Northumbrian Gunner: Tyneside Irish Somme Commemoration 2022

The Tyneside Irish Brigade Memories Project aims to capture family memories of some of the 5,000 soldiers who fought in the Tyneside Irish Brigade of the Northumberland Fusiliers during the First World War.

On the 1st July 2022, their exhibition was shown at the Tyneside Irish Centre in Gallowgate, and a commemorative service was held to remember the men of the Tyneside Irish Brigade who were lost on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Tyneside Irish Commemoration 1st July 2022

Padre leads the Commemoration

TI Somme Commmeoration
Piper Plays Minstrel Boy

The minstrel boy to the war is gone,

In the ranks of death you'll find him;
His fathers sword he has girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him.
"Land of song!" said the warrior bard,
"Though all the world betrays thee,
One sword at least thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The minstrel fell! But the foreman's chain

Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he loved ne'er spoke again
For he tore is chords asunder;
And said "no chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and bravery!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery."

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The origin of Tyneside Irish lay with Lord Kitchener's call to arms at the begining of the First World War and the formation of the Pal's Battalions. Originaly it was intended to raise a battalion of men of Irish descent to serve in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

The number of men volunteering was such that four battalions were formed, the 24th to 27th Service Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st to 4th Battalions Tyneside Irish.

They would form the 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade, which together with their fellow compatriots from the North East the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade and the 101st Brigade, constituted the 34th Division.

After training in the UK, the 34th Division depated for France in January 1916 destined for the Western Front to take part on the Battle of the Somme in the Summer. They would deploy in the area of La Boisselle in May 1916, ready for the British Army's assault on the Somme.

Tyneside Irish Brigade 1st July 1916

Source: The Somme 1916 - Tyneside Irish Brigade Association

On the first day on the Somme, the 34th Division attacked astride the Albert-Bapaume road at La Boisselle. The 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade's task was to follow up the main attack by the 101st and 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigades and advance on a line from Pozières to Contalmaison.

Advancing at the same time as the main attack, the Brigade started from the reserve trenches on the Tara-Usna Line. The four Battalions, marching in extended line (from left to right; the 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 4th), advanced down into Avoca Valley and then up the other side to the British front-line trench.

From there they had to cross no man's land, pass through the German front-line and advance to their objectives. However, the main attack was an almost complete failure and the Tyneside Irish were utterly exposed to the machine guns of the German defences.

The Brigade suffered heavy casualties even before its Battalions reached the British front-line. Opposite La Boisselle the Brigade was halted but on the right, elements of the 1st and 4th Battalions were able to advance up 'Sausage Valley' and pass through the German front-line.

Two small parties met up behind the German support trench and pushed on towards their objective of Contalmaison. Their effort was in vain as they were eventually killed or captured.

The 1st battalion suffered 620 casualties on 1 July (18 officers and 602 other ranks), its commander, Lieutenant Colonel L.M. Howard, was among the dead. The 4th Battalion suffered 539 casualties (20 officers and 519 other ranks). While the commanders of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were both wounded, as was the Brigade commander, Brigadier General N.J.G. Cameron.

The Brigade's losses on 1 July were so severe that on the 6th, it, along with the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade, was transferred to the 37th Division, swapping with the 112th Brigade. The two Brigades returned to the 34th Division on 22 August.

The press reports of the first day of the Battle of the Somme outlined an optimistic view of events.

Tyneside Irish La Boisselle 1st July 1916

The casualty figures told a different story. The Tyneside Irish and Tyneside Scottish had sustained some of the highest number of casualties on that fateful day, for little territorial gain. The effects on the families of the fallen around Tyneside, Durham and Northumerland would be devastating.

Tyneside Irish Casualties 1st July 1916