Current Information:

Age-27

60, Longridge Road, Earl's Court

Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, 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 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, 4th Division attacked as part of VIII Corps against the fortress villages of Serre and Beaumont Hamel. The German positions here were a kind of amphitheatre with the British confronted by tiers of fire. Their defences also included two strong redoubts, Ridge Redoubt and the Quadrilateral. Their objective was to breach Munich trench, 100 yards behind the front line and then the supporting Brigades would pass through. However, no-man’s- land was bare of cover with well sited German defences which the bombardment had not destroyed.

At 7.20 a.m. Hawthorne Ridge mine was blown and the artillery lifted off the German line providing them with ample warning of the impending attack which followed 10 minutes later. 1st Rifle Brigade and 1st East Lancashire led 11 Brigade’s attack and both suffered terribly as did 1st Hampshire following in their wake.  10 Brigade and 12 Brigade then moved up in the open from the reserve trenches.  In light of what had happened to 11 Brigade, 4th Division HQ sent out a message not to proceed but in the chaos of battle this was not received and at 9.30am, 4 ½ bns in extended lines on a 1500 yard front, began advancing across no-man’s land.  2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers and 2nd Seaforth Highlanders from 10 Brigade and  2nd Essex, 1st Royal Lancaster (King’s Own) and half of 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers from 12 Brigade.. 2nd Seaforth Highlanders and 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers got some shelter by inclining to the left and they were then able to press on and reinforce the advanced units of 11 Brigade.  Some even pressed on to Munich Trench, a further 500 yards but by this time they were much reduced in numbers and running short of grenades.  By 11am the Germans had worked round their flanks and got behind them and strong bombing parties were working down from Serre.  Those who had reached Munich Trench were forced to retire to the Quadrilateral.  Just before 11am two companies of 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers and one company of 2nd West Riding had reinforced those in the Quadrilateral, but there was no other assistance. No-man’s land was littered with the dead and wounded. When it got dark the stretcher bearers went to work and luckily the Germans allowed them to recover the wounded without firing on them. The meagre gains made by 4th Division that day were all back in German hands by the next. One of those who did not survive the day was Hugh Sayres.