16. Sheldon, Jack, The German Army on the Somme 1914–1916 (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2005), p. 141.
17. Schwarz, Dr Richard, ‘Truppen-Sanitatsdienst wahrend der Sommeschlacht,’ in Treffen der 26.R.D. am 5. Juli 1936, ed. Matthaus Gerster (Stuttgart: unknown publisher, 1936), p. 35.
18. Holtz, Georg von, Das Württembg. Res. Inft. Regt. No. 121 im Weltkrieg 1914–1918 (Stuttgart: Chr. Belsersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1921), p. 34.
19. Soden, Franz von, Die 26. (Württembergische) Reserve-Division im Weltkreg 1914–1918 (Stuttgart: Bergers Literarisches Buro und Verlagsanstalt, 1939), p. 109.
20. ibid., pp. 102–3, 109; Holtz, p. 34; Burrows, John, The Essex Regiment: 2nd Battalion (Southend-on-Sea: John H. Burrows & Sons, 1928), p. 143.
21. Burrows, 2nd Essex, pp. 142–3.
22. ‘An Appreciation of Probable German Defences’, 4 April 1916, Hunter-Weston Papers, BL.
23. VIII Corps Heavy Artillery (CHA), war diary, 24–30 June 1916, NAUK, WO/95/825; VIII Corps Royal Artillery’s (CRA) war diary for 24–30 June 1916, NAUK, WO/95/824; the figure 363,000 has been estimated as 20% of the total Fourth Army field artillery shells fired 24–30 June. See Edmonds, Sir James, Military Operations France and Belgium, 1916, Vol. 1 (London: Imperial War Museum, 1992), p. 302.
24. VIII CHA, war diary, 1 July 1916; VIII CRA, war diary, 1 July 1916; See also Edmonds, p. 302.
25. Edmonds, p. 427; this ratio is marginally more favourable than that for the whole of Fourth Army. See Edmonds, p. 301.
26. Macdonald, Andrew, Passchendaele: The Anatomy of a Tragedy (Auckland: Harper Collins, 2013), p. 233.
27. Howard, Charles, letter, 6 November 1929, NAUK, CAB/45/134.
28. Collis-Browne, John, letter, 12 November 1929, NAUK, CAB/45/132.
29. Charteris, Brigadier-General John, At G.H.Q., (London: Cassell, 1931), p. 150.
30. ibid.
31. Edmonds, p. 430.
32. ibid., p. 430; howitzers firing on the front line would step their fire back to the front-line reserve trench. Those firing on the front-line support trench would lift their fire to front-line reserve trench at 7.25 a.m.
33. ibid., pp. 430–1.
34. ibid., p. 431; no copy of these orders is known to have survived.
35. Jones, Underground, p. 118.
36. Edmonds, p. 429.
37. Edmonds, p. 430.
38. Jones, Underground, p. 118; Hunter-Weston knew full well that mine debris came to earth in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes, a fact that might have dispelled de Lisle’s alleged concerns; see: Hunter-Weston, letter, 20 May 1916, op. cit.
39. Jones, p. 118.
40. Edmonds, p. 430; Jones, Underground, p. 118; the time was approved by GHQ. Numerous battle participants cited the timing of the mine blast as the reason for the disaster that befell VIII Corps, see NAUK, CAB/45/132–138.
41. Jones, Underground, p. 118.
42. Gibbon, John, letter, February 1930, NAUK, CAB/45/132.
43. ibid.
44. ibid.
45. Gerster, Matthaus, Die Schwaben an der Ancre: aus den Kampfen der 26. Reserve-Division (Heilbronn: Eugen Salzer, 1918), p. 109; Stosch, Albrecht von, Somme-Nord, I Teil: Der Brennpunkte der Schlacht im Juli 1916 (Oldenburg: Gerhard Stalling, 1927), p. 32.
46. Beck, Adolf, ‘Der Kampf am Heidenkopf,’ in Treffen der 26.R.D., ed. Gerster, p. 17.
47. Gerster, Die Schwaben, p. 109.
48. Sheen, John, Durham Pals: 18th, 19th, & 22nd (Service) Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2006), p. 99.
49. Gerster, Die Schwaben, p. 110.
50. ibid.
51. ibid., p. 113.
52. ibid., p. 110.
53. ibid.
54. 31st Division Report on Operations, 1 July 1916, Fourth Army, Battle of the Somme: Summary Operations, NAUK, WO/158/327; Prior, Robin, and Wilson, Trevor, The Somme (Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 2005), p. 80.
55. Soden, p. 102.
56. See Chapter 3 for more details; 52nd Infantry Division had an estimated 106 guns, of which about one-third were supporting Serre.
