FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
1st July 1916
(The above picture is of the Bois Francais trench line taken from the British Reserve trenches.)
The attack on Bois Francais front was to be undertaken by the 20th Manchesters (5th Manchester "Pals") under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis at 2.30 p.m. in concert with the 7th Bn. Green Howards (a Yorkshire battalion) holding the line on their left flank in front of Fricourt. It was anticipated that by 2.30 p.m. the attacking battalions on the Manchesters’ right flank would have made in their pincer movement, sufficient progress to be able to threaten the German lines at Fricourt in the rear. This was particularly important, for a German strong point, called Wing Corner, at the end of the sunken road leading into Fricourt from Bois Francais needed to be eliminated as it could bring machine gun fire on the attackers through an arc of 180 degrees. To the left of the 7th Green Howards, the 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regt. was to make a direct attack on Fricourt but at 7.30 a.m. As regards the 1st Bn. Royal Welch Fusiliers they were to remain as a Reserve to the Manchesters unless called upon for support. Because Sassoon’s company was employed on carrying duties, Sassoon was free to view various stages of the battle and this he did by going to some high ground behind the British lines at Crawley Ridge. His Diary records what he saw on that fateful day.
The attacks did not all go well. The assault by the 10th West Yorkshires on Fricourt at first was successful. Their "first waves" entered the German trenches with the minimum of casualties. Sassoon described these men as cheering "as if at a football match". Unfortunately, the artillery battery which should have destroyed the German machine gun post at Wing Corner, met with shell fuse trouble and did not fire. Thus the German machine gunners at Wing Corner were able to bring down devastating fire on the 10th West Yorkshires practically wiping out the battalion. Their casualties (710) were the highest incurred by any battalion taking part in the Somme battle, just 31 men remaining unwounded.
Then an inexplicable event took place. The machine gun post at Wing Corner was directly opposite "A" company of the 7th Green Howards under the command of an experienced Company Commander – Major Kent. The Green Howards’ instructions were to remain in their front line trenches at Fricourt until 2.30 p.m. at which hour they would attack the German lines in concert with the 20th Manchesters attacking from the Bois Francais trenches. At 7.45 a.m., seeing the devastating fire being wrought by the machine guns at Wing Corner upon the West Yorks., Major Kent decided, despite his instructions to the contrary, to disobey orders and attack the machine gun post at Wing Corner.
Attacking across No Man's Land his company met intense enemy fire and they were mown down, suffering over 100 casualties, among them a badly wounded Major Kent. As the trenches which "A" company of the Green Howards and the West Yorks. had left were now almost unoccupied, troops of the 7th Bn. East Yorkshire Regt. were quickly brought in to man the front line. At 2.30 p.m. this battalion began their attack across the very same ground over which the Green Howards had so recently crossed and met with similar ill-fortune. For, although the artillery battery had remedied the fuse problem, it dare not fire on Wing Corner for fear of hitting the wounded Green Howards who were sheltering in holes in No Man's Land awaiting darkness when they could crawl back to the British lines.
Thus, in the space of 3 minutes, the East Yorkshires suffered 123 casualties, for the machine gun emplacement at Wing corner was still in action.
Whilst this attack was taking place, the 20th Manchesters had left the Bois Francais trenches and had met with intense German resistance. Their casualties mounted, including the death of their Commanding Officer, Col. Lewis, for the German machine gunners at Wing Corner were able to bring heavy fire on the Manchesters as well as upon the East Yorkshires. Eventually, the 1st Royal Welch Fusiliers were called in to assist. Bombing their way over the mine craters (under the command of Sassoon’s friend–Julian Dadd) and thence down the various trenches, they eventually reached Wing Corner and overwhelmed the defenders there.
The German resistance was now over and by the following morning Siegfried Sassoon reported that British soldiers were everywhere in Fricourt collecting souvenirs and rounding up prisoners. Sassoon’s Diary records the following unkind observation:- "Yorkshires reported to have made a mess of clearing Fricourt". One of the Yorkshires reported upon unkindly included the poet Lt. A.V.Ratcliffe a friend of Rupert Brooke. He lies with his C.O. and others of the 10th West Yorks. in the CWGC cemetery in Fricourt.
Sassoon and the 1st Royal Welch Fusiliers now moved forward to the edge of Mametz Wood ready to take part in the second stage of the Somme Battle in that area.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Copyright © www.1914-18.co.uk, 1999. All rights reserved.