Somme - Ulster Tower

The plan was that X Corps would capture the whole of the Thiepval Ridge.

The 36^th (Ulster ) Division on the right was to capture the ground between Thiepval village and St Pierre Divion which was inclusive to the Division, and included the formidable Schwaben Redoubt.

The wire had been cut, so the Ulstermen were able to advance over the 300 to 450 yards of no mans land and the 109^th Brigade broke through the defences to overrun the Schwaben Redoubt.  The Brigade continued to advance exploitting to the second objective, the Stuff Redoubt. Moving 10 minutes ahead of ahead if schedule, they began to advance the 6oo yards, only to be shelled by the British Artillery in the pre planed bombardment. Only 50 men reached the Stuff Redoubt.

During the attack, the barrage ran away from the infantry as they were slowed down by the heavy German machine gun fire. Command and control was at a higher level, consequently deviations from the plan to deal with troublesome machine guns could not be dealt with by the batteries.

Ulster Tower

Somme - New Foundland Park

Newfoundland Regiment Memorial

The heaviest casualties of any battalion during the first day of the Somme occurred just after 9:00 am. The 1st New Foundland Regiment advancing forward from the 3rd line position found the trenches full of dead and wounded soldiers, and had to move outside the trenches in the open, they sustained 710 casualties out of 800 men.

The New Foundland Park is maintained by the people of Canada. As well as a memorial to the Newfoundland’s, the park contains the trench systems of both the British and German lines.

British position viwed from German trenches

Somme - Beaumont Hamel

Near Beaumont Hamel, a mine of 40,000 pounds had been placed under the Hawthorn Redoubt, a German strongpoint on the Hawthorn Ridge. 

Controversially the mine at Beaumont Hamel was blown at 7:20 am, 10 minutes ahead of zero hour. The German defenders were now alerted and rushed to the crater. The British did gain the near side, establishing machine guns and mortar positions. However, the supporting ammunition carriers were cut down by machine gun fire.  Around 10:30 am the Germans counter attacked, and the crater fell into German hands

                    

The Corps had ordered the divisional artilleries to lift slowly at a pace of 50 yards in the minute. However, all three divisions prepared lifts of 100 yards. The effect of this was the infantry were unable to keep pace with the barrage, and the initial lift took it beyond the German front line as no mans land was so short. This left the infantry exposed in no mans land with disastrous consequences.

Hawthorn Ridge April 2011

Hawthorn Ridge Mine 1st July 1916

Somme - Serre

 The German front line occupied spurs of high ground on which the village of Serre was situated, then ran across the Redan Ridge, to Beaumont Hamel, and ended on the banks of the River Ancre at Beaucourt.

Each of the villages of Serre and Beaumont Hamel had been turned into mini fortresses, and strong positions had been built on the ridge and at the Y Ravine.  

The plan was to conduct a simultaneous attack on Serre, Redan^st Division would wheel at right angle to the axis of attack, and form flank protection to the Corps.

The Corps had ordered the divisional artillery's to lift slowly at a pace of 50 yards in the minute. However, all three divisions prepared lifts of 100 yards. The effect of this was the infantry were unable to keep pace with the barrage, and the initial lift took it beyond the German front line as no mans land was so short. This left the infantry exposed in no mans land with disastrous consequences.

The 'Pals Battalions of the 31st Division sustained heavy losses, a memorial to those who fell from Accrington, Barnsley, Bradford, Durham, Halifax, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and the T’Others records the sacrifice of the New Army Soldiers.

Somme - Gommecourt

The aim of the assault on Gommecourt was to provide a diversion, draw artillery fire and reinforcements from attacks in the south. In addition, it was envisaged that this would also remove a bulge in the German line that projected into the British lines. The attack would take place with no contact with the Fourth Army flanks, a distance of 2 miles (2.3km) existed between the Third and Fourth Army units.

The assault was to be executed by two Territorial Divisions, 46th (North Midland) to the north and the 56th (London) to the south. The concept of operations was to deliver the attacks into the flanks, then converge on the village of Gommecourt.

The failure of the preparatory bombardment to destroy German guns contributed to the heavy losses and the failure of the attack on Gommecourt.

Gommecourt 1st July 1916

One of the units involved in the preparatory bombardment was 94th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery. This unit consisted of men drawn from the Tynemouth and Durham RGA Equipped with 9.2 inch howitzers, their chief target was a system of trenches from Gommecourt Wood to Rossignol Wood.

94th Siege Battery OP Position  Gommecourt

Somme - Bapaume Post Cemetery

CWGC Bapaume Post Cemetery

The Bapaume Post Cemetery is located near the village of La Boiselle where the Tyneside Scottish assaulted 1st January 1916. The Tyneside Scottish, together with the Tyneside Irish, sustained some of the heaviest casualties that day, some of whom are buried in the cemetery.

Tyneside Irish and Scottish graves



Lt.Col. W Lyle - CO 23rd NF (4th Tyneside Scottish)

 

Lt.Col. CCA Sillery - CO 20th NF (1st Tyneside Scottish)

 

Killed in Action 1st July 1916

 

Somme - Thiepval Memorial

Thiepval. The memorial is dedicated to the 72,000 officers and men who died on the Somme before March 1918, andhave no known grave. Of those lost, 90% fell during the Battles of the Somme in 1916.

Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it was built between 1928 and 1932, and unveiled in 1932 by the Prince of Wales.

CWGC Thiepval Memorial

THEIR NAMES CUT DEEP & CLEAR!

Somme - Albert Trench Museum

The Somme Trench Museum is located in tunnels that run underneath to town of Albert. It contains some interesting vignettes that set the scene on activities and conditions of soldiers on the front.

Albert Somme Trench Museum