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Age-18

Russell House, High Road, Whetstone

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 1 July, 1916, 8th Division attacked the Ovillers spur with 23 Brigade advancing along the exposed slopes of Mash Valley. The 2nd Middlesex and 2nd Devonshire battalions led 23 Brigade’s attack and some men managed to get through the German front line and move on another 200 yards to the German second line.  But cross-fire from communication trenches and shell holes prevented any further movement and eventually, some 70 men held 300 yards of German front.  After two hours of this they had run out of bombs and were forced out and fell back over No-Man’s-Land.  Casualties for 2nd Devonshire on this day amounted to 450 and included Walter Carter.