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Age-20

9, Wellesley Road, Wanstead

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 15 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 German 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 7.30am 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.

On 1st July, 1916, 8th Division attacked the Ovillers spur with 23 Brigade on the right, advancing along the exposed slopes of Mash Valley, 25 Brigade in the centre moving against Ovillers and 70 Brigade on the left along the slopes of Nab Valley. 25 Brigade attacked with the 2nd Royal Berkshire and 2nd Lincolnshire battalions with 1st Royal Irish Rifles in support and 2nd Rifle Brigade in reserve. 2nd Lincolnshire were in position by 3.30am and patrols reported that the German wire had been well cut. At 6.25am, in response to the start of the intense British bombardment, the Germans replied with high explosive and  shrapnel on the front line and assembly trenches, all crowded with soldiers ready to move forward.  At 7.25am the leading companies moved into no-man’s land and five minutes later the main attack began. 2nd Lincolnshire came up against German rifle fire from their second line of trenches and machine gun fire from the left as they moved forward in rushes, stopping from time to time to return fire. The German front line was found to be strongly held and those that made it that far were met by a shower of bombs. After a hard fight 200 yards of trench were taken and the support company moved up but there was very little cover in the badly knocked about German front line. Vain attempts were made to attack the German second line but after 3 hours their position was no longer tenable. They had run out of bombs (grenades) and the enemy were making counter attacks on both sides. A company of 1st Irish Rifles tried to make it across but only 10-12 made it. 2nd Lincolnshire fell back to shell holes in no-mans land and then back to their own trenches. 25 Brigade, badly damaged, then withdrew further and occupied the assembly dug-outs. 2nd Lincolnshire had suffered nearly 500 casualties in a few short hours. One of these was Herbert Robinson.