawl out of the
German
trench without being seen,
and on one occasion two Lovat battle observers who

were resting
crawled clean round an
at the school
unseen, and took them in the rear. This

is an
easy enough thing to do when the ground is
favourable, but our trenches had been very carefully
officer class
sited, so that there
in
which
man
were
crawling was well within view, and
in passing across these

infinite care
if
at least three or four spots
he had to exercise the most
he wished to obtain
success.
At night time these two trenches were used

another purpose
tween them was

with
shell holes
that
which we spent
school,
the real thing
Be-
teaching patrolling.
a strip of typical
up, wire, old uniforms

it as like
of
No
Man's Land
whole day blowing
in fact, everything to
as possible.
After
Major Underhill had the bright

152
for
make
I left
the
idea of putting

out
in
this
German
No
Man's Land
In
the
that
is,
dead.
were soldbuchs
number
pockets of
scouts to collect
and send to H.Q.
be
doubt
little
these
"
dead
German pay-books
the
various other identifications which
very
of imitation
the
that
it
is
and
the duty of
think there can
conditions
which patrols worked and practised
"
at
First
under
Army
Sniping School approached the real in a very high

For instance, all our work was in comdegree.
petition, very often the officers against
against
men, or Colonials
Sometimes the defenders were
the World.
supplied with pistols and Verey lights, which they

fired
off
just
as
do the Germans.
patrol carried with
it
The
attacking
small pegs with the patroller's
name marked upon them.
These pegs they stuck

the most advanced or important
into the
ground at
point which they attained.
A
done
certain
in the
amount
teaching of patrolling was
of
daytime by the use of night
These were the invention

King's Royal Rifles.
On
of
Major Crum,
glasses.
of the
the sunniest day, once one
had put on one of these pairs of goggles, one could

not see more than was possible on the darkest night,
and there
is
no doubt that
a great deal
was learnt by
watching in daylight the kind of movements that
man must make
at night.
Experience of scouting in
that
our patrols
No
Man's Land showed
were most often spotted

153
at
the
SNIPING IN FRANCE
moment
of leaving or returning to our
and great
stress
was
laid
to get in and out of a
moment
for the patrols
The man
movement.
skill
was apt to
own
trenches,
on the proper way in which

trench.
Another dangerous
was when they made a turning

who crept out with care and
to his knees as he turned, and
rise
if
Verey light happened to be in the air at that moment,

he was thus apt to give the whole show away.
There were many other subjects taught at the school
a
into which I need not go, for those interested will
them
find
stress
all set
out in the appendices, but special
was always
was an amazing thing how few

understood the prismatic compass, and
It
bearings by night
officers really
upon marching on compass
laid
how high
percentage of them did not possess

a
compass worth understanding. The advent of the
indeed,
gas mask, or box-respirator,
added new
difficulties to
was necessary to carry out

of our work under gas alarm conditions.
training, for
At
it
good deal
once on every course we had a scouting

For this, the N.C.O.'s and men were told
least
scheme.
off in small parties,
each under an
given a certain line to hold.

all
details of a military
transport, etc.
Some
officer,
They were
and were
to report
nature which they saw,
of our staff scouts
all
were sent
out early in the day, and were ordered to try and make
their way back unseen through this line, and the staff
instructors used to
go out and
see
what they could

This scouting scheme gave great individual
play to the fancy of the officer in charge of each party,
and many of them used it to the full.
of
it.
For some reasons
a story
was started that
gone right along the road which was the

being held disguised as a French peasant.
had once
was
line that
I
had never
'done anything of the kind, but the keenness to spot
me when
did go round was always a matter of
amusement.
The
training of observers at the school, as distinct
from the front
line
telescope
work which
have
described, was always extraordinarily interesting.

give in
Appendix
the exact course the Lovat Scout
reinforcement observers were put through.
We
exceedingly lucky in having at the school so

first-rate glass-men, so that it
were
many
was possible to get ahead
with teaching the telescope very
Some-
fairly quickly.
times through pure ignorance a young observer, or
an observer
new
a great deal
more than he
to his work,
would think he knew
actually did.
necessary to put
him down
Lovat Scout
for
him
lelf-sufficient
man
for five
to rise a
It
was only
minutes beside a
much
wiser and
less
Another branch of long-distance observation was

the building of properly concealed observation posts,
and by the time the school left Linghem, the plateau

was honeycombed with posts looking in every direction.
Very early
in the school's career, a
155
model
sniper's
SNIPING IN FRANCE
post was built, and
along one series of trenches
all
we had model loopholes. One point that I

found when visiting the real trenches was that
always
nearly
loopholes were made with three iron plates in the

form of a box. This s-hape of loophole very much
all
circumscribes the angle of
make
loophole
an angle of
to set the
two
true
way
to
flanking plates at
at least forty-five degrees, so that the field
may be
of fire
is
The
fire.
enlarged.
One of the most important object lessons which

we used to have was to send a sniper into the model
trenches with orders to
in turn.
holes,
The
the
and gave opinions
come from.
to
rest of
fire
It takes
from
fire
from
different loopholes
class
then watched the loop-
as to
which one the shot had
a considerable
amount
of skill
loophole without giving away your
by the gas which comes from your rifle

muzzle. These demonstrations also taught the snipers
position
how
in
the dry weather the dust round the
of a loophole will invariably give
it
cold weather the smoke will hang a
away, and
mouth
how
in
little.
Lectures on aeroplane photographs were another

side of our work, and one which was undoubtedly
very necessary.
All the school trenches and, indeed,
the whole school and plateau and the woods
around
Each
photographed from the air.
officer or N.C.O. student was provided with a photograph, and went over the actual ground, Captain
it
had
been
156
FIRST
Showing
effects
ARMY SCHOOL
and importance
S.O.S.
of light
and shade.

Kendall accompanying them to explain all details.
In this way a practical knowledge of what trenches
looked like from the air was gained.
The
demonstrations showing the use of protective

colouring and the choice of backgrounds always
much.
interested the classes very
arrived
class
Often the whole
within twenty yards of a
man
lying
On
view without being able to spot him.

one occasion during a big demonstration, one of
the
staff
within
full
was lying out in
a coat of the colour
and
contour of sandbags on top of a trench, and the whole

party of staff officers were all round him without
having spotted his whereabouts. When I pointed
him out a foreign officer who was present, and who
evidently did not understand me, thought I was
referring to an object a little further on,
to see
man
As
it
better he actually leaped
and
in order
on to the camouflaged
matter of
this
fact,
scheme business can very
man who
lies
protective colouration
be overdone, for the
easily
out in the open
is
at the
What
changes of light and shade.
is
protective background at eleven o'clock
quite useless at twelve.
But
it
mercy
of the
an absolute
may become
was necessary to teach
open warfare the observer

and the scout have to obtain safety by concealment
it
to a certain extent, as in
rather than by cover from
fire.
Another of the most useful

157
lessons at the school
SNIPING IN FRANCE
was undoubtedly the practical one of judging distance.
On the average I think students were worse at distancejudging than at any other subject, but
made an enormous difference.
The
and jor
as simple as possible,
make sniping
purpose nothing was
was
ruling idea of the School

this
a little practice
to
ever used in building a post or loophole which could not

be obtained at once in any trench in the British
Army.
There were many very elaborate loopholes which could
be indented for from the Special Works Park R.E.
(Camouflage), but
do not think these were successful
unless they were put in
by
for in sending indents
to the Special
Commanding
specially selected officers,
Officers usually forgot to
background and the kind of earth

trenches were dug.
A
class
Works
Park,
mention the
which their
in
demonstration that used always to interest the

exceedingly was one which showed the effect
ammunition on various kinds
of different forms of
of
loophole plates, British and German. Some time in

1917 the Germans produced an armoured mask for
snipers.
thickness,
This was of
and indeed
possibly go through
and
steel,
it
it,
looked
so
as if
much
volunteered to put
have a shot at him. This
officers
it
I,
and
no bullet could
so that
on and
one of
let
my
someone
of course, refused to
moment, and lucky it was, for the

shot went clean through the armoured head-
countenance for
first
of great weight
158

Anyhow,
piece.
should imagine, whether the shot
pierced the vizor or no, the

certainly be stunned
Although when first

used to have some
hundred yards, when

I
by
gave
The
this up.
man
in
must almost
it
a direct hit.
became
sniping instructor,
firing practice at five
went
to the First
chances of hitting a
and
six
Army School
German head
hundred yards with a telescope sight, if there is

any wind blowing at all, are not great, for, as I have
repeatedly said, a sighting shot is not possible, and I
at six
came
to
the
conclusion
continual
that
popping
at
with
rifles
six
hundred
away
telescopic-sighted
yards
wore
out
their
barrels.
After
a
rifle
all,
simply
only
lasts at its highest efficiency for, in certain cases, as few
as five
hundred rounds, and every shot taken through
a telescope-sighted rifle shortens the life of the barrel.
more open,
never went back further than four hundred yards, and
We,
therefore,
until
warfare
became
our greatest difficulty was to teach the snipers to appreciate the strength of the wind.
The system by which
wind must be taught to snipers must be both very
accurate and very simple, for some of the best snipers
who came
calculations.
to
the school had difficulty in making
Usually
we found
that the best
begin to teach wind allowance was to take the
on the range, and
for
against the stop butt.
one of the
The
staff to
class all
way
man up
demonstrate
had
telescopes,
and the puff of dust gave away the exact point

159
to
at
SNIPING IN FRANCE
which the bullet
This system had the further
struck.
advantage of teaching snipers what

feet
looks
dividual
like
three
at
practice
hundred
the only
is
a distance of
two
But
in-
yards.
way
to
learn
wind-
judging.
At the school we gave
six
different
strengths of
wind, gentle, moderate, fresh, strong, very strong,

gale, and it was, of course, in the judging of the
and
gentle,
moderate and
Our range had
fresh, that the difficulties lay.
this advantage, that it
was
good one
on which to teach wind allowance by letting the men

practise for themselves, for there was almost always
a
as
wind blowing.
Night firing and observation by moonlight, as well
many other schemes which the reader who is in-
terested can see for himself in the curriculum

is
set
time
which
out in the appendix, took up the rest of our

but, from the very earliest days, the moment
the day's work was over
we used
to adjourn for games.
we used to play rounders and baseball of a kind.

Later we made a rough golf course of three or four
but as soon as we got our Establishment and
holes
At
first
the school increased in
size,
games became
matter of
great importance, and, as usual, football was by far
We
had throughout a very good

Association team, and sometimes were able to play
two elevens on Saturday afternoons, and all the other
the most popular.
days there were pick-up sides and punt-about.

160

summer we played some
In
cricket matches,
and
were never beaten, though once, one lovely summer

evening, we adjourned for dinner at the end of our
second innings having fifty runs to get
When we came out to get the fifty it was
opponents'
to win.
so dark that
we
only pulled
it
off
by one wicket.
In June, 1917, there was a conference of sniping

officers at Boulogne, and here I first met the Com-
mandants of the S.O.S. Schools of the other armies
D.S.O. (2nd Army), Major Pemberthy (3rd Army), Major Michie, D.S.O. (5th Army)
and the Major commanding the School of the 4th
Lt.-Col.
Army.
Sclater,
All the above are well-known throughout the
B.E.F. for the splendid work they did.
One point which we always

who came to the school was
snipers
on
tried to impress
all
the vital necessity for
and observers to take immediate action when
anything unusual and not normal was seen.
give
the following instance to illustrate this essential.
One
da'y I
had been ordered
to visit a certain bat-
go round their sniping posts and

As through some
to look over their telescope sights.
talion in order to
mistake their telescope sights
had
to use
At
this
which,
of
my own rifle to
time
course,
after the lecture,

I
were
in
the
line,
demonstrate with.
was shooting with
.350 Mauser,
carried special ammunition,

as
there was
wandered up to the
line
still
some
and
light left,
through the darkness of a
161
ii
SNIPING IN FRANCE
large
Here there was
wood.
railway cutting, across
which our trenches and those of the Germans opposing

us lay.
My batman was carrying my rifle, and I descended into
Germans,
this cutting,
at
distance
also a strong post across
where we had
250 yards, had
about
of
Four or
the cutting.
privates were keeping a look-out
The
a post.
five
upon the German
but none of them had telescopes, and the moment

I used mine I saw a German officer who was standing
up and giving directions. I at once took my rifle
line,
only to find that
servant
my
had
the cartridges
left
behind.
I
Although
clearly
German
could see the
through
the
getting so dark that
telescope
the
could not pick
the open sights of one
of
officer
rifle,
quite
it
was
him up with
borrowed, so that an accurate
but with the telescope

I was able to get an inkling of what he was doing.
Very obviously, he was superintending the placing
of a trench mortar into position with which to bom-
shot was out of the question
bard the post in which

a
movement
of
was
for I could see quite
men, and earth was being continually
thrown up.
It rapidly
grew quite
dark,
and
went back and
reported the matter to the proper authority.

the proper authority was, I thought, not very
interested,
and
said I
Now
much
and although I put the case very strongly,

was sure the minenwerfer would bombard
162

appeared from subsequent
events that he took no action, nor did he ring up the
our
next
post
it
day,
guns and ask them to demolish the

werfer that night as
begged him to
German minendo.
The result
was that shortly afterwards our post was demolished,

with loss of life.
There
of the
I
had
is
no doubt that on that evening the
German
a cartridge,
his ever
having
range from the

rifle
officer
star
was in the ascendant, for had
the chances were enormously against
left
the trenches
map and knew
alive, as I
had the
the shooting of
to an inch.
163
n*
my
CHAPTER
VIII
WILIBALD THE HUN

[This and the following chapter are representative of the two sides of
shooting and observation. The incidents occurred.]
sniping i.e.
"
rHO VE
'
\A/
**
A
"
short,
7 u got there
Mr. Harrison,
red-haired
sir
"
?
officer
killed, sir."
ranged up alongside
the stretcher, turned back the blanket, and somewhat

hurriedly replaced
"
Damn
it,
those pointed bullets," he said, speaking
way and
in a detached kind of
mind was working already on

"
Where did it happen ? "
"
"
"
"
Caisson Trench,
"
When
That
His
problem.
sniper Wilibald."
Just after nine, sir."
Anyone with him
"
Sergeant Small,
The
its
sir.
its
half to himself.
officer
way.
He
"
?
sir."
turned, and the stretcher-party resumed
stood watching them for
little,
his
thoughts roving from the horrible way in which a

pointed bullet, fired from a rifle with a muzzle164
WILIBALD THE HUN

velocity of 3,000 feet a second, will at times keyhole,
and too-haunting personality of Wilibald

British troops have throughout the war
to the deeds
Hun.
the
given
names
to
any German
lent
him
let a
Hun
impress himself by
Thus we have known

trees,
Fritz
personality.
thanks to the
Duke
is
skill,
generic
and he
of
hundred
Ratibor,
the sportsmen's telescopic-sighted
and
it
proof of
is
vast percentage of
the
Hun
collected
rifles
in
but
still
our blunt
Hun
striving unevenly for mastery.
turned at length, and walked slowly

the trench till he came to company head-
second-lieutenant, standing at the en-
"
Hullo, Bill," said the officer.
My
What have you been doing with
"
Germany
in the days of this incident the
"
"
all
military cartridge
toll against
"
"
first,
who
trance to the dug-out, was unloading a
At
others.
officer
quarters.
"
Old Seven-
Later, things happened, and the plague
and the Briton were
"
christened.
far-sightedness that a
them took the
sniper took heavy
open sights.
was stayed
The
down
German
but once
is
Adolfs, Wilhelms,
and
Bluebeard,
whose deeds
sniper
rifle.
Whose
rifle
"
?
batman's."
'
it
Wilibald shot Jack Harrison through the head.

