First Name: | Percy Julian | Last Name: | POSENER | |
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Date of Death: | 08/07/1916 | Lived/Born In: | South Hampstead | |
Rank: | Second Lieutenant | Unit: | Wiltshire2 | |
Memorial Site: | Thiepval Memorial, France | |||
Current Information:Age-41 3, Canfield House, Finchley Road
The Battle of the Somme (July-November, 1916) On 1st July 1916 The British Army launched a massive offensive along a section of the front line running north of the River Somme. The French attacked south of it. The first day was a disaster for the British army which suffered nearly 60,000 casualties, 19,000 of whom were killed, and made hardly any inroads into the enemy lines. But the battle had to go on, if for no other reason than to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun where they had been facing the full onslaught of the powerful German Army. So it continued all the way through to November with nearly every battalion and division then in France being drawn into it at some stage. In the end the German trenches had been pushed back a few miles along most of the line but the cost in lives had been staggering. By the end of the fighting in November, 1916, British Army casualties numbered over 400,000, killed, wounded and missing. On 1st July, 30th Division attacked at the southern end of the British line with the French on their right. Their objective was the village of Montauban and this was one of the few successful attacks of the day. 2nd Wiltshire of 21 Brigade were in support for this attack but the next day, 2nd July, they moved forward to reinforce 90 Brigade who were facing a heavy attack on the high ground at Montauban. Progress was slow but they finally made it to a long rough trench on northern outskirts of Montauban. The trench was full of German and British wounded and 2nd Wiltshire stayed there all day under heavy low bursting shrapnel. They were relieved late that night and moved back to original trenches near Carnoy. The Battle of the Somme (July-November, 1916) On 1st July 1916 The British Army launched a massive offensive along a section of the front line running north of the River Somme. The French attacked south of it. The first day was a disaster for the British army which suffered nearly 60,000 casualties, 19,000 of whom were killed, and made hardly any inroads into the enemy lines. But the battle had to go on, if for no other reason than to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun where they had been facing the full onslaught of the powerful German Army. So it continued all the way through to November with nearly every battalion and division then in France being drawn into it at some stage. In the end the German trenches had been pushed back a few miles along most of the line but the cost in lives had been staggering. By the end of the fighting in November, 1916, British Army casualties numbered over 400,000, killed, wounded and missing. The days immediately following the carnage of July 1st on the Somme, had two main priorities. They were to rescue the wounded and to consolidate what gains had been made. However, despite the slaughter of 1st July, there was no going back. This was the “Big Push” and the attacks had to continue and Haig decided that they would continue on the southern sector of the front where the few successes had occurred. The first two weeks of the battle saw Fourth Army pushing forward towards the German second line from Contalmaison, through Mametz Wood to Trones Wood. The problem was that these attacks were uncoordinated, with divisions and corps operating independently and without direction from Army HQ. In a series of isolated operations the British Army struggled forward and took territory but the price in human life was far higher than it should have been. The attack on Trones Wood did not start until 8th July, 1916, by which time the enemy had had time to prepare his defences. On this day, 30th Division began a series of isolated attacks, sometimes only by companies, sometimes by battalions against the wood and for the next four days bitter fighting took place in the tangled undergrowth. By 12th July, when 30th Division were relieved, parts of Trones Wood were still in German hands. At 8am on 8th July, 2nd Yorkshire of 21 Brigade moved forward from their positions in Bernafay Wood but immediately came under fire and were forced back. At midday “A” Company of 2nd Wiltshire, also of 21 Brigade, attacked the wood and managed to reach Maltz Horn Trench. “C” and “D” Companies moved up and helped consolidate this new position before launching an attack on the southern part of Trones Wood and establishing a new line on its south-east edge. During this day of heavy fighting, 2nd Wiltshire sustained many casualties, one of whom was Percy Posener. |
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