Officer's Training Manual

Obstacles

Col. Hawkins R.E.

Wire Obstacles p.36 Plate 22 MFE. Obstacles are used to delay the enemy and are placed about 40 yds from the trenches. An entanglement should not be continuous but made to overlap.

The length and width of the bands depends upon circumstances. The obstacle should be so made that the enemy can neither step over nor crawl under it.

Major Norton's Design for Entanglement

Material required in each bay of 10':
2 posts 7' long
2 posts 5' long
5 posts 3' long
2 pickets
60 yds plain wire
80 yds barbed wire
Plain wire is used for staying the posts but barbed wire is better if there is enough of it. The stay wire should run from the top of one post to the bottom of the next. The barbed wire, other than stay wire, should be loose so as not to permit the entanglement being bridged with planks or ladders. Proportion of wire - 2/3 plain, 1/3 barbed. Loose wire should be pegged down to prevent its being crawled under.

Posts should be pointed at one end. A staging (barrow etc.) is required to stand on when driving them in if the earth is hard. A small hole should be made with a lumping tool as a commencement.

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© A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.


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Officer's Training Manual Obstacles Col. Hawkins R.E. Wire Obstacles p.36 Plate 22 MFE. Obstacles are used to delay the enemy and are placed about 40 yds from the trenches. An entanglement should not be continuous but made to overlap. The length and width of the bands depends upon circumstances. The obstacle should be so made that the enemy can neither step over nor crawl under it. Major Norton's Design for Entanglement Material required in each bay of 10': 2 posts 7' long 2 posts 5' long 5 posts 3' long 2 pickets 60 yds plain wire 80 yds barbed wire Plain wire is used for staying the posts but barbed wire is better if there is enough of it. The stay wire should run from the top of one post to the bottom of the next. The barbed wire, other than stay wire, should be loose so as not to permit the entanglement being bridged with planks or ladders. Proportion of wire - 2/3 plain, 1/3 barbed. Loose wire should be pegged down to prevent its being crawled under. Posts should be pointed at one end. A staging (barrow etc.) is required to stand on when driving them in if the earth is hard. A small hole should be made with a lumping tool as a commencement. Return to Manual © A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.