The First Day of the Somme

1st July. The 104th anniversary of the first day of the battle of the Somme. A day infamous for slaughter and huge casualty figures, the deadliest day in British military history - of the 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 men had been killed.

Three Battalions of the Border Regiment were part of the action on that fateful day. In memory of all those that were killed on that day, here are original excerpts from their war diaries:

1st Battalion:

1st    7.30 am

The Btn. (less 10%) advanced just SOUTH of BEAUMONT HAMEL, their objective being BEHUCOURT REDOUBT.  The 2nd S.W.B’s, whose objective was the first two GERMAN LINES, were wiped out by MACHINE GUN fire in our own wire.  The 1st Btn. The BORDER REGT. then went over the top from our support line, and over the first line, the bridges over our trench having been ranged by the GERMAN MACHINE GUNNERS the day previously.  We met with heavy losses, while crossing these bridges & passing through the lanes cut in our wire.  The men were absolutely magnificent, and formed up as ordered outside our wire, made a right incline, and advanced into “NO MAN’S LAND” at a slow walk, also as ordered.  The advance was continued until only little groups of half a dozen men were left here and there and these, finding that no reinforcements were in sight, took cover in shell holes or wherever they could.

2nd Battalion:

Whilst the Artillery Bombardment of the hostile line continued the Battalion was subjected to a heavy bombardment in retaliation from the enemy but as this was mostly directed at our front and support lines little damage was done. At 7-27 a.m. the Battalion advanced in 4 lines from our trenches.   Just as our first line had cleared our front the head of the subway from 71 Street towards DANUBE TRENCH was blown out.  Zero Hour.  The Battalion now moved forward until it reached its first objective DANUBE SUPPORT TRENCH when the left wheel was commenced. Up till now the casualties were small in the first and second lines and were caused by a machine gun firing from our right in the direction of SAP "A" in hostile trench & also from one on our left in DANUBE SUPPORT.  The wheel was now gradually completed & the advance continued towards our objective, APPLE ALLEY which was reached by our 1st Line at about 8.30 am.  During this advance our line was broken up into a line of groups bombing & bayonetting the enemy, who when they found that their line had been entered formed a new front Ia in shell holes & communication trenches facing us thus checking our advance.  On reaching SHRINE ALLEY the Battalion was temporarily checked through coming under heavy indirect machine gun fire from FRICOURT and enfilade fire from MAMETZ, but on the 1st and 2nd Lines being reinforced by the 3rd Line the advance was continued to HIDDEN LANE.  Here the line was again temporarily held up by fire from a machine gun & hostile party in HIDDEN WOOD & another party at about the junction of KIEL SUPPORT & BOIS FRANCAIS SUPPORT.  The latter were bombed out without very much difficulty by our party working along KIEL SUPPORT but the former had to be attacked across the open as well as down HIDDEN LANE.  This was done by a  party organised & led by 2nd Lieut S. J. C. RUSSELL.  The advance was now continued to APPLE ALLEY by parties being pushed forward by the 1st & 2nd Lines whilst the 3rd Line consolidated HIDDEN LANE. At this time the right of the 4th Line moved up to HIDDEN WOOD so as to strengthen that flank as it was found that the DEVON REGT had not kept up with the advance of the Battalion & this flank was very exposed.  The left of the 4th Line was still in Reserve in KIEL TRENCH, close up to the junction of HIDDEN LANE. The Battalion was now checked in HIDDEN LANE with posts forward in APPLE ALLEY at junction of it & PEAR TRENCH – ditto BOIS FRANCAIS SUPPORT & also BOIS FRANCAIS TRENCH. At 2-30 p m the 20TH MANCHESTER REGT. advanced across our Front, and bombing parties of the BORDER REGT. worked along APPLE VALLEY without any opposition. At about 5 p m APPLE ALLEY was occupied by "A" and "C" Coys of the BORDER REGT. with a party of 8TH DEVON REGT. on the right.  B and D Coys BORDER REGT held HIDDEN LANE as a support line.  Head Quarters were established in an old Company dugout in SUPPORT TRENCH at its junction with 75 Street.  This position was maintained until 8 a m on 3rd July when the Battalion changed its position to BOIS FRANCAIS SUPPORT which was held by B and D Coys with A and C Coys in BOIS FRANCAIS TRENCH – Battn Head Quarters remaining in the same position.  Here the Battn remained until the evening of 3rd July when it moved down to POST 71 SOUTH in Reserve. The casualties in the attack were not as heavy as they might have been owing firstly to the splendid way the wire had been cut by "T" Battery R.H.A. & secondly to the fact that the advance was very close behind the artillery barrage the whole time.  During the latter half of the attack the Battn was subjected to a heavy sprinkling of hostile shrapnel which in addition to rifle and machine gun fire & bombs caused the casualties mentioned. The whole Battalion behaved with their usual steadiness & coolness under fire & all orders were strictly carried out.  No mistake was made in the advance & the wheel was carried out without any gaps being left in the line, which is entirely due to the care taken by all Officers in instructing their NCOs & men in all points regarding the operation and the interest taken by all ranks in it. The casualties were:- Officers:-  Killed, 6 Wounded, 1 Died of Wounds.  Other Ranks:- 79 Killed, 240 Wounded, 10 Died of Wounds, 4 Missing.  11th Battalion (Lonsdales): AUTHUILLE WOOD July 1st Zero time 7.30 am.   Battalion advanced from assembly trenches at 8 am and came under very heavy Machine Gun Fire – suffering over 500 casualties.  The following Officers were killed – Lt Col P W Machell CMG DSO, Capt R Smith, Capt A E Corbett, Capt C Brown, 2Lt A E Monkhouse, 2Lt J C Parker, 2Lt G Coe, 2Lt G P Dunstun, 2Lt W S Paton, Lt F A Rupp.  Officers wounded – Major P G W Diggle, Capt B C Harrison, Capt C P Moore, Lt W A Hobson, Lt C H Walker, Lt C W Margerison, Lt I H Hogkinson, Lt M Gorden, Lt M McKerrow, 2Lt J R S Borman, 2Lt J W Moore, 2Lt W Gren, 2Lt G Black, 2Lt F M Ranson, and 2Lt L Machell.