Chapter 4a – Flers-Courcelette

Redeployment During his time in command of the BEF Gen Sir Douglas Haig issued eight despatches, which covered British operations from December 1915 until the end of the war in November 1918. They were…

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Footnotes

  1. On the 1st of July the 4th Army was comprised of III Corps (8th & 34th Divn), VIII Corps (4th, 29th  & 31st Divn), XIII Corps (18th & 30th Divn), X Corps (32, 36 Divn) & XV Corps (18th & 30th Divn)
  2. Doullens was a very important allied railhead for the Somme front, on the N25 Amiens-Arras road. From the summer of 1915 to March 1916, it was at the junction between the French 10th Army at Arras and the Commonwealth 3rd Army on the Somme. Commonwealth forces replaced the French on the Arras front in March
  3.  Fienvillers lies to the south-west of Doullens 
  4. Pierregotte
  5.  Round is the term for the bullet with the cartridge attached 
  6. The principal UK small arms factories were the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, the Birmingham Small Arms Company and London Small Arms Company Ltd
  7. Becourt Wood was used as a military encampment throughout the campaign, the nearby chateau serving as a dressing station. The wood is now the site of the CWGC Becourt Wood Cemetery,  a few hundred metres to the west of Becourt village
  8. Shelter Alley -
  9. 7th (Princess Royal’s) Dragoon Guards (9th Secunderabad Cavalry Bde, 2nd Indian Cavalry Divn)
  10. 20th Deccan Horse (9th Secunderabad Cavalry Bde, 2nd Indian Cavalry Divn) - The charge was the first made since trench warfare began, and it was the last. The regiment suffered 50 casualties (including nine dead) and 72 horses
  11. Lachrymatory gas (tear gas) irritated mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs, causing the victim to sneeze, cough and shed tears
  12.  Quadrangle Trench - was located between Mametz Wood and Contalmaison was captured from the enemy on the 5th July 
  13. 6th Avenue East -
  14. The junction between Intermediate Trench and Jutland Alley - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.2.d.7.5
  15.  Brigadier-General Henry Frederick Hugh Clifford DSO (GOC 149th Bde) is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension. His father, Major General Sir Henry Clifford, was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1854, in recognition of his gallantry while serving as a Lt in the Rifle Bde during the Crimean War 
  16.  Capt D. Hill 
  17. Not certain from which unit of the Norfolk Regt they came from, however six figure service numbers suggest many were recruited  into the 3/6th Cyclist Bn
  18.  The 149th and 150th Bde boundary ran rearward from the junction of Clark’s Trench with Jutland Alley (S.3.a.0.0), to the Cross roads (S.8.b.6.9), road junction (S.8 c.9.7), the old German (O.G) trench (S.14.a.2.6) to the north-west corner of Mametz Wood 
  19. The 142nd Bde was part of the 47th (1/2nd London) Territorial Divn, along with the 140th and 141st Infantry Bdes
  20.  From Clark’s Trench (Longueval Map:57c SW3 - Reference: S.3d.2.8) back to the windmill (S.9.c.3.9), the road (S.8.d.9.1), crossroads exclusive to 149th Bde (S.14.b.1.5), point on road (S.13.b.1.0), road inclusive to 149th Bde ( X.24.a.8.8) to Quadrangle Trench (X.23.c.4.6 ½)
  21. Hornbeam, Lime, Oak and Beech trees
  22.  Pte Edgar Norman Gladden (7/7137, 292699)
  23. Brigadier-General Robert Montgomery Ovens (b.1868) was CO of the 1st South Staffordshire Regt in 1914 and 1915. The ‘Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG)’; a British order of chivalry used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations
  24. The Battle of Albert was in fact the opening of the Somme Offensive on the 1st of July. Bazentin Ridge – 14th July
  25. The extreme right hand end of Eye Trench rested on the road from Martinpuich to High Wood
  26.  Principally Eye Trench - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.3.b.6.6 - S.3.b.O.5.5
  27. Jutland Avenue - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.2.d
  28. Bethel Sap – A trench dug forward into ‘no man’s land’ at a 90̊ angle from the front line trench. This was used as an observation and listening post. Saps were often joined together to make a new forward trench
  29.  Clark’s Trench - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.3.c.4.9
  30.  New Quarry - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.8.d 9.9.5
