Inniskillings deceive Turks
During the night of 6 August 1915, the 1st Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was tasked to undertake deception actions in support of attacks against Turkish positions.
During that night, planks were placed across trenches and at 0400 hours A and D Company withdrew into ravines where they spread out sheets and dragged them around in order to attract enemy artillery that came over at 0530 hours. At 0900 hours they also created clouds of dust along a mule track by dragging brushwood and blankets on a rope to represent strong reinforcements arriving.
Before 88 Brigade and the 42nd Division attacked at 1630 hours, 87 Brigade fixed bayonets, cheered and moved around in trenches, showing the tips of their bayonets above the parapets to represent preparation for the attack in order to draw fire away from 88 Brigade, at same time being in readiness to occupy trench J13 if the enemy showed signs of withdrawing.