57. Klaus, Max, Das Württembergische Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 26 im Weltkrieg 1914–1918 (Stuttgart: Chr. Belsersche Verlagsbuchhandlung 1929), pp. 48–52; available data as to the number of surviving guns is inconclusive.
58. ibid.
59. Rees, Hubert, letter, 14 November 1929, NAUK, CAB/45/137.
60. Report on the Operations of the 29th Division, 29th Division, war diary, July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2280/4.
61. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers (London: Institute of Royal Engineers, 1951), ed. H.L. Prichard, pp. 269–70.
62. 1/2nd Monmouths, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2295/1.
63. 1st Lancashire Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2300.
64. 2nd Royal Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2301/3; O’Neill, Herbert, The Royal Fusiliers in the Great War (London: Heinemann, 1922), p. 110.
65. 16th Middlesex, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2302/2; 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2301/1.
66. 2nd South Wales Borderers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2304/2.
67. ibid.
68. 1st Borders, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2305/1.
69. 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2305/2.
70. ibid.; Edmonds, p. 433; the battalion war diary does not state that its men got into the German trench, but notes some reached the German wire.
71. 1st King’s Own Scottish Borderers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2304/1; Edmonds, pp. 433–4.
72. Edmonds, p. 434.
73. Gillon, Stair, The K.O.S.B. in the Great War (London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1930), p. 180.
74. 1st Borders, war diary, op. cit.
75. 2nd South Wales Borderers, war diary, op. cit.; 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, war diary, op. cit.; 2nd Royal Fusiliers, war diary, op. cit.; 1st King’s Own Scottish Borderers, war diary, op. cit.; 1st Borders, war diary, op. cit.; 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, war diary, op. cit.
76. Osborn, George, diary, 28 June 1916, South Wales Borderers (SWB) Museum.
77. ibid., 1 July 1916.
78. ibid.
79. Hurst, pp. 195–6.
80. Smith, Peter, letter, undated, ULLC/WW1/MID01.
81. ibid.
82. Fraser, A.T., interview, ULLC/WW1/GS/0585.
83. Gerster, RIR119, p. 55.
84. Packe, diary, 1 July 1916.
85. Burnley Express, 12 August 1916.
86. 11th Brigade Diagram of Formation for 1st Objective, 4th Division, war diary, July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1445/1.
87. 11th Brigade Diagram of Formation for 2nd Objective, 4th Division, war diary, op. cit.; 10th Brigade Diagram of Formation, 4th Division, war diary, op. cit.; 12th Brigade Diagram of Formation, 4th Division, war diary, op. cit.
88. Prichard, p. 270.
89. Burnley Express, op. cit.
90. Somerville, D.H.S., letter, 4 April 1930, NAUK, CAB/45/137; Adams, Capt D.R., letter, 26 March 1930, NAUK, CAB/45/132.
91. 4th Division Report on Operations, 1 July 1916, Fourth Army, Battle of the Somme: Summary Operations, NAUK, WO/158/327; this document states three platoons of 1st East Lancashires entered, but the accepted number is about 40 men.
92. 1st East Lancashires, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1498/1.
93. 1st Hampshires, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1495/3; 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
94. 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
95. 1/6th Royal Warwicks, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2755/2.
96. 1/8th Royal Warwicks, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2756/2.
97. 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
98. Adams, op. cit.
99. ibid.
100. ‘Das RIR. 121 am Heidenkopf in der Sommeschlacht,’ by Friedrich Stutz in Der 1
80er, 1 July 1938; this Russian Sap was better known as ‘Cat Street.’ Another sap nearby was known as ‘Beet Street’, but some sources wrongly label it ‘Rat Street’.
101. Levine, Joshua, Forgotten Voices of the Somme (London: Ebury Publishing, 2009), p. 114.
102. 1st Rifle Brigade, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1496/3.
103. Lewis, Fred, ULLC/WW1/01/L/8.
104. ibid.
105. Whitehead, Ralph, The Other Side of the Wire, Vol. 2: The Battle of the Somme. With the German XIV Reserve Corps, 1 July 1916, (Solihull: Helion, 2013), p. 71.
106. Kerr, John, Prisoner of War Statement, NAUK, WO/161/100/16.
107. Holtz, p. 34.
108. www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/portfolio/fred-andrews/; last accessed 7 August 2015.
109. ibid.
110. Adams, op. cit.; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1507/1; Edmonds, p. 441.
111. Stosch, p. 29.
112. ibid.
113. Sheldon, Jack, The Germans at Beaumont Hamel (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2006), p. 84; Sheldon, Somme, pp. 143–4.