"
Don't," said the red-haired

"
Why not ?
Have you
officer shortly.
ever shot with that

165
rifle
"
?
SNIPING IN FRANCE
"
No."
The
"
sits
red-haired officer raised his eyes wearily.
Wilibald's bag
big enough already.
other as snug as a bug in a rug, with
go and look
yard.
w hich he knows
r
rifle
sighted
Wilibald
he indicated the German position

"
in some hole or
swinging movement
over there
with
is
"
for
him with
You
fool
a rifle
the
to
telescope
inch.
You
you don't know to
"
!
" All
We know your hobby. Only
right, Red.
we wish you'd deliver the goods."
"
"
Meaning Wilibald ?
"
Yes. Wilibald is becoming a public nuisance.
He's got nine of
including an officer and an N.C.O.,
more than
and
he's got
who
relieve us.
us,
He's
dozen of the West Blanks
a
.
Damn
that's
shot had rung out, followed by an ejaculation.
The two
officers
in a
bay
hurried along the trench to where
consequential private was pouring iodine
into a sergeant's cheek.
Three or four other
were talking excitedly.

"
It come from the 'Un trench."
"
It come from the trees
It didn't.
.
him."
privates
in the spinney."
" That's
The fifth tree."
right.
"
The sixth."
Naw.
"
Garn
"
!
Red, with
the sergeant
word, broke up the group, and addressed
166
WILIBALD THE HUN

"
"
was
takin' a
my
Clipped
"
What's happened ?
spy, and Wilibald 'ad
Hullo, Small.
cheek,
'e
drive at me.
did," said Small, in the aggrieved
N.C.O. whose dignity has been touched.

Then, for God's sake, don't take a spy, Small,
voice of the
"
you learn how to do
without offering a target.

Let's see your cheek.
Only a scratch. That's lucky.
"
Now, did you see where the shot was fired from ?
"
I did
that it come from the left
until
it
flank,
Beyond
not,
I-
sir.
"
Go
and get your cheek bandaged."

As the sergeant saluted and went off down the
All right.
trench, Red, having ordered the observers to keep
good look-out upon the enemy trench, took off his

cap, and, fixing it on his stick, told Bill to raise it
a
above the parapet until the badge of a famous

regiment glinted in the sun, while he watched.
slightly
Nothing happened.
Red laughed.
"Wilibald's
not
dasher,"
said
he.
"He's
Probably has some rule about not firing

Shoot
unless he can see half the head he's aiming at.
regular
Hun.
to
'
kill
is
his
motto.
Useful
man,
Wilibald.
wonder if his company commander appreciates him."

After passing along the trench and warning its
garrison not to give unnecessary targets,
a
round of
his
observers.
loopholes and in O.P.s.

167
They were
Red went
stationed at
SNIPING IN FRANCE
"
Keep
he
if
good look-out, and
fires
The
again.
light
when the sun works round

"
Which
"
sir
will
be pretty good
behind us."
part of the trench do you think he
is
in,
asked a lance-corporal.
"
try to spot Wilibald
Don't know
perhaps not in the trench at all.

shires thought he was in the
of the Royal
Some
spinney, and some thought he was in the willow-trees.
He
He must
got twelve of them.
"
be dealt with."
Yes, sir," said the lance-corporal optimistically.
It
was four o'clock
in
when Red,
the afternoon
having passed down an old disused trench in the

rear of the British position, crawled cautiously out
behind the parados. Here was an area seamed with
each
shell holes,
little
half-full
of rotting sandbags,
piles
and coarse
About
grass.
front line a heavy shell

of the almost
at that point.
from
of green,
had
fifty
scummy
water,
rusty wire, nettles,
behind
yards
fallen almost
the
on the top
imperceptible rise which culminated

This shell hole was Red's objective, for
he could, he knew, get a fair view of the German trenches. It was not a safe place to visit in the
it
morning, when the sun was behind the German lines,

and everything in the British stood out clearly to their
Zeiss glasses
reversed,
but
and the
in the afternoon the position
Hun
observers
were
was
in their turn
looking into the sun.
To
this
place
Red made
168
his
way.
It
was long
WILIBALD THE HUN

before the days of snipers' robes of canvas, painted
yellow and green and black, which for such work would
have been useful, though the earlier patterns, cut

like a greatcoat, were difficult to crawl in.
Later
a
pattern of overall shape was issued, which gave
free play to the knees
were not yet
"
a place for his telescope
upon the
such issues
shell hole,
and slowly
available."
At length, Red reached the
made
we
say,
but, as
among the
Then he bent
crater-lip.
clods of earth
himself to a careful
study of the scene.
The
line of the
white, for
it
was
German
a
trenches was marked
in
somewhat chalky country, with
here and there loophole plates sticking gauntly up
on the top of the parapet.

attention.
Many
them
of
To
were
danger-spots, he knew, were set
the ground
level,,
rusty wire, the

lessly for a
Red gave no
dummies
the
these
lower
often
upon
where, through some gap in the
German
"
sniper's
eyes
watched cease-
Very carefully Red examined

Well he knew their appearance.
target."
German trenches.
One by one he picked up
the
the familiar landmarks
here
machine gun emplacement, there a suspected sniper's

All was quiet.
Once a sentry fired, and the
post.
hummed
bee high above him. Next,

Red turned more to the business in hand the loca-
bullet
tion of Wilibald.
like
No
easy business, since there was a
great divergence of opinion.

169
He had
been located so
SNIPING IN FRANCE
often
at
by the black sandbags for

trenches there were a number
in a sniping-post
one point
in the
of black sandbags
Hun
the
Red turned
Germans used
colours on
all
on that point. Yes,

there seemed to be a post there, but there was nothing
to prove that it was tenanted.
Then he tried the
that front.
spinney
but neither the third tree nor the
yielded up any secret.
hovel
after that, the
his glass
Then
fifth
the ruined house
No Man's
wide expanse of
or
Land.
As he watched, Red remembered the words of the

"
There is no No Man's Land.
Corps Commander
:
must be our land right up to the enemy trenches."

That was an ideal to live up to. But stare now as
It
he would, and
as
he continued to do
Broken
saw nothing, could see nothing of Wilibald.

shell
wire,
holes,
sandbags,
mortar,
men
lying
ragged
tunics
the
men who would

All Red's
sion, to
life
recur
background to
repeating
"
in
bricks
pulverized
queer positions,
wind
evening
he
for an hour,
and
men whose
stirred
strangely,
never move again.

he had been apt, in moments of tento
phrase which
his thoughts,
made
kind of
and now he found himself
Exiled and in sorrow far from the Argive Land."
He
turned round and glanced
sinking red, like a

a last look at
Nothing
cannon-ball.
No Man's Land
stirred.
at the sun.
Then he turned
and the
Far away on the

170
It
Hun
was
for
positions.
right, a mile or
WILIBALD THE HUN

machine gun sounded like a rapidly worked
A bat flew and turned above the British
typewriter.
two away,
trench
fifty
Red crawled
yards in front of him.
In the trench he met his brother officer

"
"
Hullo, Red.
Any luck ?
"
back.
Bill.
No."
Bill
"
laughed.
Wilibald's
some man."
Red nodded.
That evening
conversation.
of
mess Wilibald formed the
at
The
Colonel spoke of him
topic
very
seriously.
"
He must
puts
it
in three
was
telling
said
splendid shot,"
through the loophole
two shots
shires,
be
at least, so
me.
"
He
Bay
16,
he.
in the post in
Carpenter, of the Blank-
Said he supposed he'd got
one of those big Zeiss telescopic sights which magnify

four times.
Shooting with 'em must be as easy as
falling off a log."
"
Yes, sir," said Red.
It
Red
was
a full
hour before dawn that the
on to the subject of Wilibald.

at
his
loophole,
stock of his
had
rifle.
said that
woke
His thoughts switched at once
in his dug-out.
over twenty British
chill
lives.
his
He
The man had

pictured
taken
him waiting
bearded cheek pressed to the

fine shot, no doubt
Carpenter
he put two shots out of three into the
loophole of Bay 16 sniping-post

171
Good
shooting.
SNIPING IN FRANCE
.
Dashed
first
cold morning.
Red had an
was
It
good.
By Jove
He
idea.
boots and tunic.
He
figure was leaning

it
hastily,
but pulling
on
until
his
made
took his telescope and
way along the dark trench

realized that
The
and dressed
little
his
Red
though
rose
dressing consisting of
his
cold,
he came to Bay
16.
against the side of the post.
was Corporal Hogg,
N.C.O.
of sound sense.
"
"
Corporal
"
"
"
Yes,
sir
Anyone
No,
"
!
"
in the Post
You
sir.
me
told
not to have
night, lest the flash should give
"
Quite
shut.
right.
As soon
5.15 say
from the
it
"
"
Now
as
it
listen.
is
light
want you to open

side, in case
it
manned
at
it
away."
want the loophole
enough to shoot
it
Wilibald
Open
cautiously.
got that
at
'
Yes, sir."
Loophole to be closed till 5.15

a.m. Then to be opened by you cautiously, and
from one side. I shall be out in the shell hole behind
Understand.
the parados."
Half an hour later Red crouched in the shell hole,

his
telescope discarded, since
too narrow.
its
field
of view
was
In front of him lay his watch, which
he had synchronized with that of Corporal Hogg.

The hand marked 5.11. The moments passed. Red's
172
WILIBALD THE HUN

heart was beating now.
a
very hurried glance
minutes
fourteen
He
at his
a last glance,
glanced
watch.
It
was past the
Hogg would be opening
the
loop-hole.
Bang!
shot had rung out.
From
the garden
or
what
was once the garden
of the razed house, not seventy
a little
wisp of gas floated away to the
yards distant,
Very cautiously Red wrapped

sandbag round his telescope, and pushed
cold morning star.

bit
of
on the
At
little
a
it
plot of turnips.
he saw nothing.
Then he was aware of some turnip-tops moving,
when all the rest were still. A moment later he had
first
made out the top

turnip-tops,
German
of Wilibald's head, garlanded with
and the upper part

This, then, was
face.
of Wilibald's large
the explanation of
the accurate shooting and the long death-roll.
Wili-
bald had been firing at short range.
Red
felt it
was almost uncanny.
Hitherto, in trench warfare,
concerned, the
as far as
Huns had seemed
to
daylight was
him almost an
abstraction, creatures apparent to the sense of hearing
but troglodytes who popped above ground

for only a passing moment, and then only to disBut this man, not one hundred yards
appear.
certainly,
away.
Red withdrew
into
the
173
shell
hole,
and
quickly
SNIPING IN FRANCE
mapped out his course. He must
to his own trench.
To do so meant
must be the
point
Red could hardly hope
Red marked
come
skyline to Wilibald,
Of
and consequently
to
pass
unobserved.
remain so for about ten
he
could
course,
was there that he would
He would
into view.
yards.
It
a thistle.
once get back

crawl over what
at
once
regain his
own
trench he could take steps to deal with Wilibald, but

at present the Hun held the
Red
better cards.
when he thought
smiled grimly
the
hole of
shell
of his crawl to the
evening.
previous
To
the
sun,
which was shining straight into Wilibald's eyes, he

most certainly owed his life. Now that sun was
behind Wilibald.
the
Red
started.
As he neared
heart beat fast and quick.
thistle, his
He
passed
thistle.
He felt very like a fly crawling over
an inverted plate while someone with a fly-trap
waited to strike. He was crawling straight away now.
The thistle was behind him. Another four yards
the
two
one
still
sigh of relief
and
Wilibald did not
Red hurled
fire,
and with
deep
himself into the disused sap
safety.
Later the C.O. was speaking.

"
So Wilibald's gone west ? "
"
Yes, sir."
"
"
How
The
from
did you spot

cold
rifle
woke me.
>:
him
I
have noticed
hangs on chilly days.

174
how
the gas
Wilibald forgot
WILIBALD THE HUN

He had
that.
a shot at the
loophole of No. 16 Bay
was watching, and spotted him. He was

lying out in the turnips, about seventy yards from our
line.
He had turnip-tops fixed round his cap, and
Post,
and
lay in a hole he'd dug.
He must
dawn and gone back
after dark.
have come out before
He
was
a pretty
gallant fellow, sir."
The C.O. nodded.

"
d gallant," said he.

I thought, sir, if
you'd no objection, I'd take a
patrol out and fetch him in for purposes of identifi"
cation.'
So Wilibald was brought in. His cap, some letters

in his pocket, and his shoulder-straps were forwarded
to Brigade
but
his
rifle,
beautifully fitted with a
which had taken over twenty

turned its muzzle east instead of west,
Zeiss telescope sight,

British lives,
and began to take German
175
lives instead.
CHAPTER IX
THE CAT
two
the
snipers
shooter
ably in their post.
of
the Royal Midlandshires,
and the observer, were comfortThe shooter was longing for a
which regulations forbade

two hundred yards away should
cigarette,
lest
the
see
enemy-
the
smoke
from the concealed loophole but the observer,

Private William Entworth, was studying the parapet
issuing
opposite.
Suddenly he spoke
Line of water-tower.
:
"
Red
Left.
sandbag.
Two feet."
Saunders' eyes picked up the water-tower in the
distance, ranged to the parapet,
bag, then
swung
moving.
He
to the left of
cuddled
the
found the red sandit.
stock
Yes, something
of
his
rifle,
brought the pointer in the telescope to bear.

slowly he began to squeeze the trigger.
"
Don't shoot."
176
and
Then
THE CAT
Entworth was only
just in time.
"
?"
ole son
Why not,
"
only a cat."
It's
"
"
'Un
Come
cat
off
'Ere goes."
If
it.
you get shootin'
cats outer this
it's
rather a nice-
Mr. NowelPll
post
lookin'
Besides,
Tortoiseshell
cat.
me
reminds
Ferrers
Street
climbin'
up on the bloomin' parados,
'e
goin' to sleep just as
enter 'im
"
"
... There,
of.
curlin'
there wasn't no war.
Shall
"
Shows we was awake.
Cat
(tortoiseshell) at
'Time
11.25 Ac.
Action
22.^35.45.
"
None.'
As he finished
"
"
"
Who's
So wrote Private Entworth with laborious

"
'e's
round and
Dunno.
taken
one in
'ad
"
Wot's the good
Emma.
if
We
colour.
a voice
in there
pencil.
sounded outside.
"
Private Entworth.
Private Saunders."
Shut the loopholes.

