at 11-30pm capt leo creagh sent out two patrols from C.coy,the first was under the command of Lt Sydney,dennis Connell,consisting of ten men,the second under colour/sgt 4722 Robert Wilson also with ten men,their aim was a double sap close to their fire trench that the germans were still working on,they reached these saps undetected and killed ten germans,two or three more escaped down a communications trench,the men followed them but they escaped,on returning up the trench,they found many germans asleep in dugouts in the side of the trench,all were killed with the bayonet,act/sgt cecil Humphries wrote in his diary"the poor devils didn't even know we were there"we accounted for over 40 of them in their sleep,on the way back to their lines the germans opened up on them with MG fire,Lt Connell and five of his men were killed and three wounded.
colour/sgt Wilson in the other group received wounds to his arm+body from a stick bomb,he died in hospital at bolougne 3 days later.three of his men being wounded.
all the wounded men were brought in
the five killed
Cpl 234 Thomas barrett
pte 1353 Alfred,frederick Holland
L/Cpl 897 albert,ernest walker
pte 1725 William redford
pte 2331 Robert taylor
pte 1944 Robert Jackson died of wounds on 29th.
Lt Connell was MIDs for his bravery,a paultry award for a brave man
DCMs for this action
act/sgt 1015 william coleshill.later a capt in 22nd manchesters.other awards,MC and MIDs
pte 906 james mitchell
pte 2363 frederick crook
cpl 899 thomas duffy
col/sgt robert wilson.22 whittaker st,heaton park
cpl duffy went on to win another DCM and also earned 3 MIDs awards and russian cross of st george,he died shortly after being demobbed on 14th july 1919 aged 33,resided at 10 coldhurst st,oldham,hes not mentioned on oldhams war memorial nor on the CWGC,he died forgotten.
he was buried in greenacres cemetery,oldham on 21-7-19.section C2.grave 74.