THE LIVERPOOL PALS - THE SOMME JULY 1916
There were four battalions of Pals in the Kings Liverpool Regiment, the
17th, 18th, 19th and 20th who formed a Pals Brigade in the 30th Division at The
Somme. To them might be added the
Liverpool Scottish http://www.liverpoolscottish.org.uk/ and the Liverpool Irish
battalions of The Kings.
This is from the war diaries of the Pals Brigade, the map above is of
the trench lines they occupied.
8 April general training and machine gun training
12 April construction of light railway Suzanne to Maricourt
1 May Etineham
5-9 May return to Maricourt, shelling
10 May Briqueterie Road
25 May Bn marched to St Saveur via Daours, Amiens, Fort St. Maurice, a
long march indeed (Amiens)
26 May to 5 June practising attacks
10 June Brigade attack dress rehearsal
12 June entrained Ailly-sur-Somme to Heilly then the Billon Wood, where
relieved 18 Manchesters, trenches (Maurepas).
Also, entrenching in Maricourt.
23 June Bn HQ moved Billon Wood to Maricourt
25 June Operation Order No. 40 issued for 1 July
29/30 June Copse Valley, Maricourt, Bn HQ Cobham Street,
1 July, Battle Of The Somme, 0625 hrs, bombardment, 0730 hrs advance to
attack in four waves, ground unrecognisable, little cover, opposition speedily
overcome.
2 July holding captured trenches
4 July relieved, then to Bois-des-Tailles (Albert)
8 July returned to Maricourt and Trigger Wood Valley
11 Enemy attacked at Trones Wood and Waterlot Farm
12 July relieved
13 July Bois-des-Tailles
14 July Vaux-sur-Somme (Amiens), Corbie area
15 July congratulatory messages to the 30th Division from Lord Haig, and
the Earl of Derby (Corps Commander), Maj-Gen JCM O’Shea promised they would
attack again.
The Battle of The Somme has been extensively researched and is the
subject of a literature of its own, as well as bitter debate about its
inception, planning, conduct, and consequences.
This is not the place to attempt any analysis or comment.
It is enough to say that the 30th Division, and the Liverpool Pals attained
their objectives early in the day, and with light casualties. That here and at some other places along the
line breakthroughs that were made were not taken advantage of or the attack
pressed forward and supported meant that the opportunities were lost.
The Pals Brigade did attack again and paid a heavy price a few days
later.
18 July Vaux-sur-Somme
19 July Somme Valley, road to Etinehem to Happy Valley (!)
30 July Trench at Maurepas, 4.45 attack, mist, could not see more than
10 yards, therefore no connection between waves. Chaos, machine gun fire, patrols lost, heavy
casualties.
31 July relieved, Pals congratulated by Div GOC, Maj-Gen O’Shea
Note: According to one listing in
the attack on 30 July 1916 the Pals Brigade, the 17th, 18th,
19th, and 20th Battalions lost 456 men, few of whose
bodies were recovered.
There was a high incidence of other casualties, a large number of men
sent to the rear and later to England for treatment and convalescence.
Of those who returned to combat some were posted to other battalions in
the Kings, notably the 13th KLR in 3rd Division (The Iron Division).
The picture includes my grandfather who served in the 20th Battalion,
the 4th Pals. He was injured on 30 July
1916 and was posted to the 13th Battalion on his return to France.
I grew up listening to my grandfather talk about the Great War. Didn't say much about the fighting, really can't remember him saying anything at all about the fighting.
ReplyDeleteI knew that he was in the 7th Machine Gun Battalion of the Third Infantry, and my Father noted to me as an aside once that he was at Chateau Thierry.
When I got interested and read more about the 3ID and the Great War in general, I realized that I was very happy not to have been in attendance.
When I discussed this with my Father (who had waded ashore at Anzio, he laughed and told me those were his thoughts exactly.
My piddling little war pales
Meanwhile our grandson is being taught about endangered species.
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