Current Information:

Enlisted-Handel Street

Dernancourt Communal Cemetery, Somme

The Battle of the Somme (July-November, 1916)

By the beginning of August the Battle of the Somme had been raging for a full month. Thousands of men had already been killed or wounded or were simply missing, never to be seen again and and just a few square miles of the French countryside, all in the southern part of the battlefield, had been captured from the enemy. Mistakes had been made by the various commanders and would be continued to be made but there was no turning back as the British, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders and Canadians carried on battering away at the German defences in the hope of a breakthrough, 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 more 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 18th August 20th Royal Fusiliers of 19 Brigade, 33rd Division  were attached to 98 Brigade for their attack on Wood Lane that afternoon and early that morning they moved up in support to Crucifix Corner. The attack was not successful and that evening 20th Royal Fusiliers relieved the attacking battalions of 98 Brigade in the front line. The following day they were relieved and moved back to Crucifix Corner to re-join 19 Brigade. On 20th August they moved back to Mametz Wood. 20th Royal Fusiliers sustained a number of casualties during this operation, one of whom was Louis Barrett who died from wounds on 21st August.