Current Information:

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, 34th Division attacked either side of La Boiselle. The first wave met well placed German machine guns and within 10 minutes had 80% casualties. They made easy targets as they advanced across the 200-800 yards wide no-man’s land down the front slopes of the Tara-Usna ridge. 15th Royal Scots of 101 Brigade led the right hand column Their leading companies had moved forward during the bombardment to a position 200 yards from the German front trench and this they took with little loss and with the piper playing.  Flanking fire from La Boiselle and Sausage Valley forced a change of direction and and led to heavy casualties among the supporting companies and 16th Royal Scots, following. By 7.48am men from both 15th Royal Scots and 16th Royal Scots were on top of the Fricourt spur but behind them 2 enemy strongholds, Sausage Redoubt and Scots Redoubt were left uncaptured.  Further advances were made until the enemy launched a counter attack which drove the men of 101 Brigade back to a position astride the Fricourt Spur where they consolidated.