07.30am: Answering the Whistle
By 7.30 on the morning of July 1st 1916 the Tyneside Irish Battalions were poised behind the Tara-Usna hills, astride the Albert-Bapaume road on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 34th Division. In front of them, in a strongly defended key sector of the frontline, was the village of La Boisselle. The Germans had heavily fortified the village with deep dugouts, rolls and rolls of barbed wire and machine gun nests.
The British artillery barrage had pounded the German lines all along the front for nearly a week to obliterate the trench system and break up the barbed wire. Later German accounts told stories of men going mad with fear and despair. On the British side confidence was high. General Sir Henry Rawlinson said to his subordinates, “nothing could exist at the conclusion of the bombardment in the area covered by it“. However the German defenders were dug in so deep that they were able to survive the onslaught.
At 7.28, the mine in tunnels underneath part of the German lines just south of La Boisselle that had been in preparation for months before, exploded. A mile away on another part of the line facing the Tyneside Irish and the Tyneside Scottish another, much smaller pre-prepared mine exploded at the same time. The first mine left a crater 300 feet wide and 90 feet deep and is still there today, known as The Lochnagar Crater. Many of the Germans were incinerated, vapourised in the largest man made explosion in history up to that moment.
The heavy guns fell silent, some men heard the larks singing in that beautiful summers morning, the whistles blew…and the Tyneside Irish, along with many battalions along the whole frontline climbed out of their trenches. However, the Germans, the 56th Infantry Brigade along with the Bavarian Reserve Regiments 110 and 111, realising that this was the moment of the attack, quickly scrambled out of their dugouts and manned their machine guns. And well they knew that this was the moment because a German listening post had picked up a message some hours before sent by Headquarters 102 Brigade wishing the Tyneside Scottish good luck. And what a sight they witnessed. Line upon line of Tyneside Irishmen were walking towards them, rifles at slope to arms against their shoulders, strolling across as if on a leisurely parade. The headquarters generals felt that because of the inexperience of the troops they wouldn’t be able to grasp tactics any more sophisticated than that.
Also, they were heavily equipped; with not only rifles and bayonets, but water bottles, gas helmets, hand grenades and extra bandoliers of ammunition. Some had extra equipment such as wire clippers and ladders. Indeed this was to be one of the many criticisms of the planning of the fighting in the war, simply that the soldiers had too much to carry and that when they got to the German lines they were often dead beat by the weight of their packs.
Sir Martin Gilbert, in his book on the Battle of the Somme, has evidence to suggest that a couple of battalions sent some men across with large tins of grey paint and a paintbrush to coat the captured German guns with their battalion insignia so as to claim them as booty!
Many accounts refer to the big drum of the Brigade Pipes and Drums beating time as the men went forward. Others tell of the sound of the pipes playing ‘Tipperary’. Piper J. Brown told his family that he played the ‘Minstrel Boy’ because the words seemed to be the most appropriate he could think of.
The minstrel boy to the war is gone,? In the ranks of death you’ll find him;?
His father’s sword he has girded on,? And his wild harp slung behind him;
The Tyneside Irish objectives were to take the trenches at La Boisselle, then further lines a mile or two away in front of Pozieres and Contalmaison before taking the village of Contalmaison itself. A considerable undertaking on any account.
The men climbed out of their trenches and descended the Tara-Usna hills towards the German lines. The machine guns opened up…and the Tyneside Irish went down like ninepins. They pressed on into the morning mist and the dust from the shellfire. In some places the barrage hadn’t cut the wire and men became tangled up, others were corralled in areas that were raked with machine gun fire.
The lines of the Tyneside Irish were decimated. Bombing Sergeant Patrick Butler and Corporal James Bonner between them rescued their commanding officer Col. Howard who had been wounded, got him into the safety of a shell hole then into the Lochnagar Crater. Sgt Butler and Cpl Bonner died later that day. Colonel Howard died the next day of his wounds.
Many German remains still lie in the crater and indeed in October 1998 the remains of a soldier were found in the land just behind the crater. A cross now marks this spot, and the soldier was identified as Private George Nugent, of the 22/Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Scottish). He was later reburied in Ovillers Military Cemetery. The crater is now privately owned to ensure that it will always remain a memorial.
Many of the wounded from that day had to wait until darkness fell to make their way back to their lines. Some were still coming in days later.