Well, seen anything
am coming
"
?
in."
questioned Mr. Nowell,
the Sniping and Intelligence Officer of the Battalion.

4
been working on
They've
0.85.60."
"
Seen any
"
Only
It's
Huns
a cat,
sunning
water-tower.
sir.
itself
the
post
at
K.22.
"
?
I've entered
it
in the log-book.
on the parados now,
sir.
Line of
Red*?sandbag."
177
12
SNIPING IN FRANCE
"
have
Yes,
it," said
Nowell,
who had
taken the
telescope.
"
"
"
Why
should you
'E
probably
like for
rats
"
shoot 'im,
Shall
on
the 'Un,
sir
"
?
"
?
kills
rats
by
sir,
and makes
so doing.
life
There's
brightera
glut o'
this sector, sir."
The
cat
looks
comfortable.
very
No, don't
Entworth, give me that log-book."

turned over the pages.
shoot, Saunders.
The
"
officer
wonder
Hullo, yes.
Tew two
anyone has ever seen that cat before ?

Private Scroggins and Lance-Corporal
if
entry
emma
pip
3.4
the
in
days ago
'
afternoon.
K. 22.
Here's
the
Cat
on
.35. 40.
'
parados.'
Howell's eyes showed a gleam of interest.

" Note down whenever
you
"
"
"
see that cat," said he.
Yes, sir."
And keep
bright look-out."
Yes, sir."
Once more the loopholes were

lifting
shut,
and Nowell,
the
Post which
the curtain at the back of
prevented the light shining through, went out.

His steps died away along the trench-boards.
"
Think we'll see it in Comic Cuts " (the universal
'
'
B.E.F.
"'At
cat.'
name
for the
K.22.C.3545,
I don't
think
"
!
Corps Intelligence Summary).

a
tortoiseshell-coloured
said Saunders.
178
he-
THE CAT
"
'
Comic Cuts
'
must
Sort o' balmy
on.
The
wonder.
Shouldn't
'a
bin
wot writes out
cove
wounded
in the 'ed early
'e is."
ii
Meantime
the
we must
He
trench.
almost collided
was
round
Mr.
follow
of
full
corner
his
Nowell
thoughts
with
down
and
red-hatted
Captain.
"
Sorry, sir," said he, saluting.
"
Righto
I shall
my
Can you
mistake.
tell
find the I.S.O. of this battalion
"
?
me where
asked the
Staff Officer.
"
My
name's Nowell,
sir.
am
the Sniping and
Intelligence Officer."
"
I'm Cumberland of Corps Intelligence."

Nowell looked up with new interest.
He had
Good.
heard of Cumberland
made
things
hum
as a
since
man
of
push and go, who had
he had come to the Corps
few weeks back.

"
"
continued Cumberland.
Anything you want ?
"
You've been sending through some useful stuff. I
thought I'd come down and have a talk."
Nowell led the way to his dug-out. He had suffered

long from a very official Corps Intelligence G.S.O.,
whom Cumberland
old regime
it
had
just
replaced.
never really seemed to

179
Under
the
matter to the
12*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Higher Intelligence what anyone in the battalion
did, but now Cumberland seemed to take an interest
After a quarter of an hour's talk
at once.
Cumber-
land was taking his leave.

"
"
Well," said he,
anything you want from Corps,
don't hesitate to ask. That's what we're there for,
you know. Sure there isn't anything

"
As a matter of fact there is, but
"
?
hardly
like to
ask you."
"
"
"
"
Why
"
not
such a long shot,

"
Well, what is it ?
It's
sir."
I'd like aeroplane photos taken of
New
C. and D. opposite here.
Cumberland was about

up he caught the
K.22 squares
photographs,
sir."
to ask a question, but looking
slight flush of colour that
had
risen
in Nowell's face.
"
Righto," he said
"
easily.
We
rather pride our-
on quick work with aeroplane photos up at

I'll have the
Corps.
squares taken to-morrow morn-
selves
ing
if
visibility
is
pukka.
be in your hands by
And
the finished photos will
five o'clock.
Good
afternoon."
Cumberland strode along the trench, and Nowell

stood staring after him.
"
Never asked me what
muttered.
afternoon.
would have
"
Taken
Why,
killed
in the
wanted 'em
morning
in
my
for,"
he
hands by
in old Baxter's time such efficiency
him
of heart-disease.
180
Well,
let's
THE CAT
hope that
cat's
playing the game, and not leading a
poor forlorn British Battalion
make
Intelligence Officer to
a fool of himself,"
ni
The
next
afternoon
arrived, together with
"
the
aeroplane photos
note from Cumberland
duly
:
DEAR NOWELL,
"
Am
sending the photographs of K.22.C.
and D. taken to-day, also some I have looked out

the same squares which were taken six weeks ago.
of
It
would appear from a comparison that a good deal of

work has been put in by the Hun round C. 3.5. It
I have informed C.R.A.
looks like a biggish H.Q.
who
1
8th
says it will
be dealt with at
pip
emma
to-morrow,
inst.
"
C. CUMBERLAND,
"
Capt. G.S."
IV
It
is
five
minutes to three on the following day, and
the bright sun which has shone
worked round behind the British
all
the morning has
position.
In the morning two gunner F.O.O.'s have visited

the trenches, compared certain notes with Mr. Nowell,
and gone back to their Observation Posts on the higher

181
SNIPING IN FRANCE
ground.
Nowell himself has decided to watch events
from the O.P. in which was

history.
"
"
"
He
Who's
laid the first scene of this
hurries along to
in there
calls
out
Private Saunders.
Private Entworth,
sir."
I'm coming in."
Shut the loopholes.
He goes in.
"
Move along,
and
it,
"
Entworth, and
the bench and observe with
I'll sit
my own
beside you
glass.
on
Get yours
on to the spot where the cat was. Got it ? Right.

Two batteries of 6-inch Hows, are going to try and
kill that cat, Entworth, in a minute and a half from
Zero
now.
At
at three o'clock.
Nice
light, isn't it
"
?
these words of Nowell's several thoughts, mostly
connected with
his
officer's
flashed
through
Entworth's rather slow brain, but long before they were
formulated Nowell rapped out
"
Here they come."
Sounds just like half a dozen gigantic strips of silk
sanity,
across the sky
being torn right

in the Post.
At the same
were
clearly audible
instant through the watching
heaps of earth, tin, a stove-pipe, were hurled

There were other grimmer objects, too,
into the air.
glasses
as
the shells rained down.

Fifteen minutes
later,
Mr. Nowell having gone,
Private Entworth was speaking, though

still
"
glued to his
Direct
'it
his eye
was
glass.
right off
and right into

182
a nest of 'Uns.
THE CAT
There was
'ole
'Uns and
bits of
'Uns in the
air, I tell
Loverly shooting, 'twas

Jim Saunders.
at
There
doubt there's anything
0.35.45. left alive.
!
yer,
tho'
By
coloured cat
for
is,
There goes that ruddyover the parados like a streak, and what *o
there
is
"
Martinpunch
And
finally
an extract from " Comic Cuts," the
Corps Intelligence
"
cat having
sleeping
Summary
day
been observed by our snipers daily
on the parados
of a supposedly disused
enemy
was deduced from the reguhabits that the cat lived near-by, and
trench at K. 22. 0.3.4.

larity of its
of the next
owing to the
fact that the
point are infested by rats
occupied by enemy
German
trenches at this
probably in
dug-out
officers.
Aeroplane photographs
were taken which disclosed the existence of a hitherto
unlocated enemy H.Q., which was duly dealt with by
our Artillery."
CHAPTER X
THE TRAINING OF THE PORTUGUESE
AX THEN
first
the
that
roads
would
it
we saw
fall
of
the Portuguese troops
France,
we
to our lot to train
did
upon
dream
not
them
in sniping,
scouting and observation, but it did so fall, and after

one or two Portuguese officers had been attached
to
the
school
ordered
to
was the
first
take
officers
eight
for
instruction,
we were suddenly
an entire Portuguese
class.
This
and we usually had

N.C.O.'s and men at a
of three or four,
and
forty
time.
The
Portuguese were equipped largely, as is known,

by the British, and had served out to them our short
service rifle.
In the Portuguese Army they use the
Mauser, so our
rifle
was new to
all
ranks,
and had to be
carefully explained.
Of
course, the great difficulty in training Portuguese
troops lay in the necessity for the use of interpreters.
One
N.C.O.'s was able to talk Portuguese,

which was of great assistance, and from time to time
of
my
184
TRAINING THE PORTUGUESE

an English-speaking Portuguese
was attached
officer
but for the most part none of the officers and men who
came to the school could speak a word of English, and
tjie result, as I say,
was that we had to carry on through
interpreters.
In one of the
first
who was extremely
sergeant
As
his work.
mark
Portuguese
capable, and very keen
on
of appreciation I gave this ser-
when he went away,
geant,
was
classes there
a very nice telescope.
three weeks later the sergeant,
who had
About
spent the inter-
vening time in the trenches, turned up at the school

and said that he wished to speak to the Commandant.
He
he had come to thank
said that
it
successfully directed artillery
trouble
least
to
walk out
ten or twelve
Poor fellow, he was
when
was
had
again for the
had enabled him to spot a concentrasome fifty Germans, on to whom he had
telescope, as
tion of
me
most
been
quite a
useful
the
number
me
to inform
man
master
as
of
of
of
taken the
miles
his
at
success.
badly gassed, and
afterwards
saw him was in
last
He had
fire.
very bad way.
an
observer,
some
small
as
He
he
coasting
craft which used to sail up and down the coast

between Lisbon and Setubal, and had knowledge of
instruments.
Considering that the Portuguese troops did not know

anything about our rifle, they really came along very
quickly in shooting.
One
of the classes
185
was
at the
SNIPING IN FRANCE
when we were informed
school
Corps Commander and

G.S.O.'s would
Staff
come over
that the Portuguese
and
to see a
various
"
four seconds
five
and
As soon
as
"
heads exposed for

application on a 6-inch
dummy
;
two hundred yards
bulls-eye at
position,
rounds
demonstration
The demonstra-
two days before the course ended.

tion included shooting at
British
an attack upon
demonstration of the work of scouts.
the Portuguese troops realized that they
were to be inspected at the end of the course, there

was a tremendous competition among them to get
into
the shooting team, and
the eight
who were
when
picked obtained
the day arrived
34 hits out of
40 shots on the dummy head. At the 200 yards

application the team scored 208 out of a possible
how quickly shooting can

when both men and instructors are all out
This
224.
taught
be
shows
for
success.
The
greatest difficulty
guese as observers
realize its
for
and
telescope before,
them
it
we had was
none
of
was very
possibilities.
Of
talking of the private soldiers.
observation
often
made
them had used

difficult
course,
The
excellent
training Portu-
to
make
am
here
officers in their
reports,
and de-
There
veloped the greatest keenness on the work.
was one thing which occurred, owing to my attempting
to speak Portuguese myself, which always struck me
as
not without
its
humorous
186
side.

I
had been attempting to point out to
squad of
Portuguese scouts the elementary fact that when you
were looking through a bush, or through roots or grass,

it was sometimes well worth while to put a leaf or two
into your cap.
me
with
sent
them
off to
do
this,
keeping
few of their number to observe the value of
the experiment.
The
rest
went over the brow
of the
and were away for some period of time, so

long that I was just going to see what was haphill,
pening when suddenly
bush, followed
by
several
began to move slowly over the hill

I found that the
squad, not quite understanding
my instructions, had cut down small trees with
other
trees,
their
large
backs,
and in the shadow of these were advancing
upon me
knives,
had bound
them
upon
upon which the Portuguese

keen was patrolling in No Man's
part of their training
were extraordinarily
Land. Usually at the school we used to begin
as
their
soon
as it
this
was dark, often in summer, therefore,
late as eleven o'clock at night.
as
After two or three
hours' patrolling the Portuguese always
still
wanted to
continue, and once they got out into our large imitation
No Man's Land
it
was not easy to get them back
again.
At one time, when we had a

to whom we had been teaching
class of
patrolling, an officer
and sergeant, who were making a round

187
Portuguese,
of Sniping
SNIPING IN FRANCE
and
to
Schools,
Infantry
patrolling, turned
The Portuguese
at the school.
up
on
demonstrations
give
held the trench while the demonstrators set out to
show them the way
in
which
a reconnaisance patrol
was lying beside the Portuguese trench, and at once realized that something
was afoot. Presently one of the Portuguese officers
came up, and said, " Our men say that they hear
should be conducted.
them and can capture them."

ahead, and do
lit
at the
battle was going
time in the north, and
with the
to go
told
it.
Well, that patrol developed.
on
them
all
the plateau was
the guns and the
flashes of
flares of
the
Verey lights, which the Germans kept firing into the

air.
For a long time there was silence. The Portuguese,
who had had
several days at the school
and
were learning well, had sent out a strong patrol,

which very skilfully worked round and surrounded
the
hostile
happened
do
reconnaissance.
No Man's
Land,
in
who was doing

ju-jitsu expert,
know what
not
but
the
the demonstration, and
famous
sergeant
who was
in pre-war days in the music
was captured and carried in by the Portuguese.

There must have been a considerable scrap, for the
halls,
sergeant was too
stiff
to
come on parade next day
The Portuguese were much
pleased at their success,
and almost immediately afterwards they went back

to the line, where a German patrol of eleven carne
188

out against them.
The Portuguese
tried their sur-
rounding tactics with such success that they killed

eight and captured three.
One day I was asked by the Portuguese Corps
commander to attend a review of the Portuguese
Army, which was being held

miles from
my
at
When
Headquarters.
the march past came,
Marthes, some
six
the time for
saw the forty observers we
had trained go by under
their officers as a separate
"
unit, each with a large white
O"
sewn upon
his
sleeve.
The
great difficulty was
these observers, for the
war,
vastly
in
excess
to obtain
demand
the
of
was,
telescopes for
all
supply.
through the
The G.S.
(General Service) telescope used by signallers in the

British
Army
was,
afterwards issued
believe,
to
the Portuguese troops, and this was a quite good

enough glass for the purpose.
Another part of our training which the Portuguese

troops took with enthusiasm was the physical training and ju-jitsu.
Sometimes when
we had
very difficult indeed,
as
all
mixed
lectures
classes,
was
it
had to be
re-
peated in Portuguese, and the ordinary daily morning

talks on the care and cleaning of the rifle, the stalking
telescope, or
on the work
defence, which
minutes, used
of
usually took
to
tail
out,
189
snipers
from
as
in
thirty
attack and
to
each sentence
forty
was
SNIPING IN FRANCE
translated, into a matter of an
hour and
a half
and
even two hours.
But
think that, on the whole, the Portuguese
troops really enjoyed their time at the school, and

I
remember our taking the
ball
with
good sprinkling
field at
of
IQO
them
Association footin our team.
CHAPTER
XI
THE MODERN SCOUT
previous Wars, the scouts and patrols have
all
had
their
own
place.
all
done
more than
in
In
this,
the
much
scouting
any previous war
yet in
wars, although there was
greatest of
far
special
many respects it was of so different a nature that a

new era in these practices may fairly be said to have
set in.
In former wars, the individual scout had far more

chance.
F.
In
the
Boer
War, for instance, Major

R. Burnham, D.S.O., an American who held a com-
Army, made a wonderful name

did Dan Theron on the Boer side.
mission in the British

for himself, as
suppose that Burnham was the

Physically a small man,
greatest scout of our time.
First
and
last,
he was amazingly well knit, and very strong, and his

many feats of hardihood owed much to his compact
and untiring build. His name will live on account
two
the
through the entire

Matabele Army and shooting the M'limo, the witch
doctor, who was responsible for the Matabele War
of
feats
first,
his passing
191
SNIPING IN FRANCE
and the second, his dash through the Boer lines, when
he blew up the railway on the far side of Pretoria.
The
first
article of
Burnham's
was absolute
faith
physical fitness, and his idea of physical fitness was
much
It
more rigorous than that of most athletes.

was not with him a matter of merely keeping his
muscles of speed and endurance in good fettle, but

what is a much harder thing the keeping of all
his senses at their highest pitch of efficiency.
Thus,
and
his
which
from
were
hearing
eyesight,
apart
very
I
met
one
have
never
keen,
Indian,
anyone else, except
who
possessed anything like his sense of smell.
He
the open at an extraordinary

distance, and he told me that this power had often
could smell
a small fire in
been of the greatest value to him.

