▁own . ▁▁ ▁Irish ▁troops ▁compr ised ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁British ▁tren ch ▁ra iders . ▁This ▁was ▁because ▁the ▁Irish ▁troops ▁wanted ▁to ▁prove ▁their ▁worth ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁high ▁command . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁Irish ▁tren ch ▁ra iders ▁receiving ▁the ▁most ▁Victoria ▁Cross es ▁during ▁the ▁war . ▁▁ ▁There ▁was ▁always ▁a ▁risk ▁that ▁returning ▁ra iders ▁could ▁be ▁shot ▁in ▁so - called ▁friendly ▁fire ▁inc idents . ▁Therefore , ▁it ▁was ▁standard ▁procedure ▁to ▁notify ▁sent ries ▁along ▁the ▁line ▁whenever ▁ra iding ▁parties ▁were ▁sent ▁out , ▁and ▁to ▁use ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁password ▁system ▁so ▁that ▁returning ▁ra iders ▁could ▁identify ▁themselves ▁when ▁challeng ed ▁in ▁the ▁dark . ▁ ▁Pur pose ▁T rench ▁ra iding ▁had ▁multiple ▁purposes . ▁Typ ically , ▁the ▁intention ▁would ▁be ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁following : ▁▁ ▁Capt ure , ▁w ound ▁or ▁kill ▁enemy ▁troops ▁▁ ▁Dest roy , ▁disable ▁or ▁capture ▁high ▁value ▁equipment ▁e . g . ▁machine ▁guns ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁M G 0 8 ▁ ▁G ather ▁intelligence ▁by ▁se izing ▁important ▁documents ▁( e . g . ▁maps ) ▁or ▁enemy ▁officers ▁for ▁inter rog ation ▁ ▁Re con na issance ▁for ▁a ▁future ▁mass ed ▁attack ▁during ▁day light ▁hours ▁ ▁Keep ▁the ▁enemy ▁feeling ▁under ▁threat ▁during ▁the ▁hours ▁of ▁darkness , ▁thereby ▁reducing ▁their ▁efficiency ▁and ▁mor ale ▁ ▁M aint ain ▁ag gress iveness ▁and ▁fighting ▁spirit ▁in ▁the ▁troops ▁by ▁sending ▁them ▁on ▁such ▁miss