 The British called this type of stake a 'corkscrew' picket because it was screwed into the ground rather than hammered in as the timber posts had been (the hammering made loud noise, usually attracting enemy fire).The screw pickets replaced the timber posts (although screw pickets were less rigid than timber posts), because they could be installed rapidly and silently.A wiring party is described in detail in World War I novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" by contemporary author Erich Maria Remarque.