But Burnham was essentially,
product of
what may
be called
as
scout,
the
a savage, or extra-
European War, and in this war there was no one on

either side who had anything like the same opportunities of
hand-to-hand work.
perhaps be too
much
Whereas
it
to say that the day of
has passed for ever, yet
it is
Burnham
true enough that a
generation of scouts has arisen, whose work, or

of
it,
would
has been of a very different nature.
new
much
In open or
semi-open warfare a scout may still be ordered to go

by day or night, and find out if this or that village is
occupied by the enemy, but once trench warfare sets
in,
and the battle fronts
of the
192
opposing armies stretch
THE MODERN SCOUT

from the
sea to Switzerland, the
undergoes great
work
of the scout
His theatre of action
changes.
is
No Man's
Land, which comprises all the area between

the two armies which are drawn up one against the
other.
The Corps Commander
of the
nth
Corps, Sir R.
"
No
Haking, would never allow the use of the word
"
Man's Land."
There is no such place opposite my
"
All the land right up to the
Corps," he would say.
edge of the enemy's parapet
got to have control of it."
I
believe I
am
is
our land, and
we have
right in stating that about seven
out of every ten raids undertaken on the First Army

Front in 1916 were the work of the nth Corps,
and they had long held the record in the number

of prisoners taken in a single raid.
The work
the
enemy
of the scout was, of course, to
in
No Man's
Land, and to
was continually patrolling

darkness.
though
Little,
as
it
rule,
Gaythorne-Hardy,
dominate
this
end he
during the hours
of
done by daylight,
who was Intelligence
is
4th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire

Regiment, and whom I have referred to before, in
order to investigate the German wire under Hill 63,
Officer
of the
near Messines, decided, after looking at the ground
with
a telescope, to
crawl out by day.
The German
were some three hundred to four hundred yards

away. The season was summer, and the grass long.
lines
193
*3
SNIPING IN FRANCE
crawling between the lines was
In winter,
impossible,
The
owing to
almost
lack of cover.
officer in question,
accompanied by a corporal,
crawled right up to the enemy wire, and got all
information and a complete plan of the ground and
obstacles.
It
was
a task
hunter of big game,

given himself away.
as
upon which any but

friend
my
To
is,
might
a skilled
easily
have
crawl across three hundred
yards of open ground, with hundreds of
German
eyes
watching for any movement, and bent on investigating

any suspicious spot with a machine-gun, calls for
courage and good nerve. This officer, however, had
examined his route, decided to make the attempt, and
he came back
He
successful.
said
it
was no more
than stalking a deer. He was awarded the

Military Cross, and the corporal is now a sergeant
with the D.C.M.
difficult
But not much was done

Snipers lay out in
light.
it,
and both
when
No Man's Land
it,
and
sentries
in day-
watched
deal of lead across
it,
but
became tenanted, and scouts and

crawled out into it and sometimes never
night
patrols
came
sides sent
in
back.
fell,
The
it
aim, of course, was always domina-
and in order to gain domination many strange

things were done.
tion,
"
Silent Death," as it
For instance, there was the
was called, invented by the Canadians, who, under
cover of darkness, crawled out into
194
No Man's Land
iwing
[Ernest
by-]
Night-work in No Man's. Land.
MnU
THE MODERN SCOUT

every night, and lay there awaiting the advent of a
German
to
such came,
If
patrol.
it
hand with trench daggers, and
was attacked hand
members
its
This soon made the Germans
as silently as possible.
very shy of taking their evening crawl,

of
killed
when
so
them who had gone over the top vanished
many
into
the darkness and were never heard of again.
At length the Germans almost gave up

and one of
in that sector,
be in charge of
told
me how
"
weary waits in the

who never came.
Some
"
who
used to
party has often
were those long and
chilly
frost or the rain, waiting for
No Man's Land
In trench warfare,
of the war.
officers
Death
Silent
and
dull
my
patrolling
sections of
it
Huns
was the cockpit
were more favourable
than others for action, but every evening and every

night a great number of British used to go out in
front.
When
one
certain that one
modic
an actual matter of
Land was much

At
went out,
must be
of
sputter
first
killed.
it
seemed almost
There was
a spas-
from machine-guns, but as

fact, moving about in No Man's
fire
safer
than
it
seemed.
our patrols were very haphazard, and you

could sometimes hear a private roaring out that a
first
patrol was out,
and that
it
would return
and such an hour to such and such

was giving away things with
Germans who
at.
point.
such
This
vengeance to any
spoke English, and it sounds almost
195
13*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
impossible that
should have been done
it
yet
it
was
done, and not in isolated cases only.

I
the
do not think that scouts ever got very
German
tinuance of
lines
at
any
rate,
trench warfare.
To
nigh impossible, and behind the
far into
during the con-
do
was well-
so
German
battle-front
the place of the scout was taken by the spy or secret

service agent.
But to return to
who
certain sergeant
trench board.
The scheme was
D.C.M.
got a
rehearsal
There was
Land.
raid was projected
careful
usual,
No Man's
for
by
had
to attack a certain sector of
trench from either

parties
and, as
enemy
This length
to be blocked off at each end, so as
to prevent assistance
Two
us,
had been gone through.
trenches about two hundred yards long.

of trench
removing
coming to the enemy down the
flank.
were therefore told
off to
capture and
hold the two points, which were to be the limits of

our raid. Both parties went over, the northern
party
arriving
in
strength,
but
the
southern had
from machine-gun fire, and finally only

the sergeant and one private arrived in the enemy
casualties
trench.
Here
the
private
was
killed
before
the
and there was only the sergeant to form

the block and keep off the reinforcements which
enemy
fled,
were sure to come.
.The sergeant, however, was
man
of
resource,
THE MODERN SCOUT

and
he swiftly removed the duck-board from the
trench
draining
well
sump
large
hole,
or
pit,
which lay between him and the path taken by the

The trenches are often drained
retreating Germans.
by
pits of this kind,
and bridged by
of-way,
them.
mud
as
duck-board
laid
across
In these pits there collected a mass of liquid

thick as glue.
The sergeant removed the
duck-board, and relaid

side
in the middle of the right-
dug
of
it
eight or ten feet on his
Then he went round
the mud-hole.
the
corner of the next traverse, and waited to see what
would happen.
Meantime, the main raiding party had got to
work, and soon enemy reinforcements came rushing
Seeing the
along the trench towards the sergeant.
duck-board ahead of them, they mistook the position

Soon the
of the mud-hole, and in they crashed.
hole was
sardines.
as full of
result
as is a
newly-opened
Next the sergeant opened
The whole
were
men
taken,
raid
and
was
glorious
fire
tin of
upon them.
Prisoners
success.
German dug-outs blown up
that could hardly have occurred
had
it
not
been that the sergeant had the sense and acumen

to remove the duck-board
thus, by a very simple
;
action, holding
There
is
up quite
mass of reinforcements.
another raid story, for which
do not
vouch, but which was firmly believed in the First
Army.
197
SNIPING IN FRANCE
enemy movement was watched by
All
and photographed and reported.
aeroplanes,
As the war went
on, the science of aeroplane photography progressed

It
enormously.
is
.rmans could not
'mowing
or, at least,
to say that the
trench without our
deepen
almost at once.
it
much
hardly too
We
never
made
need never have made one
a raid
without
all
who were
going over, even down to the private

soldier, having the opportunity of studying photographs of the trenches where their work lay.
The Germans,
1;
mited
me
of course, did the same,
but in
degree, as their aeroplanes did not dare to
over our lines in the
way
that ours crossed
t, eirs.
Once, when the Germans were contemplating a

raid, their Flying Corps succeeded in taking photographs of that portion of our trenches which was to
be attacked.
the
With the help
German Command
of
these photographs,
caused to be built an exact
which they intended to

no great distance behind their
replica of the trenches
raid.
did this at
lines,
They
with
view to rehearsing the raid just
rehearsed in a theatre.
We,
as
a play
is
of course, often did the
same.
But
pened
to
continue.
One
of
to pass over just as the
our
aeroplanes
hap-
Germans were having
a daylight rehearsal, and, noticing the concentration
of troops
and the new workings
of earth, a photo-
THE MODERN SCOUT

graph was taken.
This photograph was, of course,
sent in the ordinary routine to
Army Headquarters.
an
possessed
extremely capable aeri?l
photography expert, who soon made his deduc^io^r.,
The Army
and
possessed the photographs Qi",) o
as he, of course,
entire front line system of the
Army,
it
before he had identified that piece of
Germans had
was not
Ic^pg
which the
it
copied, and on which they were medi-
tating an attack.
There was only one object which could lead them

to practise
attacks
short a length of line.
so
upon
was clearly in contemplation. The exjjf t

informed the General Staff of his discovery, anc
raid
General
the
Staff
threatened area.
precautions taken,
came
to
over,
who were man j;i ng

Preparations were made and
informed
those
the
and, sure enough,
meet about
as
hot
Germans
reception as
even modern war can provide.

As I say, I do not know if this story is apocryphal
or not, but if it is, others about our aeroplane photo-
graphy and
in the
its
amazing
efficiency
the dark, especially
talk
it,
one,
as
I
hope ever
if
you
No Man's Land
are alone,
is
in
distinctly
have no right to write much

I was only out in front on a few occasions.
remember, I was more frightened than I
eerie business.
On
common
Army.
Psychologically, going out into
about
were
to
I really
be
again.
199
Although
the
story
is
SNIPING IN FRANCE
personal, as
harm
it
in telling
is
there
myself
against
can be no
it.
had gone out to a cottage which stood in No

Man's Land. It was pretty dark, and a wild night,
and there was, of course, a chance that some German
I
be
in
the
cottage, which, though heavily

was
not
shelled,
entirely smashed.
After listening for a while and hearing no sound,
I went in, and on the
ground floor there was nothing
might
but the usual mass of rubble and
up to the second
led
floor,
and
brick.
ladder
climbed up
this
and began to tip-toe across the floor. One got a

good deal of light from the star-shells which were
thrown up by the Germans, but
moment
my
felt
suddenly
in a particularly dark
left leg
go from under
had been plucked away by

some crouching Hun, or else that I had been hit by
some missile in fact, never did thoughts come
me.
thought that
it
more confusedly
What had really happened was that I had put my leg through the floor,
and had got rather a heavy jar. But anything more
quicker or
disagreeable
than
moment
that
have
never
experienced.
Of
course,
it is
only one of the
are the hourly lot of those
little
who go
incidents that
out into
No Man's
Land, but one's nerves are on these occasions strung
up
to a very high pitch.
But,
as I say,
my
experience of
200
No Man's Land
was
THE MODERN SCOUT

really so small as to
the line
be negligible, for when
was sniping or observing
all
was in
day, and
cannot do that and work at night also.

Crawling out into No Man's Land in daylight
very different business, and
it is
to
my mind more
when your
life
if
there
is
you
is
reasonable cover,
satisfactory to crawl out then,
depends on your own
about in the dark over the bodies of
skill,
than to crawl
men who have been
dead for weeks, and when Chance of the blindest kind

absolutely rules the game.
Now,
handed
of course,
in should
when
be in
a patrol
a definite
is
sent out the report
and generally accepted
form, giving the composition of the patrol.

I can
perhaps explain my meaning best by referring
the reader to the appendix on Patrols, at the end of
this book.
Of
course, patrolling in
one small part of
No
Man's Land
a scout's duties,
is
only
and when the war
became more open there were many opportunities
for
scouts.
One
me
point that struck
as
being
exceedingly
valuable was the proper delivery of messages by run-
Major Crum used to demonstrate this by a

small piece of acting which was extraordinarily well
ners.
done, in which an object lesson was given
as to
how
not to deliver a message, and how a message should

be delivered. In moments of excitement many men
become somewhat
prolix,
and
201
it
is
of the
utmost
SNIPING IN FRANCE
importance that they should be taught to get their
message into the fewest and clearest possible words.
A question that arose as the war went on was the
and
definition of the duties of a sniper
a scout.
It
was held in some quarters that a sniper and a scout

were two quite different men, who had in view two
entirely
different
objects.
held this view said, was a

offensive action against the
duty was not to
fight,
The sniper, those who

man whose first duty was
enemy, whereas
a scout's
but to obtain information.
We
at the school could never see it in this light, for there
must be occasions when
a scout
must
information back, or indeed, to obtain

the morning a
futile that in
"
Am
I
man
fight to get his

it,
and
it
seemed
should ask himself,

"
to-day a sniper or a scout ?

would not refer to these opinions had they not been
I
rather widely held.
A
so
modern scout must know
many
and
that
it is
conditions under which he
But
use
do not think that
was made
the scout.
life,
be
scout
range.
of
who
He
modern
is
things
them
all,
work changes with the

working.
for a long
time
sufficient
science in the
scout may, in a single
a sniper,
many
almost impossible to detail
for this reason a scout's
a great
equipment of
two hours of his
an observer, and the old-fashioned
has to go out to find out things at close

has
to
be
essentially
an
individualist
capable of seeing and seizing his opportunity.

