1st July 1916

[mooke07]

To the memory of the 31st Division and The Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916.

Cheers Dean.

[MH331]

A couple of 1/5th Notts and Derby men who took part in the ill fated diversionary attack on Gommecourt on 1/7/16.

First 2515 Private Francis Cokayne who was one of only 25 men confirmed as reaching the German trenches on 1st July 1916. He survived the war being discharged in 1919
Second 4121 Private H Smith who was taken prisoner after several hours in no mans land protecting his platoon commander. His actions are mentioned in some detail in Alan McDonalds Book 'Lack of Offensive Spirit'.

Mark

[Tigerlily]

Well I started blubbing just after 7 this morning and I'm hoping to pull myself together at some point before days end. The commemoration from Thiepval was incredibly moving. The events of 100 years ago very much playing on my mind today.

Alli

[Chipper]

Blubber away Alli, we all owe these men a great deal.

This is the War memorial in the Village I live in in France. While not directly Somme related, each year on 11/11 the village children read out each name on it, one by one, adding "mort pour la France", keeping their sacrifice alive.

So by remembering, you are honouring them. Good for you.

Lest we forget

Tim

[Tigerlily]

Originally Posted by Chipper

Blubber away Alli, we all owe these men a great deal.

This is the War memorial in the Village I live in in France. While not directly Somme related, each year on 11/11 the village children read out each name on it, one by one, adding "mort pour la France", keeping their sacrifice alive.

So by remembering, you are honouring them. Good for you.

Lest we forget

Tim

That's wonderful, I like to see children getting involved its so important. I remember the writer Lynn Macdonald talking about how she attended a D Day commemoration and some tourists were complaining about children running on the beaches and a veteran pulled them up sharp saying "we fought so they could run on this beach". Neither here nor there and completely irrelevant but it popped in my head.
Its really got to me, particularly after 7.30 and I just kept thinking about what would have been going on, the waves of them going over the top.
Thinking of all those who fought throughout the entire battle, including my Grandfather who was injured in September 1916 at Schwaben Redoubt with the East Surrey's.

[Charliedog012012]

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

Well I started blubbing just after 7 this morning and I'm hoping to pull myself together at some point before days end. The commemoration from Thiepval was incredibly moving. The events of 100 years ago very much playing on my mind today.

Alli

Like yourself I was up nice and early this morning so I could remember my great uncle who went over the top at 7.30 and died in a hail of machine gun fire within minutes near Fricourt. I kept thinking that his parents at home had no idea that he had died within a few minutes of the battle starting and would be going about their daily lives in blissful ignorance. Both of my great uncles are on the Thiepval memorial. I thought that having the children laying flowers on each grave was wonderful.

[Charliedog012012]

I wonder how many members of the forum are aware of the Thiepval database project which aims to find out information about men who are listed on the Thiepval memorial. This project has been running for some years now and is the brainchild of Ken & Pam Linge who have devoted hours and hours to its development. This being the 100th anniversary of the Somme battle, it would be a fitting tribute to the missing of the Somme if people were able to provide information for any person listed on the memorial. This database is searchable for visitors to the Memorial. Any information in addition to the basic data held by the Commonwealth Wra Graves Commision would help.
I have listed a link below for anyone who might be interested to contributing to the database project.

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/organizati...se-project.htm

[Ian B]

I was going to post this in "Off Topic", but reading the above posts, I thought I'd put it here.

While July 1st is a day of celebration in the rest of Canada, the day in 1867 we became a recognized nation in the world, that is not the fact in Newfoundland and Labrador. During WWI, they were not technically a part of Canada, but were still under British control. They provided a battalion sized regiment, the Newfoundland Regiment that served first in the Dardenelles and then in France. On July 1st, the regiment was the follow-on troops in the area of Beaumont-Hamel. When the first wave failed to advance, the regiment was committed to attack, unfortunately due to misinformation. Most never got to the frontline trenches. The German machine guns were ready and the regiment was almost decimated. Only a handful were alive to answer muster the next day. This loss was felt deeply in all the small communities in Newfoundland. There was hardly a household that did not loose a family member in this battle. This loss of the best and brightest and its impact on Newfoundland life and the huge debt incurred in borrowing from Britain to help in the war led to local political control being taken from the government; and supervision by unelected officials sent out from England.

So, while the rest of Canada has a big party, Newfoundlanders gather to remember and consider what "might have been". Until they joined Canada in 1949, July 1st was, and to some still is, their Remembrance Day.

