Current Information:

Age-19

136, Ealing Road, Brentford

Hebuterne Military Cemetery, France

The opening day of the Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916

This was a disastrous day for the British Army in France. Eleven divisions of Fourth Army attacked along a fifteen mile front from Maricourt to Serre. Two further divisions of Third Army launched a diversionary attack just to the north of Serre at Gommecourt. For a week beforehand the British artillery pounded the enemy trenches but the Germans had been there for a long time and they had constructed deep, concrete reinforced shelters beneath their trenches and many survived the bombardment. The troops went over the top at 7.30 am but even before they had left their overcrowded trenches, many had been killed or maimed by German artillery. The Germans knew that they were coming. Once in No-Man’s-Land the artillery continued to take its toll and then the machine guns opened up on the advancing British infantry. They fell in their thousands and the attack came to a standstill almost everywhere. Survivors sought cover wherever they could find it and at night they crawled back to their own lines, often dragging a wounded soldier with them. Only in the south were any advances made with the attack on Fricourt and Mametz. Over 19,000 British soldiers were killed on this day, including 2,500 from London.

The attack on Gommecourt

The 56th (London) Division and the 46th (North Midland) Division carried out the diversionary attack on Gommecourt. It was intended to draw German reserves away from the main battle further south and to pinch out the Gommecourt salient. It failed on both counts. The German defences at Gommecourt were among the strongest any British attack faced on 1st July. Nevertheless 56th Division’s attack on the southern edge of the salient began promisingly. The first two German lines were taken but they could get no further. 46th Division’s attack came to grief on the uncut wire and by the end of a very bloody day all but the dead and injured were back in their own trenches.

On 1st July, 56th Division attacked with 168 and 169 Brigades. 167 Brigade were in reserve and at 5am, 8th Middlesex paraded and marched to Souastre. All day they had to witness the awful carnage inflicted on 168 and 169 Brigades who took the full weight of the German fire after the attack of 46th Division to the north failed.  The Germans laid down such a heavy barrage that no support could reach them.  In the afternoon 8th Middlesex moved to a line of trenches east of Sailly-au-Bois and from there were ordered to take over the western sector of the front line which they found almost completely destroyed by the shelling. The battalion did not escape scot free and they sustained a number of casualties, mostly from the heavy shelling of the British trenches that was part of the battle. One of those who lost their life was Sidney Croxon.