Item 02: Charles Monaghan diary, 1917 - Page 38
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[Page 38]
1917 Sunday 11 Feb.
The rush is over.—Raid began punctually at 8 o'clock. First wounded arrived about 10.30 p.m. & told a tale of ghastly failure. The 4th & 5th Batt. raiders went over 4th found the artillery hadn't cut the wire & retired to their own lines, 5th got across & found Fritz's line empty & soon as they got in he opened on them with bombs & trench motars. Casualties came thick & fast & out of 100.00d men only about 40 returned unharmed 12 were killed. Had 35 stretcher cases thro' here, nearly all with ghastly wounds 2 with legs & feet blown off, others fracture & head wounds, back laid open etc. We were kept hard at it dressing till 5.30 a.m when the last case was cleared. So much for the long talked of raid! Fritz evidently was waiting for it.
To bed at 6 a.m & slept till 1.50 relieved Hayman at 2 & continue on all night taking up the night shift for a week.