Attack on the Birdcage: 19th December 1914 along the eastern side of Plugstreet Wood saw the 1st Rifle Brigade, the 1st Somersets & 1st Hampshires (4th Division) attack the German stronghold of the Birdcage. From a previous recce the German wire was 6ft high & 6ft broad. 1/

Artillery support was intended to take out the German wire entanglement, however the artillery did little to the wire, later it did take out German House. 2/

Soldiers were given mattresses made from strips of wire netting stuffed with straw which would be thrown over thus enabling them to scale the wire entanglement freely. Every other man was given wire cutters. 3/

As soon as the infantry advanced this was the moment that fire began by the enemy, heavy rifle & machine gun fire, notwithstanding this 4.5 howitzer shells from the British artillery landed in the middle of the infantry causing heavy casualties. 4/

For the soldiers that were advancing in an attempt to scale the entanglement this proved a failure hampering their every movement, the artillery had done little damage to the wire, with no soldier able to advance through to the German trenches. 5/

As the attack continued many lives were lost and when dark came along soldiers were withdrawn back to their original lines. German House was successfully taken, some German snipers were cleared from the wood, but the Birdcage remained in German hands. 6/

Good officers like Maud, Morgan-Grenville, Prittie etc & OR’s like Barnett 15 years old & Solomon Bees a Tramway Motor Man amongst many others were killed. As one account said: “From a Battalion point of view the only effects of the action were of a sentimental nature, 7/

firstly, pride at the gallant behaviour of the attacking companies who advanced without hesitation against an unshaken line of well armed defenders, & secondly, grief at the loss of so many well-loved comrades, who could ill be spared.”

We will remember them...

End.