202
He
THE MODERN SCOUT

must be
man
who understands the

and background, who possesses that
of instant decision,
value of cover
quality which
is
very often born in men, a sense of
direction.
His training was exceedingly
he had
natural aptitude, no
difficult,
amount
and unless
of
teaching
was of any real practical value. Think what a difference it makes to a Commanding Officer to have in
number
men, however few,

he can send out to obtain information, and who
his battalion a certain
whom
and
of
dependable that he can always

act upon their reports.
There are hundreds of such
men in the Lovat Scouts, but then, of course, the
are so accurate
so
whole trend of their
lives
is
towards observation,
movement, and accuracy. The man who has

spent twenty years on the hill, and who has counted
the points on a thousand stags, who knows the differ-
skilled
ence between every track that he sees in a corrie, and
who
never far from his telescope,
is
is,
when he
goes
to war, simply carrying into another sphere the normal

activities of his life.
And
yet there should be no difficulty in training a
number
scout,
of
scouts
every battalion, but the ideal
in
or rather the ideal scout section, in a regiment,
should be looked up
to.
Their immense value should,
be realized, and due credit
for their
skill.
"The
and honour given
scouts
the pick of that battalion,
of a
and
203
battalion
to
them
should be
the fact that a
man
has
SNIPING IN FRANCE
attained the rank of scout should be signalized by his
pay and extra consideration.

war lasts it will be necessary
receiving extra
As
long as
what
is
in the enemy'' s mind,
and
to
find out
this is so important,
who prove themselves capable of discovering

and of giving warning of what is about to occur, should
that those
be objects of admiration
and
respect
to
their com-
all
rades.
Of course
another point which struck one

most strongly, and this was the examination of prisonthere
is
ers.
It
may
well be that a
man cannot
whether through wounds
or
help being taken,
but
otherwise,
it
is
importance that he should give away

nothing to the enemy. For this reason, as scouts and
anyone who has anything to do with any kind of Inof the
first
telligence
rigorous examination
if
they should
were very strongly against badges

Let us take the ordinary Tommy.
unless
it
much more
be captured, we
work are always put through
for scouts.
If
he
is
captured,
unfortunately happens that he knows of some
imminent move that
is
to be made, there
is
very
little
danger of his giving away anything, for the simple

But a scout is another
reason that he knows so little.
matter.
He knows
all
the posts in our line
he knows
something of the system by which the various offshoots

of Intelligence work are being operated, and as he has
been trained to observation of detail and deduction,
204
THE MODERN SCOUT

he
is
man who,
he can be got to speak,
if
will reveal
things of great value to the enemy.
The
only two questions that
are his
prisoner need answer
name and regiment, but many and
sinister are
the tricks by which he
may be beguiled.
who is supposed to have
British officer
knowledge
mans. He
let
is,
wounded, and
is
quarters of a
us imagine, captured
German
of course, gives
taken up to the Head-
is
He
Division.
away nothing.
is
examined, and,
Now
what happens
comes to him and says
Very possibly a German officer

"
Herr Captain, we deeply regret that there
for
you
you
will
a British
not object
The
N.C.O."
you are put
if
no room
is
in the officers' quarters in the Hospital.
trust that
with
special
by the Ger-
in a
We
room
officer, of course, says
he does not object, and he goes into the room. There

he will find a British N.C.O. heavily bandaged and lying
groaning upon his bed.
It
is
inevitable,
if
they are
two or three days together, that conversation will

take place between them.
The so-called British
N.C.O.
is,
wounded
to
is
however,
and
simply
decoy.
He
is
not
by clever questions,
extract certain information which the British officer
at
all,
supposed to
is,
possess.
when men were
taken prisoners, very often

the guard-room in which they were confined
Again,
into
his business
would be thrown another

wounded, who would
raise a
205
Britisher,
bleeding
and
tremendous outcry and
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The newcomer,
declaim upon his wrongs.
matter
as a
of fact, often was only a clever actor coached to his
who was simply put
part,
into the guard-house to
ferret out information.
These are not
isolated incidents, but a
accepted policy in the

natural enough, for a
and
German Army.
little bit of
commonly
After
information
all, it is
may win
was certainly held among our foes that

the end justified the means.
a battle,
But
it
the war went on, and these things came to
as
needed some very clever work on the part

of the Germans to obtain information from those who
it
knowledge,
had been warned.
Of
course, as long as the world
continues there are, one supposes,

take
work
of this kind,
whether
by some other motive.
for
money
will
under-
or urged on
The motive may be good
The decoy may be
even.
form
men who
of patriotism.
part he
one of those men who have
is
traitor in
actuated by a really high

But not often. For the most
a
touch of the
them, and who are in some way perverted
in their minds.
Of course
quarters
is
to be a decoy back at Divisional
a safe
and probably
one which must always leave

mouth.
Head-
paying job, but
it is
very nasty taste in the
German methods of interrogation.

When we took German prisoners, they were very
So much
for
often in a state of pitiable fright, for they had been

206
THE MODERN SCOUT

absolutely fed
their officers with stories of the
by
circumstantial
nature
the
of
the British to their prisoners

to see a
German
habitual
and yet
it
brutality
was
nothing.
prisoner, obviously afraid to his very
away
really laboured under an almost in-
controllable impulse to go
the hand.
of
a fine sight
bones, and yet absolutely determined to give
One
most
After
all,
and shake such
man by
courage of the lonely sort
is
most glorious thing that we can hope to

witness, and whether it is displayed upon our side or
surely the
upon the
nessed
other, one feels the better for having wit-
it.
207
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
THE
following
excellent results
programme which has given

when training Brigade, Divisional,
is
Corps Observers and Lovat Scouts Observers.

1st
Day.
Lecture.
Practical.
Maps and Conventional

Comparison
Ground.
of
Map
Signs.
with the
Setting Maps.
Location of points by drawing

rays.
2nd Day
Lecture.
The
Practical.
Front Line Observation with
Stalking Telescope.
Reports.
Instruction
and
Practice
in
reading.
Map
co-ordinates.
Judging Distance.
3rd Day.
Lecture.
Contours,
gradients,
slopes,
etc.
Practical.
Pegging out contours on the

ground.
Long Distance
Observation
with Reports.
Judging Distance.
211
14'
SNIPING IN FRANCE
4th Day.
Lecture.
The
Practical.
Taking Bearings.
Working out mutual
Prismatic Compass.
visibility
problems.
Concave and convex

drawing
5th Day.
slopes,
slopes.
Lecture.
The use
Practical.
Plotting Bearings.
of the protractor.
Re-section problems.
Long
Observation
distance
with Reports.
6th Day.
Lecture.
Scales.
Practical.
Road Traverse.
Filling
in conventional signs
and contours.
Observation
Long Distance
with Reports.
7th Day.
Lecture.
Use
in
Practical.
of Scouts
and Observers
Attack and Defence.
Marching
to
Map
co-ord-
inates.
Selection of positions for
Ob-
servation Posts.
Front Line Observation with

Reports.
212
APPENDIX A
8th Day.
Scheme.
Bringing in the use of Observers in Open Warfare.
and
Construction
ment
conceal-
of Observation Posts.
Taking
with
Bearings
Compass.
gth Day.
Lecture.
Front Line Observation.
Practical.
Locating of points by drawing

rays.
Compass March (by Day).

loth Day.
Lecture.
Aeroplane Photographs.
Practical.
Comparison
of
photos
with
the ground.
Re-section problems.
nth Day.
Practical
Handing over and
relief
of
Observation Posts.
Using Telescope
Long
as
Distance
Director.
Observation
with Reports.
Use
1
2th Day.
Practical.
of Director Board.
Making and plotting
Road
Traverse.
Road Report.
Compass March (by Night).
Making
1
3th Day.
Practical.
Enlarging
Map
and
con-
structing scales.
Work with
1
4th Day.
Director Board.
Recapitulation and Examinations.
213
APPENDIX B
GENERAL COURSE AT FIRST ARMY S.O.S. SCHOOL
(From
grammes
The
this
of
the Battalion
work to
suit
I.
O.
can frame Pro-
any period of Rest.)
following lectures are given during the Course,
and are attended by all students except

No. II, which is attended by the officers
1.
in the case of
only.
Care of Arms and Grouping.
3.
The
The
4.
General lecture on Map-reading.
2.
Enfield 1914 pattern Rifle.

Stalking Telescope.
6.
and Scouting.
Elevations and Wind.
7.
The
5.
Patrolling
construction
of
Sniping
and Forward
O.P.'s.
8.
9.
General lecture on Telescopic-Sighted Rifles.

Duties of Scouts, Observers and Snipers in
Attack and Defence.
10.
11.
12.
Front Line Observation and Reports.

Duties of the Bn. Intelligence Officer.
Aeroplane photos, with Lantern
214
Slides.
APPENDIX B
13.
General Musketry Lecture.
14.
Bayonet Training (by Supt. P. and B. T.

First
Army).
Nos. 13 and 14 are given on two evenings

during the last week of the Course.)
(Note
In addition to the above and to the Programme,

the officers go thoroughly into such subjects as
:
1.
Map-reading and Field Sketching.
2.
Use
3.
4.
5.
6.
of Prismatic
Compass.
and
Enlarging Maps
interpolation
Panorama Sketching.
of Contours.
Adjustments and care of Telescopic sights.

Methods and principles of Instruction.
7.
Organization and Training.
8.
Practical study of
Practical
work
is
Ground.
also given to all students in
following subjects at night
1.
Patrolling.
2.
Marching on Compass Bearings.

Concentration Marches with and
3.
Box
4.
5.
the
without
Respirators.
Siting and construction of Posts.

Night Firing, and the use of Field Glasses and
Stalking Telescopes on suitable nights.

215
SNIPING JN FRANCE
It
will
on these days the Range is open to all ranks

voluntary shooting under a qualified Instructor.
omitted
for
be seen that the two Sundays have been
Armour
Instruction in the use of

Disguising,
Methods
Map -reading,
of
Piercing S.A.A.,
Instruction,
Taking Bearings,
etc., etc.,
Practice
goes on con-
tinually while students await their turn to

1st
Morning.
General
fire.
on the objects of the

and discipline during.
talk
Course
Thorough examination
sighted
rifles
stration of
followed
of
open-
Demon-
for defects.
Grouping and Hold-
Grouping
ing.
in
by
100
at
faults
rifles
where
analysis
and correction
of
yards,
of
necessary.
Afternoon.
Lecture
ing.
a
Care of Arms and Group(Practical) Observation on

:
German Trench with
reports.
Criticism of Reports.
2nd Morning.
Lecture
The
(Practical)
in
Stalking Telescope.
Repetition of failures
Grouping
practice.
tion at 200-300 yards.
ApplicaObserva-
tion of single shot strike.
Afternoon.
Practical Observation.
(a)
On German Trench.
(b)
Open Country.
216
APPENDIX B
3rd Morning.
Lecture
The
Rifle.
Enfield 1914 pattern
tance up
seconds' exposure.
Practical
and
Application at
Hawkins
200 yards.
Dis-
600 yards. Snap1 00-200

yards, 4
to
at
shooting
Afternoon.
Judging
(Practical)
position.
Map-reading on the ground

distance
long
observations
with Reports.
4th Morning.
Lecture
General lecture on
reading.
Map-
Application
(Practical)
at
400-500
yards.
Application
at
unknown range
(within 400
yards).
Afternoon.
of
Ground
and Cover.
(Practical)
Practice
in selecting,
attaining and con-
Demonstration
Use
structing hasty observation posts
open warfare.
view rather than
for
fire
5th Morning.
Cover from
Cover
from
to be specialized in.
Lecture
Patrolling
(Practical)
yards.
Application
at
300
Snapshooting at 100 and
200 yards.
217
and Scouting.
3 seconds'
exposure.
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Afternoon.
Demonstration
uses.
its
in
ground
Scheme
(Practical)
an
area
of
which they must
es-
are
Snipers
Camouflage and
of
given
tablish posts utilizing the material
found on the spot
for disguise.
Observers select posts from which
command
can
they
The
area.
above
the
snipers will fire blank
from the posts they have selected

at
any
observers
themselves
also
who
expose
endeavour to
give the map-reference of their
The
targets.
observers
endea-
and give map-
vour to locate
references of the snipers' posts.
6th Morning.
Lecture
Elevations
Demonstration
and
Building
battens for and spotting

snipers
Wind.
enemy
actual practice in above
each student to locate at
two
in
snipers.
(Practical)
least
Snap-
shooting combined with movement students endeavour to ad;
vance unseen from 500 to 100

Targets
representing
odd places
at
heads
enemy
appear
and intervals in the butts.
yards.
218
APPENDIX B
Afternoon,
Demonstration
and
in
Building
use of Night Firing Boxes. Actual

Observation
practice in above.
on
German
ance
trench, the appearwhich is altered by
of
moving sand-bags, loopholes,

8th Morning.
etc.,
with reports.
Lecture The construction of For:
ward and Sniping

Patrolling
tical)
of
O.P.'s.
with
(Prac-
the
use
Prac-
Night Firing Goggles.
tice in the correct use of cover
and
in keeping touch.
tion practice at
Afternoon.
9th Morning.
Applica-
unknown
range.
marching by day on
Compass bearings with and with-
Practice
in
out Box-respirators.
Lecture
General lecture on tele:
scopic sighted
of
Zeroing
rifles.
(Practical)
telescopic
sighted
rifles.
Afternoon,
zeroing of
distance observation.
Long
loth Morning.
the
Complete
Lecture
vers
Duties of scouts, obser-
and snipers
defence.
at
100
rifles.
in attack
(Practical)
yards
Grouping
with
Telescopic
Practice in scout-
sighted
rifles.
ing in
Open Country, with
ports.
219
and
re-
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Afternoon,
Scheme
"
Making
"
Good
woods
and enclosed country with scouts

and snipers.
nth Morning.
Lecture
Front
and
line
reports.
plication at
rifles.
100-200
at
shooting
Ap-
(Practical)
200 yards with
sighted
scopic
observation
tele-
Snap-
yards,
seconds' exposure.
Afternoon,
march.
Concentration
four parties,
into
are put
representing a platoon.
given a
map
each
They are
co-ordinate at which
they must concentrate
at a given
Signals
representing Gas
are given,
when all students
time.
Alarm
Students
put on their box-respirators and

continue the march.
1
2th Morning.
Lecture
Duties of the Bn. In-
telligence
Application
Officer.
at
Observation on
Afternoon,
Scheme
To
(Practical)
300-400
yards.
German
trench.
demonstrate the use
and Snipers as a protective advanced screen to In-
of Scouts
fantry in open or semi-open warfare.
220
APPENDIX B
1
3th Morning.
Lecture
Aeroplane Photos, with
Lantern
Practical study
Slides.
of aeroplane photographs
on the
actual
in
ground depicted
the
photo.
Afternoon,
and l6th.
Examinations in Long distance and

Front line observations.
Oral
Mutual
examinations.
struction.
In-
Written examination.
Examination of note-books.
Com-
petition shoots.
Note
a
The above programme
guide
changes in
sequence
is
must
through inclemency of the weather.
221
only given
often
as
occur
APPENDIX C
THE
following are the rough
notes
of the Lectures given at the FIRST
used for some
ARMY SCHOOL
of
S.O.S. in France.
PART
CARE OF ARMS, GROUPING AND RANGE PRACTICES