Ian B

[FMT600]

Originally Posted by Ian B

I was going to post this in "Off Topic", but reading the above posts, I thought I'd put it here.

While July 1st is a day of celebration in the rest of Canada, the day in 1867 we became a recognized nation in the world, that is not the fact in Newfoundland and Labrador. During WWI, they were not technically a part of Canada, but were still under British control. They provided a battalion sized regiment, the Newfoundland Regiment that served first in the Dardenelles and then in France. On July 1st, the regiment was the follow-on troops in the area of Beaumont-Hamel. When the first wave failed to advance, the regiment was committed to attack, unfortunately due to misinformation. Most never got to the frontline trenches. The German machine guns were ready and the regiment was almost decimated. Only a handful were alive to answer muster the next day. This loss was felt deeply in all the small communities in Newfoundland. There was hardly a household that did not loose a family member in this battle. This loss of the best and brightest and its impact on Newfoundland life and the huge debt incurred in borrowing from Britain to help in the war led to local political control being taken from the government; and supervision by unelected officials sent out from England.

So, while the rest of Canada has a big party, Newfoundlanders gather to remember and consider what "might have been". Until they joined Canada in 1949, July 1st was, and to some still is, their Remembrance Day.

Ian B

Ian,

Thank you for posting this as I'm sure that many of us on this side of the pond were unaware of the heavy casualties incurred by the Newfoundland Regiment on the 1st of July, we in the UK tend to think of the losses to the Pals Battalions on this day (when of course many other Battalions suffered equally horrendous casualty rates) and the effect such losses had on the close communities from which they were recruited, very much like the effects felt by the communities on Newfoundland I should imagine.

Kind Regards,

FMT600

[Charliedog012012]

Originally Posted by FMT600

Ian,

Thank you for posting this as I'm sure that many of us on this side of the pond were unaware of the heavy casualties incurred by the Newfoundland Regiment on the 1st of July, we in the UK tend to think of the losses to the Pals Battalions on this day (when of course many other Battalions suffered equally horrendous casualty rates) and the effect such losses had on the close communities from which they were recruited, very much like the effects felt by the communities on Newfoundland I should imagine.

Kind Regards,

FMT600

Over 800 went over the top on that day with many falling before they reached their own front line. After the battle, only 68 were fit enough for roll call. You cannot fail to be moved when you visit Newfoundland Park in France.

[Tigerlily]

Originally Posted by Charliedog012012

Like yourself I was up nice and early this morning so I could remember my great uncle who went over the top at 7.30 and died in a hail of machine gun fire within minutes near Fricourt. I kept thinking that his parents at home had no idea that he had died within a few minutes of the battle starting and would be going about their daily lives in blissful ignorance. Both of my great uncles are on the Thiepval memorial. I thought that having the children laying flowers on each grave was wonderful.

I was walking the dogs later and I kept thinking about the people back at home going about their lives not knowing what their loved ones were going through, or if they were alive or dead. I'm not normally so emotional, and I've been immersed in the Great War a very long time, but it's bothered me hugely today.

[grey_green_acorn]

In memory of Rifleman Samuel Wilson of Seapatrick, Banbridge, County Down (my wife's great uncle)
13/570 D Company 13th (Service) Battalion (1st County Down Volunteers) The Royal Irish Rifles, 108 Infantry Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division

Aged 21 Missing, presumed dead, Thiepval Wood

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 15A and 15B

Rest in Peace

Tim

[Charliedog012012]

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

I was walking the dogs later and I kept thinking about the people back at home going about their lives not knowing what their loved ones were going through, or if they were alive or dead. I'm not normally so emotional, and I've been immersed in the Great War a very long time, but it's bothered me hugely today.

I always think of the Pals at Serre, and the horrific losses. The link below should take you to an account of a German Machine Gun officer at Serre on that fateful morning. If it does not bring a lump to your throat, nothing will. Let us never forget their sacrifice.

http://www.pals.org.uk/lais_e.htm

[mtrpltpara]

Memorial card to a Leeds Pals Officer

[Frank Kelley]

It took some time for the War Office to give notice, here in my home town, by the end of the month, many of those who had initially received news that their husbands, brothers and sons were missing, then received the worst possible news, in one particular street, by the time the postman had worked his way from one end to the other, on his first delivery, almost every householder had drawn their curtains.
Truly appalling and very sad indeed.

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

I was walking the dogs later and I kept thinking about the people back at home going about their lives not knowing what their loved ones were going through, or if they were alive or dead. I'm not normally so emotional, and I've been immersed in the Great War a very long time, but it's bothered me hugely today.