Current Information:

Born-Bermondsey

On 4^th July 1916, when all eyes were on the Somme, 16^th Rifle Brigade of 117 Brigade, 39^th Division were in the line further north at Festubert and about to undertake a raid on the German lines opposite and in particular  a small salient of trench known as ‘The Pope’s Nose’. In the early hours of the morning and protected to a degree by a box barrage, nearly three hundred officers and men, divided into eight groups, set off. Two water ditches had to be crossed before they came to the wire. This had been cut two days earlier but unbeknown to the men of the Rifle Brigade, the Germans had placed loose coils of wire in the gaps and these severely impeded progress. Then a shower of grenades hit them and it was obvious to all that the Germans were expecting them. Nevertheless they managed to get into the German front line and there they inflicted some damage, blowing up a machine gun emplacement and a pumping installation. But by now they were greatly reduced in numbers and there was no way that they were going to be able to press on to the German second line. Major Bridges was the only surviving officer out of ten who had set out and he ordered a return to their own lines. 16^th Rifle Brigade suffered over one hundred casualties, killed, wounded or missing in this raid.