It
is
essential that
really clean rifle
accuracy that
rifle I
mean
only have
all
is
if
he
the
is
Sniper shall have
to obtain the extreme
required of him.
a rifle in
By
clean
the cleaning of which not
the normal precautions been taken,
but, in addition, the bore has received a very
high polish. This high polish is of great importance to accurate shooting, and to be efficient
as a
Sniper you must be far more accurate than
the average Service Shot.

for going rather deeply into
222
Hence the
necessity
Care of Arms.
APPENDIX
AVOIDABLE CAUSES OF INACCURACY

OILY BARREL
Is a great
cause of inaccuracy, as the resistance
offered to the bullet in

is
varied,
its
down
passage
the bore
and thus the shooting of the
rifle
becomes inconsistent.
OILY BREECH
This prevents correct
"
"
seizing
in the breech,
and tends to lead to
blow-back.
back occurs there
loss
muzzle velocity
is
of
decreased
is
If a
blow-
driving power,
and accuracy
is
lost.
CORDWEAR
caused by misuse of the pull-through, and

usually occurs at the muzzle, but in cases of
Is
extreme negligence
When
ber.
it
it
may be found
forcing
in the
burst
cham-
occurs at the muzzle, gases escape
through the cord groove

thus
in the
in
it
chamber,
it is
the
opposite
is
leaving,
direction.
a source of weakness,
chamber may be the
FIXING THE BAYONET
the bullet
as
and
If
a
result.
Musketry Regulations inform us that with the
"S.M.L.E." the
effect
of
fixing
the
bayonet
throw your shot 18 inches high at 200 yards'

This is because the extra weight slows
range.
is
to
223
SNIPING IN FRANCE
down
the vibration, and thus converts a negative
into a positive jump.
without your bayonet
will fire
From
(Note
it
Sniper, you
fixed.
tests carried
School of S.O.S.
Army
as
Hence,
out at this First
would appear that
Musketry regulations greatly over-estimate the

effect
HOLD
caused by fixing the bayonet.)
Unless the Sniper reproduces the same hold

for each shot and when he rests his rifle rests it
at
always
the same
middle band),
his
point
(for
preference the
be con-
shooting can never
sistent.
AMMUNITION
Different makes of S.A.A. give

ferent elevations on the target.
slightly dif-
This
is
because
the Powders burn at different rates, thus slightly

altering the
jump.
WARPED WOODWORK
The
fore-end
the barrel
to
If
lie
when
is
fitted so as
firing.
The
not to influence
barrel
must be able
perfectly straight as each shot leaves
the fore-end
are
is
common) the
was intended, and
it.
warped (and warped fore-ends

barrel will be unable to
lie as
erratic shooting will result.
224
APPENDIX C
CAUSES
I.
Wet
entering between the barrel and the
fore-end.
2:
Unequal dryness such
as
caused by
lying in hot sun or in front of

3.
4.
Dry woodwork.
Twisting of wood through
rifle
fire.
insufficient
seasoning before use.
PREVENTION OF
Oil
all
woodwork
daily, ensuring that the oil
penetrates between the hand-guard, fore-
end and
CURE OF
barrel.
Armourer
refits
fore-end.
SOME UNAVOIDABLE CAUSES

NICKELLING OR METALLIC FOULING
Is
really
an obstruction in the bore caused by
portion of the envelope of the bullet becoming
brazed on the surface of the bore.

of great inaccuracy,
be looked
for.
and
When
its
It
is
a cause
presence should always
found,
it
must be removed.
This should be done by an Armourer.

EROSION
Is
and
the gradual increase in the size of the bore,

is
caused through the heat generated by the

225
15
SNIPING IN FRANCE
gases
the
fusing
slightly
metal.
The
gases
rushing over the metal carry away minute par-
"
decides
This
the factor which

"
Life of the Barrel
for purposes
the
of
ticles
steel.
The
is
of real accuracy.
DRIFT
Is
the continual deviation of the bullet in the
About one minute,

one inch per 100 yards, must be allowed for
direction
i.e.,
this at
the
of
rifling.
the longer ranges in sniping.
OTHER DEFINITIONS
SUPERFICIAL FOULING
The
fouling
that
after
and
removed, but
it
firing.
becomes hard,
attracting
It
if
difficult
moisture
in
appears
mediately
easily
is
bore
im-
quite
soft
the
then
allowed to remain,
to
from the
remove and, by
air,
begins
the
rusting process.
INTERNAL FOULING
Fouling that actually gets below the surface

of the metal when firing
this gradually sweats
;
its
to the surface and should be
way
removed
as it appears.
(Note
If
cleaned with really boiling water,
the pores are reopened, internal fouling

226
is
re-
APPENDIX
moved, and thus the cause
with.
away
The
Barrel
C
of sweating
is
done
be
however,
must,
dried immediately, or the cure will be worse
than the complaint.)
CORROSION
the black pock-mark or indentation
Is
left
in
the bore after removing rust.
CLEANING RODS
it
Finally
is
suggested
used
is
each Battalion
is
properly
better
that
than
cleaning-rod
pull-through
authorized to hold 32 of these
Rods on Charge.
(See G.R.O.'s 512, 540 and
2,094.)
GROUPING AND RANGE PRACTICES

It
must be understood that Grouping with the
Open
and
(b)
Sights
is
definite test
of (a) the
rifle,
the man.
Grouping is
faults, and it is
understood that
practical
system
of
locating
utmost importance that

such faults, having once been located, should at
once be corrected. It should also be clearly
of the
man's average group at
given
100 yards, will (except for the error

of the day) be the measure of his capacity at all
For instance, if his average at 100
ranges.
range,
i.e.,
yards be a 3-inch group, his best standard will be a

227
15*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
6-inch group at 200 yards, 9-inch group at 300
1
yards,
2-inch group at 400 yards, and so on.
Unless this fact
men making
have our
ally
clearly understood,
is
shot corrections
shooting up to standard, and
if
we
when
this
is
shall
actu-
done,
consistent shooting can never be obtained.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNT
1.
If a
FROM A GROUP
man makes
a vertical
assume that he
safe to
ing errors
is
group it is fairly
making one of the follow-
(b)
Varying amount of foresight taken.

Varying point of Aim.
(c)
Not
(a)
his
restraining
breathing
when
trigger-pressing.
2.
If
he makes
usually found
3.
a lateral
among
group
his error will
the following
(a)
Incorrect centreing of fore-sight.
(b)
Varying point of Aim.
(c)
Bad
If
be
let-off.
he gets
aiming mark,
it
good group, but wide
will
be
safe to
of the
assume that
his
throwing wide and should be corrected at

For this reason
once by alteration of fore-sight.
rifle is
the Armourer or other qualified person should
be present when grouping

228
is
being carried out.
APPENDIX
man's shots are widely scattered, it

be necessary to carry out the Analysis of
a
If
4.
will
faults, i.e.
R. Test Rifle.
A. Test Aim.
T. Test Trigger-pressing.
S. Test Sight.
You
but remember
fault,
it
should by this time have discovered the
unless
you can
it
is
cure
of
it
no use having found

before
proceeding
further.
be correct the point of Mean

Impact should be 5 inches above the point of Aim.
If incorrect the fore-sight should be altered.
5.
The
If
the
rifle
following can
be got on indent for this
purpose.
Cramp R.S.L.M.E.
Supply of fore-sights in nine different heights.
RANGE PRACTICES
Nothing
down on account
definite can be laid
uniform targets, ranges,

following hints may be of value
of the lack of
etc.,
but the
I.
If a liaison
Sniping
be cultivated between Battalion
officers in
the Brigade,
it
will
be easy to
improvise a Range and Target for the use of the

Battalion in rest.
229
SNIPING IN FRANCE
When
2.
to find a
in divisional rest
Range
it is
usually possible
ready for use in the
Training
Area.
Excellent work and
Zeroing can be done

on even a 3<D-yard range by the really keen officer.
in shooting should be carried
4. Training
out with an Open and not a Telescopic sighted
3.
rifle,
all
which should be kept
for
(a)
Snapping Practice.
(b)
Shooting in order to Zero.
(c)
Killing the enemy.
important that the barrels of these rifles

should not be worn out in practice shooting.
It
is
5.
All
training
and where
The
should be
made
progressive
possible competitive.
extreme accuracy, after

which the Instructor must coach up for rapid
6.
first essential is
snapshooting, the ultimate standard being looked

upon as the ability to get off a really good shot
under two seconds.

7.
Always
and eliminate
8.
Re
start
with
faults as
Grouping
Practice
they are discovered.
zero Telescopic sighted
rifles
to ascer-
they have maintained their correctness

each time you are out of the trenches, and arm
tain that
only your best shots with these rifles.

and make
9. Improvise cover on the Range
230
APPENDIX C
all
Snipers' fire practices
under
as
near as possible
Service Conditions.
10.
Although normally he
keep your
will not fire
Rapid,
sniper efficient in this valuable art.
You may
any time become a casualty,

therefore train your N.C.O.'s to carry on in your
11.
absence.
at
PART
II
PATROLLING AND SCOUTING

PATROLS AND PATROLLING
The importance
gerated.
It
is
of patrolling cannot be exag-
means
enemy and
the
of
of keeping in
obtaining
touch with
much
valuable
information.
In open warfare we must patrol day and night.

In trench warfare, observation to a great extent
does away with patrolling by day.
We
should
always look upon the ground between the hostile

armies as being ours, and should make
it
so
by
This gives our men a greater sense of

patrols.
security, and also has the effect of destroying
the
moral.
enemy
Patrolling
particularly
if
patrols
is
looked upon by some
dangerous
are
carefully
men.
232
work.
This
carried out
as
is
being
not
so
by trained
APPENDIX
Training beforehand
untrained
than
men
is
essential
to send out
haphazard manner
in a
worse
is
useless.
No
patrol should go out except for a distinct
and definite object.
TYPES OF PATROLS
TRENCH WARFARE
IN
RECONNAISSANCE PATROLS
Are the work
of scouts
as possible.
out on some
Numbers should be
mission.
specific
who go
small
as
party of two or three will pro-
bably obtain the best results.
FIGHTING PATROLS
Should
bombers and
to
scouts.
gun and gunners,
1015.
Strength
enemy working
disperse
enemy
Lewis
of
consist
Object
to
parties,
engage
patrols, to obtain identifications.
Note
bine
It
these
may
often be necessary to
patrols
the
Fighting
com-
Patrol
going out to form a screen in rear, while

the Reconnaissance Patrol pushes forward
to complete
of giving
fidence,
any
fact,
its
the
of
task.
Reconnaissance
assisting
casualties
provides
This has the effect
they
them
233
them
may
with
Patrol con-
to
pass
suffer,
an
back
and,
in
Advanced
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Headquarters
their
The
reconnaissance.
ticularly
where
from which
in
and,
useful,
they carry out
system
fact,
a great distance separates
is
par-
necessary,
the oppos-
ing lines.
PROTECTIVE PATROLS
Should consist mainly of Bombers, and are

used in front of our wire, or between Isolated
Posts.
Numbers depend on
ject
Protection
our
of
Ob-
circumstances.
from
line
surprise
attacks.
OPEN WARFARE
It
is
The
not necessary here to
Reconnoitring
Patrol
prepared to fight. In
times, should be fully
fighting units.
fact,
classify definitely.
should
all
always
Patrols,
organized
at
be
all
self-contained
Numbers depend on
conditions,
but Scouts will be largely used.
TRAINING
The
general principles
Trench and Open Warfare

in the following
1.
Map
2.
Compass Work.
3.
Reports.
Reading.
234
of
training
both for
are a thorough training
APPENDIX C
Ground and
4.
Use
5.
Reconnoitring through Periscopes and
of
Cover.
by means of Aeroplane Photographs

and Maps by day, the ground over
which patrol must pass at night,
and
6.
7.
FORMATIONS
selecting the
Keeping touch.
necessity,
can be laid down,
definite
formations
vailing conditions.
will
It
is
vary with
essential,
formations shall be so simple
they can be maintained

night
of
approach.
Actual Patrolling by day and night.
Nothing
all
method
best
and
when
of
as,
the
pre-
however, that
ensure that
as to
even on the darkest

over
working
very
rough
ground.
The Lewis
gun,
when
it
forms
part of
Patrol, must be well protected and in such a

position as will enable it to be used at a moment's
notice.
The
Officer or
N.C.O.
in charge should always
lead the Patrol, and there should be a Second-
in-Command, whose
position should be in the
centre and rear of the Patrol

in keeping the
men
in
maintaining touch.
235
he
will specialize
their proper places
and
SNIPING IN FRANCE
EQUIPMENT
The rifle often hampers movement, particularly when crawling, but it is essential that both
this and fighting order be carried when patrolling
open warfare. In trench warfare it should
usually be sufficient to carry the rifle, a bandolier
in
of
the
S.A.A.,
web
scabbard attached,
compass.
Steel
belt
bomb
helmets
with
in the pocket
should
and
bayonet
not
and
be taken,
the cap-comforter being worn instead.

If
necessary to
the bayonet, such
fix
rushing an Isolated Post,
the scabbard
still
on
should be well oiled
it
as
when
should be fixed with
both bayonet and scabbard

the scabbard can then be
taken off quietly just prior to the rush.
INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN
Before going out personnel should be given

1.
All
2.
An
known information
opportunity
through
to
examine
periscope,
by
by day
aeroplane
photographs and maps, the ground

to be covered at night.
3.
The
object of the patrol.
4.
The
pass-word.
Everything that
is
liable
236
to give information
APPENDIX
or identification,
captured, must be carefully
if
collected before the party goes out.
men
All
and
and battalions on right

must know when the patrol is out, and
left
in the Garrison
also the pass-word.
The
patrol leader, both on leaving and return-
word along
ing, will himself pass the
This
is
how
he
He
important.
very
to this effect.
cannot
forecast
long he will be away, or the point at which
will
return,
therefore,
trench garrison
the
must be prepared to receive him
at
any time or
place.
GENERAL
Patrols often give themselves
own trench
their
firing of rifles
when
and
patrol
is
in
away by leaving
careless
lights should
manner.
continue
The
as usual
manner
out, but in such a
as
not to interfere with the patrol. Two patrols

should never be sent out on the same front at
the same time,
each
ing
as this
other
for
only leads to their mistakthe enemy.

