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Age-33

66, Howbury Road, Nunhead

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.

By 14th July, the British Army on the Somme was ready to renew the offensive along a broad front stretching from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit, but in order to improve the chances of success it was vital to first capture Trones Wood, on the right of the British line, and prevent the enemy from using it to pour enfilade fire on the advancing troops. This task was given to 18th Division and on 13th July, 55 Brigade, still sorely depleted from their losses on 1st July, attacked the wood. At 7pm, after a two hour bombardment, 7th East Kent (Buffs) began bombing along Maltz Horn Trench to the south of the wood, but failed to reach the strongpoint of Maltz Horn Farm, despite many attempts and attacks over the open. The best they could do was erect a barricade across the trench, just short of the strongpoint at Maltz Horn Farm.  Meanwhile 7th Royal West Kent attacked across the wood itself but lost direction among the tangle of undergrowth and fallen trees before being hit by machine gun fire from Central Trench. Despite this 150 men from 7th Royal West Kent managed to reach the eastern edge of the wood. At the same time 7th Royal West Surrey (Queens) attacked the north of the wood from Longueval Trench, but concentrated fire from Longueval Ridge meant that they could not get within 100 yards of the wood. They sustained 200 casualties in this vain attempt and as they started off with only 280 officers and men, they practically ceased to exist as a battalion. 55 Brigade suffered many casualties in their attempt to capture Trones Wood, one of whom was Thomas Evans of 7th Royal West Surrey (Queens).