114. 31st Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
115. Narrative of the Operations Carried Out by the 31st Division on 1 July 1916, 31st Division, war diary, July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2341/3.
116. ibid.; Neill, R.B., letter, 6 December 1929, NAUK, CAB/45/132; Edmonds, p. 442.
117. Prichard, p. 270; Edmonds, p. 429.
118. Edmonds, p. 452.
119. Edmonds, p. 443; ‘Narrative of the Operations Carried Out by the 31st Division,’ 31st Division, op. cit.; 15th West Yorkshires, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2361/3.
120. Edmonds, p. 443.
121. 18th West Yorkshires, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2362/2.
122. 11th East Lancashires, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2366/1.
123. 12th York & Lancasters, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2365/1.
124. ibid.
125. Edmonds, p. 443.
126. 13th York & Lancasters, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2365/2.
127. 14th York & Lancasters, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2365/3.
128. Edmonds, p. 444.
129. ibid.
130. 12th York & Lancasters, war diary, op. cit.
131. 18th West Yorkshires, war diary, op. cit.
132. Oldfield, Paul, and Gibson, Ralph, Sheffield City Battalion: The 12th (Service) Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2010), p. 164.
133. ibid., p. 161.
134. ibid., p. 166.
135. Howard, Alfred, ULLC/WW1/MID01.
136. ibid.
137. Cooksey, Jon, Barnsley Pals: The 13th & 14th Battalions, York & Lancaster Regiment (Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2008), p. 205.
138. Sheen, pp. 99–100.
139. ibid., p. 98.
140. Cooksey, p. 223.
141. Durrant, Arthur, ULLC/WW1/WF01/D/19.
142. Lushington, Franklin, The Gambardier: Giving Some Account of the Heavy and Siege Artillery in France, 1914–1918 (London: Ernest Benn, 1930), p. 101.
143. Sheen, p. 98.
144. Crook, Wilfred, ULLC/WW1/MID01.
145. Evening Telegram, Newfoundland, 22 July 1916.
146. Middlebrook, Martin, The First Day on the Somme (London: Penguin Books, 1984), p. 157.
147. ibid., p. 204.
148. Lushington, p. 101.
149. Hunter-Weston, letter, 1 July 1916, op. cit.
150. ‘Narrative of Operations of 1st July 1916,’ VIII Corps GS, war diary, July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/820.
151. Gillon, p. 180.
152. Edmonds, p. 440.
153. Carden Roe, William, private papers, Imperial War Museum, Documents.7153.
154. 10th Brigade Diagram of Formation, 4th Division, war diary, op. cit.
155. Edmonds, p. 440; 2nd Duke of Wellington’s, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1508/1; 12th Brigade Diagram of Formation, 4th Division, war diary, op. cit.
156. 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1481/4.
157. ibid.
158. 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1483/5.
159. ibid.
160. 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.; 2nd Essex, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1505/1; 1st King’s Own, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1506/1.
161. 2nd Duke of Wellington’s, war diary, op. cit.; Edmonds, p. 440.
162. 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
163. 2nd Duke of Wellington’s, war diary, op. cit.; Edmonds, p. 446; 4th Division Report on Operations, op. cit.
164. Riegel, p. 3.
165. ibid.
166. Hart, Peter, The Somme (London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2005), p. 144.
167. Killed: Lieutenant-Colonels R.C. Pierce, 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, D. Wood, 1st Rifle Brigade, J.A. Thicknesse, 1st Somerset Light Infantry, the Honourable L.C.W. Palk, 1st Hampshires, G.S. Guyon, 16th West Yorkshires, M.N. Kennard, 18th West Yorkshires, E.A. Innes, 1/8th Royal Warwick, and Major J.N. Bromilow, 1st King’s Own; died of wounds: Major L.P. Walsh, 2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers; Wounded: Lieutenant-Colonels A.V. Johnson, 2nd Royal Fusiliers, A.J. Ellis, 1st Borders, J.E. Green, 1st East Lancashires, Sir G. Stirling, 2nd Essex, A.W. Rickman, 11th East Lancashires, W. Franklin, 1/6th Royal Warwicks, Cyril Howkins, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Majors A. Plackett, 12th York & Lancaster, and R.B. Neill, 15th West Yorkshires.
168. 29th Division, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2280/4; Burrows, John, The Essex Regiment: 1st Battalion (Southend-on-Sea: John H. Burrows & Sons, 1923), p. 208.
169. Spencer-Smith, Richard, letter, 17 January 1930, NAUK, CAB/45/137.
170. Day, Walter, interview, 1977, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Extension Service, L-2260.
171. Edmonds, p. 436.
172. Evening Telegram, Newfoundland, 11 August 1916.
173. Edmonds, p. 436 and addenda and corrigenda; Burrows, 1st Essex, p. 208; 1st Essex, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2309/1.
