Sniping in France: With notes on the scientific training of scouts, observers, and snipers — A Reader’s Guide

Scientific Training vs. Improvisation

Prichard repeatedly contrasts the early British reliance on amateur sniping with the German systematic approach. He notes that the British were initially slow to adopt sniping, viewing it as unsportsmanlike, while the Germans had already established effective sniper units. The author advocates for a scientific method: training scouts, observers, and snipers in marksmanship, fieldcraft, and observation. He describes the curriculum at the First Army School, which included range estimation, wind reading, and camouflage techniques. Prichard emphasizes that sniping is not merely shooting but a combination of stealth, patience, and intelligence gathering. He also criticizes the tendency to send snipers out in front of the lines without clear objectives, arguing that the man behind the trench has a superior position.

The Observer's Art: Camouflage and Patience

A central theme is the observer's reliance on stillness and blending with the environment. Prichard recounts instances where observers lay in full view, their lives depending on quiescence and the art of blending with the background. He describes the use of camouflaged observation posts, such as the milestone and the dead Prussian, which allowed observers to watch enemy lines undetected. The author also discusses the limitations of sniping robes and dazzle painting, noting that freedom of movement is essential for observers. He distinguishes between front-line observation and back-area observation, the latter involving watching enemy support lines and rear areas. Prichard praises the Lovat Scouts Sharpshooters for their telescope work, often forbidding them to use rifles to preserve their observational value.

The Blind Generals and Sandy McTosh

Prichard highlights the critical role of observers in providing intelligence to senior commanders, whom he describes as 'blind' without the eyes of men like 'Sandy McTosh.' He explains that observers at various levels—brigade, divisional, corps—watch enemy movements and report via coordinates, enabling artillery and command decisions. The author cites the example of Lieutenant Whamond and Sergeant Fraser at Vimy Ridge, who observed a German counter-attack and called in artillery to break it up. This section underscores the interdependence of sniping and observation with broader military operations. Prichard also notes the organizational structure, including the attachment of Lovat Scouts and corps cavalry observers, and the distinction between snipers and artillery observers.

Prichard's account offers a ground-level view of how the British Army adapted to the tactical demands of trench warfare through specialized training. Readers interested in military history will find detailed descriptions of equipment, techniques, and the daily realities of sniping and observation. The book's value lies in its specificity: it is not a general history but a practitioner's manual, informed by the author's direct experience in establishing a school that formalized skills previously left to individual initiative.

I have spent many quiet hours in the history stacks, and I recall the dusty pages of Major Hesketh-Prichard’s memoir—that art of patient watching, of stillness under camouflage. It strikes me that across the same trenches, another kind of vigilance was being kept, one of service and endurance. That story lives in Two Colored women with the American Expeditionary Forces — A Closer Reading, whose steady gaze never once flinched.