Often, the
most suitable time
for
patrolling
weather conditions
are
very bad.
to
taking
men on
their
precautions
patrol
brightness
can
against
often
to
required.
237
obtain
is
when the
In addition
Verey
lights,
advantage of
the information
take
SNIPING IN FRANCE
A FORM OF PATROL REPORT
PATROL REPORT
Blankshire Regiment.
Night of !2-i3th/6/i7.
Ref.
Composition.
Map
Sheet 54 S.E.I.
PART
III
THE STALKING TELESCOPE

Apart from the regular
now
scopes, there are
or
50,000
more
or
in the B.E.F.
less
G.
issue of
from
telescopes.
high-class
all
kinds
yachtsmen,
deer-stalkers,
and the care and use of these
Tele-
about 40,000
These have been obtained from

sources,
S.
glasses has
of
etc.,
become
matter of great importance.
CARE AND CLEANING
The
first
thing to remember
of all telescopes are
that this glass
A few scratches
is
that the lenses
of very soft glass,
and
polished to a very high degree.
on the outer surface of the object-
glass will negative
When
made
is
the value of the best telescope.
the telescope
is
first
taken from
its
case,
a light film of dust will usually
be found to have
formed on the
This
object-glass.
239
should
be
SNIPING IN FRANCE
flicked off
ing
is
with a handkerchief, and
necessary,
it
if
any polishshould be done with a piece
of chamois leather or well-washed piece of
four-
this cleaning material should be free

by-two
from grit, and should be carried in a pocket or
;
in
the pay-book, where
Over 50 per
it
be kept clean.
will
cent, of the telescopes in use, in or
about the front

or less badly,
have been scratched more
line,
owing to the neglect
of this simple
precaution.
Special attention should be paid to the clean-
ing of the objective lens, which
is
liable to
become
covered
with dust owing to its position in the

telescope and the opening and closing of the
draws.
Never on any account touch the glass with the

If the glass be allowed to get
finger or thumb.
damp, fogging
will result.
remove
to evaporate,
To
cause the fogging
object-glass
and eye-piece,
lay the telescope out in the sun or
in
room.
Never permit the metal work
hotter
than
the
temperature
of
warm
to
your
get
hand,
Canada Balsam (which is used to

the concave and convex lenses in the object-
otherwise, the
join
glass
of all
will melt.
high
If
telescopes,
except
the
G.S.)
the draws get wet, they must be
thoroughly dried and slightly lubricated.

same applies to the sun-shade. When an
240
The
officer
APPENDIX
is
inspecting telescopes, he should
In screwing tubes or
cases also.
threads.
cells
into place,
must be taken not to damage the
care
great
inspect the
It
is
often as well to turn the screw the
wrong way with a gentle pressure the threads

will then come into correct engagement, and a
;
slight click
may be
heard.
THE GENERAL
SERVICE TELESCOPE
As has been stated above, Canada Balsam
is
not
used between the lenses of the object-glass of

the G. S. telescope. When a G. S. Telescope
has
been taken
in
experienced
in
the
to
assembling
again
To do
this
two
The convex
lens
remembered
the
replaced
2.
only
it
lenses
object-glass.
to
the
the
replacing
1.
pieces,
On
of
difficulty
will
forming
rules
be
the
must be
object,
and,
is
always the nearest
therefore,
must
be
first.
the side of the lenses forming the
object-glass an arrow-head will be found cut
into the glass.
Before the lenses are put back the arrowhead must be completed, and the middle of
the arrow must be allowed to slide over the
barb or raised line in the

241
cell.
16
SNIPING IN FRANCE
RULES FOR USE
1.
Always extend your sun-shade (more O.P.'s

have been given away by the light shining
upon the
in
2.
object-glass of telescopes than
any other way).
Always mark your focus by scratching a

circular ring on
the focussing draw.
(This will allow you to focus your glass
correctly and
quickly before putting
it
to your eye.)
3.
Always pull out or push in the draws of

your telescope with a clock-wise circular
motion,
and keep them
lubri-
slightly
cated.
4.
Always carry your telescope slung on your

body. If you take it off and let it travel
in a lorry or car the jolting will almost
certainly ruin
5.
Always use
6.
When
it.
a rest
when
observing.
looking into the sun,
shade nine inches or
on the short sun-shade
make
sun-
foot long, to
fit
of the telescope.
This will give you great assistance when

the sun is over the German lines.
It is
a trick
borrowed from the chamois-hunters
of the Pyrenees.
7.
Remember
will get
that
when
there
is
mirage you
better results with a low than

242
APPENDIX
with
high power of magnification.

Conditions in France are more suitable
to
of
magnification
twenty-five.
under than over
Excellent work can be done
in the front line
with
only ten times.
If
a glass that
magnifies
the high-power eye-
used for any special purpose when

reconnaissance is finished, it should be
piece
is
replaced by a low-power eye-piece.

8..
When
searching a given sector of ground or

"
"
fields of view
trench divide it into
work slowly allowing each field to overNever leave any suspicious-looking

lap.
object without having ascertained what
it is
9.
Slight
if
and why
there.
it is
movement
is
more
easily
you do not look straight
detected
at the object.
Always look a little left, right, high or low.

Keenest vision is at the edges of the eye.,
This particularly applies to dusk or dawn.
10.
When
your object
(a)
found, consider
Distance.
(b)
Shape.
(c)
Colour.
(d)
Size.
(e)
is
Position.
Use each detail to check other

243
details
16*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
for instance,
you can distinguish the
if
state cockade
German cap you
upon
may-
be certain that you are not more than
two hundred yards

11.
distant.
Do
not forget that good results can be

obtained on clear starlight or moonlight
nights,
by the use
telescopes,
especially
of
night-glasses
or
working in con-
if
junction with a Lewis or Vickers Gun.
Generally speaking, the bigger the objectglass and the lower the magnification
the better will be the results obtainable at
night.
12.
In trench warfare
a really
good glass-man
from
front
line
our
working
by day can
make a most valuable wire reconnaissance.
13.
Remember
that the conditions of visibility
are constantly changing

is
an object which
may become
indistinct at eleven o'clock
quite clear at eleven-five.

14.
Always be ready to
The
conditions.
shower
is
avail yourself of natural
after
visibility
almost always good
it
rain-
shows up
wire and gaps in the wire, paths, ground

traversed
season for
when
by
patrols,
"
"
spotting
the leaves
244
fall
etc.
O.P.'s
and the
The
is
best
autumn,
grass withers.
APPENDIX
15.
It
is
good thing to disguise the whole
of
the telescope by use of sand-bags or other

material
around
it.
Great
care
must
be taken to ascertain that such disguise

is
kept free from dust or
245
grit.
PART
IV
FRONT LINE OBSERVATION AND REPORTS
Remember
show which way the wind
that straws
blows, and that apparently trivial information
may
be of great importance if considered in correct perFor instance, three small parties of Germans
spective.
seen in front of a battalion sector
much
interest,
but
if
of importance
thing observed which
Remember
is
not an item of
such parties are
or most of the observers on
movement
is
is
seen
a divisional front,
by
all
enemy
indicated, so include every-
of the slightest importance.
your report passes through the

hands of the Battalion Intelligence Officer, and by
that
him the information
it
contains
is
passed
on to
Brigade, thence to Division, and so on.
During the
whole of
is
this
process,
the information
weighed,
and compared over and over again. Hence,

that which really proves to be of no importance will
be eliminated, while that which is of value will reach
sifted,
those to
whom
Remember
it
may be
of use.
that you are in close toucfr with the

246
APPENDIX
enemy, and that you, and you only, are responsible

for the observation of his forward area.
You must
not rely upon the Divisional or Corps Observers to
do
work
this
When
for you.
taking over a post for the
must study the ground

the exact location of
carefully
first
time you
and get to know
prominent objects. Then,

in a few days' time, you will be capable of giving
map locations of targets without bearings.
It is of little or no use to look for movement until
all
you know your front by

is
the
man who
on the ground.
can give the
The
the GOOD observer
can almost see the co-ordinates lying

In this
map
moves, without
heart,
way some
references of a
of the
Lovat Scouts
moving object
as
it
glance at the map.
best times of the day for you, as a front-line
observer, are
dawn and
dusk.
parties, reliefs, etc., are all
Ration parties, working

waiting to move forward
and much good work can be done by picking

up these targets and reporting them to the Artillery.
The same or similar parties can often be seen returning
at dusk,
dawn, particularly after a night during which our

harassing fire has been heavy.
at
although the definition obtained through your telescope is not so clear as usual
is often excellent for observation of the
enemy's frontAgain,
misty day
on such days, through a false sense of

enemy often shows himself in concealed
line system, as,
security, trie
247
SNIPING IN FRANCE
posts, etc.,
which he would never give away by care-
during clearer weather.

Always note time (signal time) and
lessness
co-ordi-
map
nates of anything observed.

If
anything of importance be seen, such
as
abnormal
movement, suspected reliefs, etc., report them

once.
Don't wait until you come off duty.
at
All targets should be reported as soon as possible

to the Artillery.
If there are
any Artillery O.P.'s in your vicinity,

they should be visited, as the occupants can often
"
"
you by placing objects, the exact location of
which you yourself are doubtful about. The Arassist
Observers should be shown
tillery
movement
a
its
Take
where
them
to get
to them.
new enemy work must be
object,
tracks
has been observed to enable
gun trained on
All
all
if
followed closely and
possible, ascertained.
extreme accuracy, let a direct

statement represent fact, but do not hesitate to include
information of which you are not quite certain. You
a
pride in
must, however, never
fail
of accuracy or certainty
to indicate clearly the degree
which you yourself
words for qualifying your statements are

Possibly
About
Probably
Approximately,
248
etc., etc.
feel.
Useful
as follows
APPENDIX
Remember
that your duty
is
C
rather to observe and
report your observations than to interpret what you
At the same time, give personal impressions.

These may start a new line of thought in the minds of
see.
those
who
read your reports
from
servers,
also, if
two or three ob-
different points, think that they
then there
seen a certain thing,
is
have
at least a strong
probability that a foundation existed for their belief.

Realize that your observation
which
part of a huge net
continually trawling the whole
is
and
for information,
fry slip
is
see to
it
enemy world
that not even the smallest
through the meshes for which you are per-
sonally responsible.
For purposes of actual observation a rough logbook must be kept in the sniping or observation post.
In this book everything seen should be noted as it
occurs.
From it each evening the information must
be
set
out under suitable headings, and your report
rendered to the Battalion Intelligence Officer.

toms vary in battalions, but the following
headings
may
help you in this matter
OPERATIONS, ENEMY
2.
.M.
s.
3.
Grenades
4.
A. A.
5-
M- G
6. Rifle
Fire)
Fire
of
*
:
of projectiles
Guns
list
No. and Calibre

d f
Cus-
Activity.
Methods and Targets.
249
SNIPING IN FRANCE
MOVEMENT, ENEMY
1.
Aircraft.
2.
Trains.
3.
Transport.
4.
Men
5.
Indication of
actually seen.
movement
(periscopes, loop-
holes, etc.).
6.
(Seen, heard or encountered.)
Patrols.
(Note
Time
and
place
must
always
be
given.)
BATTALION INTELLIGENCE REPORT TO BRIGADE
The
subject matter forming this
under the following main headings

1.
Operations.
2.
Movement.
3.
Work.
4.
Signals.
5.
General Intelligence.
6.
Weather.
Under
WORK, ENEMY
(a)
Changes
naturally
(Enemy.)
these six
ing sub-headings
falls
main headings are the follow-
visible in
250
enemy
line.
APPENDIX C
(b)
Working
(c)
New
/L\
(b)'
)
(c)
wire observed or reported by patrols.
ENEMY
SIGNALS,
(a)
parties seen or heard.
Flash lamps.
\7
Verey
T>
i:
lights.
^
rull
,,
apparent
Rockets.
description of and any

7
>
results.
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
Information of
doubtful or uncertain nature,
general impressions, etc.
WEATHER
(a)
General conditions.
(b)
Light and
visibility
(c)
Wind,
strength and direction.
its
during the day.
In some Brigades, reports on our own operations,

particularly observation of our own Artillery and T.M.
fire
are required in the Battalion Intelligence Reports,
but
this
is
mistaken policy.
A FORM OF OBSERVATION REPORT.
OBSERVATION REPORT
No.
of Post
(Map
Ref.)
Teapot Post N33C55.90
Sheet i;A N.E.
Time on Duty
Date
7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
20.6.18.
251
SNIPING IN FRANCE
Observers on Duty,
Name, Rank and
H. Smith
G. Shaw
Wind: Gentle S.W.

Visibility
Time.
Fair.
Regt,
Pte.
,
L/Cpl.
PART V
SOME USES OF SCOUTS, OBSERVERS AND SNIPERS
ATTACK, DEFENCE AND OPEN WAREFARE
It
is
down any hard and fast rules on

much depends upon the prevailing
difficult to lay
this subject, as so
conditions.
The
be looked upon
as
To commence,
men,
IN
following
notes
should
therefore
tentative hints or suggestions.

it
is
well to
remember
that these
in addition to being fully-trained soldiers,
received specialist training in such subjects as
have
map-
reading, obtaining and reporting information, scouting, accurate shooting, etc., therefore their value to
the
Company Commander, whether
in
Attack
or
Defence, in trench warfare or in open warfare, has
been enhanced, and he should keep
making
this in
mind when
his dispositions.
Prior to attack on any given objective, the Scouts
and Observers can obtain much valuable information

in fact, the actual plans for local attack will often
upon the information
so obtained.
253
depend
SNIPING IN FRANCE
The
following are some of the points that should be
ascertained either by direct observation or patrolling

or both
1.
2.
Location of enemy M.G.'s and strong points.

Whether the enemy is holding his line continuously or by isolated posts
if
the
latter, the location of each post should,

if
3.
If
possible,
be ascertained.
our wire-cutting operations have been

successful, and the location and width
of the gaps.
Vigorous patrolling should take place for some time

prior to attack, to ensure that the
of
"
from
No Man's
enemy
Land," thus enabling us to
a point as near as possible to the
The
jump
enemy
off
line.
Snipers can, by making each
and loophole
a target,
enemy periscope
render the enemy to a great
extent blind in Front Line Observation.

actual
driven out
"
is
"
assault
has
commenced,
established in shell holes in
which they can

emplacements.
"
Before the
our snipers can be

"
No Man's Land
from
command any known machine-gun

They should always carry a few rounds
of armour-piercing S.A.A.,
and should look upon the
breech casing of the gun as their target rather than

the gunners. (Your good sniper will appreciate the
fact that
one hit on the breech-casing of

254
machine-
APPENDIX
gun with armour-piercing S.A.A.
will definitely
the gun out of action, as it ruins the vital portion,

"
"
the recoiling portion
of the gun.)
put
i.e.,
After the objective has been gained, the snipers

should push forward beyond our new line and establish
themselves in shell holes or in old trenches.
From
these positions their fire will be of great value in con-
junction with the Lewis gunners in keeping
enemy during
The
down
the
consolidation.
Scouts should be able to
fill
in the dispositions
and maintain touch with flanking units

they should form part of exploiting patrols, locate the
enemy's new positions and ascertain their attitude, i.e.,
of the troops
whether they are demoralized and retiring in disorder

or whether they are under control and likely to counterattack.
The
Observers must be in a position from which they

can watch the whole of the attack, and must be provided with a means of communication whereby they
can constantly report upon the situation. After the

objective has been gained they can push forward and
locate
enemy machine-guns and battery
this will
ting
up
be comparatively easy
a fight,
machine-guns,
as, if
the
etc., will
positions
enemy is putbe advertising
themselves.
The
Brigade and Divisional Observers will also be

in positions from which they can follow the whole of
the attack, and will constantly report
255
its
progress.
SNIPING IN FRANCE
They should
enemy
watch
particularly
for
any massing of
troops in the back areas for counter-attack.
IN DEFENCE
The
Snipers can be of great value in defence, and

should be given a definite " battle station." If the
attack be delivered in daylight, the snipers' special
be to pick off the leaders, and members

of machine-gun and jlamenwerjer detachments.
task should
If
the
enemy succeed
in
occupying our trenches
the snipers must have in readiness alternative

posts that
command
stretches of our trenches
they will thus be in a position to inflict heavy

losses upon the new occupants.
In this way
and by
working in conjunction with Bombers,

they can do much to prevent the enemy from
establishing himself.
The
Observers can, in defence, find out
much
valuable information, and the good observer can

usually
foretell
watching for
operation
an
the
enemy
following
attack
signs
by carefully
of
offensive
new T.M. emplacements.

new T.M.'s.
1.
Construction of
2.
Registration of
3.
Increased artillery registration.
4.
Bridging of trenches.
5.
Cutting of wire.
256
APPENDIX
6.
Additional dressing stations instituted.
7.
Signboards erected.
8.
Unusual amount
movement
of
in
back
areas.
9.
10.
Increased aerial activity.
Reconnaissance of front by enemy
OPEN WARFARE
officers.
In open and semi-open warfare it is essential

that observers push forward from one post to
another.
attack,
The
will
They must keep
touch with the
in
with flanking units and with headquarters.

most important duties of scouts and snipers
be reconnaissance.
By pushing forward
as
an
advanced screen to cover the advance, they can

collect
much
valuable information and,
if
cor-
rectly organized, can get such information back
quickly to the officers
whom
it
following are some of the things
should report
1.
Where
concerns.
The
upon which they
the
enemy
are,
and
if
holding a
continuous line or isolated posts.