174. Burrows, 1st Essex, p. 208.
175. 29th Division, war diary, ibid.
176. ‘Report on Operations of the VIII Corps on the 1st July, 1916,’ Fourth Army, Battle of the Somme: Summary Operations, NAUK, WO/158/327; VIII Corps GS, war diary, 1 July 1916, op. cit.; Edmonds, p. 445; a variety of times are given for this order, but all are between 10.15 a.m. and 10.25 a.m.
177. 1st Royal Warwicks, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1484/3; 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, war diary, 1 July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/1482/1; Edmonds, p. 447.
178. Edmonds, p. 447.
179. ibid.
180. Hunter-Weston, letter, 1 July 1916, op. cit.
181. Edmonds, p. 448.
182. ibid.
183. 31st Division, war diary, 1 July, 1916, NAUK, WO/95/2341.
184. ibid.
185. Edmonds, p. 448.
186. ibid., p. 449
187. ibid.
188. Holtz, pp. 33–4; Gerster, RIR119, pp. 51–4; Soden, p. 110; Sheldon, Somme, p. 145.
189. Stosch, p. 29.
190. SS490: The Principles of Trench Warfare as Laid Down in the XIV Reserve Corps (19 May 1916, translated 13 October 1916).
191. O’Neill, Herbert, The Royal Fusiliers in the Great War (London: Heinemann, 1922), p. 110.
192. Hurst, p. 187.
193. Berkeley, Reginald, The History of the Rifle Brigade in the War of 1914–1918 (London: The Rifle Brigade Club, 1927), p. 166.
194. ibid., p. 168; Burrow, 2nd Essex, pp. 145–6.
195. Stosch, p. 29.
196. Berkeley, p. 168.
197. Holtz, p. 34.
198. Berkeley, p. 168.
199. Burrows, 2nd Essex, p. 146; Holtz, p. 34.
200. Cook, p. 679.
201. ‘Berichtet über den Gegestoss am Heidenkopf,’ Emil Geiger, in Der 180er, 1 July 1938.
202. ibid.
203. ‘An der Somme,’ by Friedrich C
onzelmann, in Der 180er, 1 November 1936.
204. Beck in Treffen der 26.R.D., ed. Gerster, p. 19.
205. Holtz, p. 34.
206. ibid., p. 35.
207. Hurst, p. 194.
208. Oldfield and Gibson, p. 168.
209. Sheldon, Somme, p. 142.
210. Lais, Otto, Die Schlacht an der Somme 1916 (Karlsruhe: G. Braun, 1940), pp. 16–8.
211. ibid.
212. ibid.
213. Hurst, pp. 173–4.
214. ibid., p. 174.
215. ibid., p. 175.
216. ibid.
217. ibid.
218. ibid., p. 196.
219. Malins, p. 164.
220. ibid., p. 163.
221. Slater, William, ULLC/WW1/MID01.
222. ibid.
223. Beck in Treffen der 26.R.D., ed. Gerster, p. 17.
224. ibid., p. 18.
225. ibid.
226. ibid.
227. Lind, Francis, The Letters of Mayo Lind: Newfoundland’s Unofficial War Correspondent 1914–16 (St John’s: Killick Press, 2001), p 147.
228. ibid., pp. 147–55.
229. ibid., p. 144.
230. Twillingate Sun, Newfoundland, 21 October 1916.
231. Hunter-Weston, ‘Message to all Officers, NCOs and Men of VIII Army Corps,’ 4 July 1916, VIII Corps GS, war diary, July 1916, NAUK, WO/95/820.
232. Jones, Underground, p. 120; Hunter-Weston’s message and other papers imply there was some diversionary quality to the attack, while de Lisle says he was ‘in ignorance’ that the main attack was south of the Ancre. Both are highly implausible.
233. Hunter-Weston, letter, 3 July 1916.
234. ibid.
235. Hunter-Weston, ‘Message to all Officers,’ op. cit.
236. Edmonds, pp. 436–48.
237. 1/8th Royal Warwicks, war diary, July 1916 appendices, NAUK, WO/95/2756.
Chapter 6: Loitering without Intent
1. Middlebrook, Martin, The First Day on the Somme (London: Penguin Books, 1984), pp. 241–2.
2. Unknown correspondent, letter, 26 May 1926, Morland Papers, Imperial War Museum.
3. Morland, Thomas, letter, 8 July 1916, Morland Papers, Imperial War Museum.
First day of the Somme Page 51