  31. Old Quarry - Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.8.b.8.1
  32. Eaucourt L’Abbaye - Gueudecourt Map: 57cSW1-3A - Ref:
  33. Winston Churchill sponsored much of the early research and development work  on ‘landships’ whilst serving as First Lord of the Admiralty
  34. The twenty-eight ton tank had a crew of eight and was powered by a 105hp Daimler engine, producing a maximum speed of 3.7mph. ‘Male’ tanks were armed with two six-pounder guns mounted in a sponson on either side. The ‘female' tank was armed with four Vickers machine guns
  35.  The Loop - Meulte Map: 62d NE2 -  Ref: F.28.b 
  36. Both tanks belonged to No4 Section, ‘D’ Coy, Heavy Bde, MGC. Lt Walter Stones commanded D24 (a male tank - serial no 751) and 2nd Lt Edward Colle D25 (a female tank - serial no 511)
  37.  Caterpillar Valley runs from east to west and lies between Mametz village and Mametz Wood 
  38. Capt Henry Hogarth Bell was OC ‘D’ Coy
  39. Creeping barrage
  40. OC - Capt Tweedy
  41. The 141st Bde (47th Divn) line from left to right comprised the 1/18th London Irish Rifles, 1/17th Popular & Stepney Rifles, The 1/19th St Pancras and 1/20th Blackheath & Woolwich were to follow
  42.  Bn HQ staff consisted of the Commanding Officer (CO) a Lt Colonel, Second in command a Major, Captain adjutant, Captain Quartermaster, Medical Officer, RSM, and Sergeants filling the roles of Quartermaster, Drummer, Cook, Pioneer, Shoemaker, Transport, Signaller, Armourer, Orderly Room Clerk 
  43. The north west corner of High Wood:  Longueval Map: 57c SW3 - Ref: S.3.b.8.6
  44. 23rd Bavarian Regt
  45. Brecon communication trench linked Bazentin-le-Petit with the eastern end of Clark’s Trench and the western corner of High Wood: Longueval Map: 57cSW3 Reference: S.9.a & S.3.c & d
  46. OC - Capt Demford
  47.  Grenade throwers
  48.  Premature detonations were caused by defective shells and worn out guns 
  49. 2nd Lt Norman Campbell Conochie transferred from 9th Highland Light Infantry (HLI). 34 Ancaster Drive, Annitsland, Glasgow
  50.  2nd Lt Richard Danton Browne transferred to the 11th NF. From Durban, South Africa 
  51. 2nd Lt Keith Patrick was attached from the 6th HLI – ADANAC Military Cemetery. It is assumed that Patrick was destined for the 6th HLI, but diverted to the NF because at this time the 6th was in Egypt
  52. 2nd Lt J Fleming was attached from the 6th HLI – Bazentin le Petit Communal Cemetery
  53. 2nd Lt George James Balfour was attached from the 6th HLI – Delville Wood Cemetery
  54. The  3rd objective - Starfish Line: Gueudecourt Map: 57cSW1-3A - Ref: M.34.a
  55. OC - Lt Daglish
  56.  a Royal Field Artillery Forward Observation Officer
  57.  2nd Lt Browne was on the Bn HQ staff 
  58. 15th Scottish Divn was comprised of the 44th, 45th and 46th Infantry Bdes
  59. GSO1 50th Divn 1916/17 – Brigadier Henry Karslake (1879-1942) 
  60.  Pte Ralph Newton (4/3318) and John Edward Newton (4/909) 
  61.  Pte Charles Edwin Cade is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial 
  62. The drafts were possibly men from the 4th East Yorks
  63. 150th Bde
  64.  ‘Jumping off’ was the term applied to shallow trenches or saps in front of the main line which were dug in order to gain a foothold in ‘No Man’s Land’ and cut the distance the infantry would need to cover out in the open in order to reach the enemy line 
  65. Vaux Post strongpoint - Longueval Map: 57cSW3 - Ref: S.3.b.7.5
  66. Lt Henry Mylas Carrick
  67. Lt Findlayson
  68. Lt Henry Archibald Long
  69. Lt Stephenson
  70. Lt William Barry Hicks
  71. Lt John Martin Benson
  72. Eaucourt L’Abbaye: Gueudecourt Map: 57cSW1-3A - Ref: M.23.c
  73. Lt Henry Mylas Carrick
  74. Pte Edward Francis McClafferty (4/1741) served with ‘C’ Haltwhistle Coy and had been wounded on the 26th April 1915 
  75.  Pte Patrick Charles Johnson (9037) 
  76. Pte Fred Thomas Norton (aged 24) is buried at Etaples cemetery, so may have died from wounds sustained at an earlier date
  77. Pte J. Potter (1342) is buried at St Sever Cemetery in Rouen, so he may have died from wounds sustained at an earlier date
  78.  Pte Henry John Mead (4/1869) was born in Hexham and enlisted in Corbridge
  79.  (Ancestry.com) 
  80. The 1st Gloucesters were part of the 1st (Regular) Divn comprised of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Infantry Bdes

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