2.
Condition of roads,
3.
Best approaches for Infantry, Machine-
etc.
guns, Artillery, etc.

4.
Any
obstacles such as rivers, etc.,
and the
best means of negotiating them.

257
J7
SNIPING IN FRANCE
5.
6.
Places
Any
the
In
which
are exposed to
fire.
topographical features from which
enemy can be commanded.
fact, there
is
no limit to the amount
of use-
information that scouts and snipers can obtain.

They can also be of extreme value in working round
ful
and cutting off isolated

form a thin but effective
considerably
small
posts.
They may
firing-line that
counter-attack,
also
can delay
and thus
enable their unit to complete the, of necessity,

hasty preparations for holding
258
its gains.
PART
THE ENFIELD
VI
1914 PATTERN "SNIPER'S RIFLE"
As each battalion now holds three
of these rifles
on
charge for sniping purposes (G.R.O. 3567) it is essential

that your snipers shall understand the main differences
between
It
is
and the R.S.M.L.E.
this
as well to
understand
at
once that
degree of accuracy can be obtained
a far
higher
from the Enfield
1914 than from the R.S.M.L.E., and this is the reason

why it has been issued to snipers. The higher degree
of accuracy
1.
The
is
due to two main causes
rifles so
issued have been specially selected
from thousands
pattern,
severe
2.
The
sight,
of other rifles
on account
of their
and exhaustive
rifle
is
of the
same
accuracy, after
tests.
with an aperture or peep

will be readily acknowledged by
fitted
which,
as
most expert riflemen,

over the open
possesses a great advantage
U or V backsight.
It
is
therefore
unnecessary to focus the backsight, and the blur

259
17*
SNIPING IN FRANCE
which
open
when aiming with
unavoidable
is
or
entirely absent with
is
backsight
the
the aperture or peep sight.
The
following are the main differences which must
be noted and thoroughly understood in order to get
new
the best results from the
rifle.
THE SIGHT
The
rear of the
bed in which the

In
in use.
body
is
made
in the
sight should always lie
form
when not
this position the aperture battle sight
can be used
if
desired, but
it
should seldom be
necessary for the sniper to use this sight.

battle
of a
sight
is
actually
to
sighted
hit
The
on the
aiming mark at about 400 yards' range.

The sight leaf is hinged on to the sight bed
and
is
sight
in
raised to an angle of about 90
bed
which
1.
There
for use.
it
will rest.
this
all
four positions
(See diagram
At an angle
bed
are in
from the
I.)
about 45 from the sight

the most convenient posi-
of
is
"
tion for
sight setting."
2.
At an angle
tion
3.
4.
of about
when
At an angle
At an angle
The two
90;
this
is
the posi-
in use.
about 135.
of about 180.
of
last
positions have
260
been made
APPENDIX
possible so as to avoid
damaging the
by accidentally knocking
sight
raised against
undergrowth,
etc.,
it,
if
when
skirmishing.
The bolt lever must not be raised and

drawn back when the sight is in No. 4 position, as
Note:
if
this
is
done the battle
sight
is
sheared
off.
ELEVATION
The
the
obtained by raising a slide on

This slide carries the aperture, and,
elevation
leaf.
when
set,
yards,
and from
is
held in position by a spring-catch

adjustment on the right of the leaf. The leaf is
graduated from 200 to iioo yards in hundreds of
is
reading line
is
100 to 1650 yards in
fifties.
The
situated in the centre of the slide,

261
SNIPING IN FRANCE
and care must be taken to point out
clearly, otherwise
men
this fact
are apt to take readings
from the top or bottom
of the slide.
FINE ADJUSTMENT
The
is
sight
fitted
worm
the form of a
with
a fine
adjustment in
screw with a milled head.
rotating the milled head clockwise

elevation,
and by turning
lower
The
it.
it
at
or
300 yards
anti-clockwise
we
marked
equivalent
is
on the target at 200 yards 2"

and so on. A reading line is
fall,
3",
is
is
about i" per 100

Thus at 100 yards it would
yards of the range.

rise,
the
each of which
to one minute of angle, which
By
raise
top of the milled head
off into three divisions,
equal i"
we
marked on the top of the sight leaf to enable these

minute adjustments to be made. (See diagram.)
The advantage
this
principle
of a fine adjustment screw

in
lies
alteration of foresight,
with exactness in
his
the
rifle
If
that,
without
can be zeroed
sense,
for
any
in-
man, when zeroing
100 yards' range, finds the point of

impact to be 3 inches low, or high, he has
rifle
mean
fact
vertical
dividual hold, thus
the
on
at
only to remember that he must
reproduce on
his backsight the range for which he is firing,
and then add, or subtract, 3 minutes of elevation,
i.e.,
first
by giving the milled head one com262
APPENDIX
plete turn or revolution in the required direc-
tion
he
then have his correct zero for
will
that particular range.
(Note
must
to zero at 100 yards, he
200 yards, and then take

to
equivalent
is
(which
"
the
not marked).
point
of
minutes
to
sight
With the
mean impact
"
starting
the sight to
raise
off 3
his
setting
Before
this
100
is
yards
sight so set,
be
should
li
inches to 2 inches above the point of aim.)
In addition the fine adjustment can be used

to overcome the difficulty of not having the
sight calibrated to read to fifties
at
the closer
memorizing the following table,

the sniper will have no difficulty in adjusting his
sight to 250, 350, 450 yards, and so on
By
ranges.
To
200
To
from
raise
yards
250
Add
yards
to
I
Column
minute
300
350
if minutes
400
450
55
2*
600
650
The
yards
is
I.
table has not been taken further, as
the limit of
"
600
individual effort."
LATERAL ZERO
If
the
there should be
foresight
a lateral error
should
263
be
when
moved
as
zeroing,
in
the
SNIPING IN FRANCE
R.S.M.L.E., except that the cramp is made to
fit over and through the
foresight protectors,
and,
there
as
no nose-cap to remove,
is
it
is
simpler operation.
AIM,
HOW TAKEN
Diagram
will
illustrate
far
better than
line.
Sights-.
Enfwid!9!VR$e.
word picture how aim should be taken. The
main thing is to look through the aperture, and
not at
it.
aperture,
in
The
foresight will be centred in the
and the
tip of
the ordinary way.
that with very

stinctively
little
centre
it
(Note
placed at 6 o'clock
:
It will
be found
practice the eye will in-
the foresight,
264
and that aim-
APPENDIX C
ing,
with
simply be the
this sight, will in reality
action of holding the tip of the foresight on to
6 o'clock.)
THE MAGAZINE
The magazine
holds five rounds only, and
constructed in such
manner
magazine platform to
rise
is
to permit the
as
and engage the face
when
the magazine is empty.

"
"
is
This advertises the fact that
re-loading
of the bolt-head
At the same time,
necessary.
in
practice
unless the
a
"
prevents giving
rapid manipulation of the bolt,"

Depressors magazine platform," or
coin such as
same
it
"
purpose)
be
(which will serve the

used to hold down the
franc
platform, thus enabling the bolt to pass freely
through the bolt-way
when
the
magazine
is
empty.
It
of
is
simple
three parts only
the bottom plate.
construction,
consisting
of
the platform, the spring and
To remove
press the- point
of a bullet into the hole that will
be found in
the bottom plate, in front of the trigger guard,

then push downwards and in the direction of
the trigger; this releases the spring and allows

the magazine to be removed and cleaned.
replace
reverse the above process.
To
Care must
be taken when loading to ensure that the charger

265
SNIPING IN FRANCE
is
placed
the
in
vertically
allowed to lean forward the
become
There
is
the
way,
if
cartridge will
first
and loading
foul the padding of the magazine,

will
guide
charger
difficult.
possibility of a
little
if
jam
and the magazine
breech
the boltare
kept
clean.
SAFETY DEVICES
1.
The
Safety Catch.
R.S.M.L.E., but
This
Rotates
stem until
it
side,
thumb
the
If
*.*.,
piece
rear,
performs two actions.
half-moon on the eccentric
turned over to the
(a)
similar to the
on the opposite
is
the right side of the body.

is
is
the
it
engages in the recess in the cocking
piece,
thus preventing the cocking piece from
going
forward
pressed,
(b)
if
the
forward
Pushes
be
trigger
the
accidentally
locking
bolt
plunger until it is engaged in the locking bolt

recess in the bolt lever, thus preventing the
rotation of the bolt.
2.
Bolt Lever.
when the breech

the body of the
This when turned down,

is
closed,
rifle,
fits
*'.*.,
into a recess in
and ensures that the bolt
cannot be blown back, even should the resisting

lugs give way.
3.
The
Safety Stud.
munication with the

266
This
sear,
is
and
in direct comis
constructed
APPENDIX
in
such
manner
ensure that the sear
to
as
be depressed without the safety stud

On the under side of the bolt is a recess,
cannot
rising.
which comes immediately over the
when the
bolt lever
safety stud
turned fully down.
is
It
depresses the sear, until the bolt lever
is,
which
therefore, impossible to press the trigger,

is
fully
turned down and the action sealed.

GAS ESCAPES
Of
there
these
of the
hood
are
On
three.
on the under
the
right
side of the bolt,
one in front and the other in rear of the extractor

as
the gas
in
escapes
the
same duties
the
They perform
ring.
R.S.M.L.E., except
that the one in front of the extractor ring pre-
which would
vents air-pockets
act
brakes
as
from forming.
PULL OFF
This
is
R.S.M.L.E., the
first
pull being
and the second from

is
5 to
comparatively long,
obtain,
by
"
squeeze
to
different
slightly
practice,
and
the
before firing the
from
is
the
of
2 to 3 Ibs.,
The
Ibs.
it
that
first
pull
necessary
correct
for the
to
"
trigger
first
time.
advantage of the
rifle,
rifle
CARE AND CLEANING

In order to take
full
267
SNIPING IN FRANCE
it
is
the
be kept absolutely clean

should
receive
parts
special
essential that
following
attention
The
it
This should always carry
Bore.
high
polish.
The
Must be kept
Sights.
free
from
oil,
and the aperture free from fluff.

The Hood. Must always be free from
and dirt, as it contains the recesses
which the
and
resisting lugs work,
oil
in
dirt
if
be allowed to gather there, the shock of

discharge cannot be evenly taken on both
and accurate shooting under these
sides,
conditions
The
Breech.
from
oil
is
unattainable.
Must be kept
by means
clean and free
of the stick
provided for the purpose.

The Bolt. Must be kept
free
and must be the correct one
which
from
is
oil,
for the rifle,
must carry the same number as that

shown on the hood and on the sight leaf.
i.e.,
Gas
escapes.
and
Must be kept
free
from
oil
dirt.
GENERAL.
The
rifle
issued specially as a sniping
is
and although
bayonet
268
is
issued with
it, it
rifle,
should
APPENDIX
not be used for bayonet fighting practice. The

woodwork of the rifle must on no account be
cut down, and
as,
when
it is
issued, it
zeroed to suit one man's hold,

transferred to another
it
it
THE END
correctly
should not be
man without
to suit his particular hold.
is
re-zeroing
PRINTED AT
THE CHAPEL RIVER PRESS,
KINGSTON, SURREY
RETURN TO
the circulation desk of any
University of California Library
or to the
NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY

Richmond
FACILITY
Field Station
Bldg. 400,
University of California
Richmond,
CA
94804-4698
ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER

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DAYS
calling
5-/0 f445) 642-6753

1-year loans may be recharged by bringing books
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NRLF
Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days

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DUE AS STAMPED BELOW
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SNIPING IN FRANCE

WHERE BLACK RULES WHITE

THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA

the Scientific Training of

GENERAL LORD HORNE OF STIRKOKE

by ERNEST BLAIKLEY, Artists'

at all points of the

Possibly Germany was more quick to initiate new

meet prevailing conditions.

slow to adopt, indeed, our souls abhorred, anything

part in the Great European

Gas " would have taken no

But, however lacking in imagination, however slow

were convinced of their

adopt them, we managed by

and energy, pluck and endurance, not only to make up

in the Air, etc.,

the author of this book,

Major Hesketh-Prichard, combined expert knowledge

German sniper and the annoyance of our

by the Guards' Brigade, then in the

with telescopic sights and the good

us the necessity of fighting for

branches of trench warfare, amongst

School firmly established in the First Army area,

Commander of the Eleventh Corps.

energy, enthusiasm, tact and personality of

ups and downs, of

British Forces in France.

triumph, Major Hesketh-Prichard

the tale with

observer and scout.

record of a successful system

of training, valuable as such to us soldiers,

of interest to the general

THE GENESIS OF SNIPING

OBSERVATION AND SNIPING

AND SNIPERS IN ATTACK AND

Showing the best form

Find the Sniper. (The flat cap gives him away)

after five minutes' alteration

tins, bags, etc.

Army School of S.O.S

and the wrong type of parapet

concealing snipers' loopholes

2. How bags are arranged and fixed round

German Trench used

for spotting targets, etc.

telescopic sight (showing use

Inside the Observation Post

There are two snipers here

showing the drawbacks of uniform and a

one in uniform and one in a

THE GENESIS OF SNIPING

realize the neces-

narrow and circumscribed point

account of some memories of sniping, observation

some form the work

and training of a class of officers and men whose duties

hope that the true value

scouting will continue to be recognized in the future

certainly was recognized

war, that this book