Along the entire frontline the picture was the same. The worst hit battalion was the 10th West Yorks, followed closely by the hardy Newfoundlanders of Canada and the 4th Tyneside Scottish. Other Irish regiments badly mauled that day were the Co. Down Volunteers, the Donegal and Fermanagh Volunteers and the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
By 7.30 on the morning of July 1st 1916 the Tyneside Irish Battalions were poised behind the Tara-Usna hills, astride the Albert-Bapaume road on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, as part of the 34th Division. In front of them, in a strongly defended key sector of the frontline, was the village of La Boisselle. The Germans had heavily fortified the village with deep dugouts, rolls and rolls of barbed wire and machine gun nests.
The British artillery barrage had pounded the German lines all along the front for nearly a week to obliterate the trench system and break up the barbed wire. Later German accounts told stories of men going mad with fear and despair. On the British side confidence was high. General Sir Henry Rawlinson said to his subordinates, “nothing could exist at the conclusion of the bombardment in the area covered by it“. However the German defenders were dug in so deep that they were able to survive the onslaught.
At 7.28, the mine in tunnels underneath part of the German lines just south of La Boisselle that had been in preparation for months before, exploded. A mile away on another part of the line facing the Tyneside Irish and the Tyneside Scottish another, much smaller pre-prepared mine exploded at the same time. The first mine left a crater 300 feet wide and 90 feet deep and is still there today, known as The Lochnagar Crater. Many of the Germans were incinerated, vapourised in the largest man made explosion in history up to that moment.
The heavy guns fell silent, some men heard the larks singing in that beautiful summers morning, the whistles blew…and the Tyneside Irish, along with many battalions along the whole frontline climbed out of their trenches. However, the Germans, the 56th Infantry Brigade along with the Bavarian Reserve Regiments 110 and 111, realising that this was the moment of the attack, quickly scrambled out of their dugouts and manned their machine guns. And well they knew that this was the moment because a German listening post had picked up a message some hours before sent by Headquarters 102 Brigade wishing the Tyneside Scottish good luck. And what a sight they witnessed. Line upon line of Tyneside Irishmen were walking towards them, rifles at slope to arms against their shoulders, strolling across as if on a leisurely parade. The headquarters generals felt that because of the inexperience of the troops they wouldn’t be able to grasp tactics any more sophisticated than that.
Also, they were heavily equipped; with not only rifles and bayonets, but water bottles, gas helmets, hand grenades and extra bandoliers of ammunition. Some had extra equipment such as wire clippers and ladders. Indeed this was to be one of the many criticisms of the planning of the fighting in the war, simply that the soldiers had too much to carry and that when they got to the German lines they were often dead beat by the weight of their packs.
Sir Martin Gilbert, in his book on the Battle of the Somme, has evidence to suggest that a couple of battalions sent some men across with large tins of grey paint and a paintbrush to coat the captured German guns with their battalion insignia so as to claim them as booty!
Many accounts refer to the big drum of the Brigade Pipes and Drums beating time as the men went forward. Others tell of the sound of the pipes playing ‘Tipperary’. Piper J. Brown told his family that he played the ‘Minstrel Boy’ because the words seemed to be the most appropriate he could think of.
The minstrel boy to the war is gone,? In the ranks of death you’ll find him;?
His father’s sword he has girded on,? And his wild harp slung behind him;
The Tyneside Irish objectives were to take the trenches at La Boisselle, then further lines a mile or two away in front of Pozieres and Contalmaison before taking the village of Contalmaison itself. A considerable undertaking on any account.
The men climbed out of their trenches and descended the Tara-Usna hills towards the German lines. The machine guns opened up…and the Tyneside Irish went down like ninepins. They pressed on into the morning mist and the dust from the shellfire. In some places the barrage hadn’t cut the wire and men became tangled up, others were corralled in areas that were raked with machine gun fire.
The lines of the Tyneside Irish were decimated. Bombing Sergeant Patrick Butler and Corporal James Bonner between them rescued their commanding officer Col. Howard who had been wounded, got him into the safety of a shell hole then into the Lochnagar Crater. Sgt Butler and Cpl Bonner died later that day. Colonel Howard died the next day of his wounds.
Many German remains still lie in the crater and indeed in October 1998 the remains of a soldier were found in the land just behind the crater. A cross now marks this spot, and the soldier was identified as Private George Nugent, of the 22/Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Scottish). He was later reburied in Ovillers Military Cemetery. The crater is now privately owned to ensure that it will always remain a memorial.
Many of the wounded from that day had to wait until darkness fell to make their way back to their lines. Some were still coming in days later.
Along the entire frontline the picture was the same. The worst hit battalion was the 10th West Yorks, followed closely by the hardy Newfoundlanders of Canada and the 4th Tyneside Scottish. Other Irish regiments badly mauled that day were the Co. Down Volunteers, the Donegal and Fermanagh Volunteers and the 1st Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.