Try to imagine this:
60,000 men – dead or injured all in one day ~ I find it hard….
On July 1st 1916 at 0730, the British Army attacked the German entrenched positions in the Department of the Somme – France, This was a line some 18 miles long.
The British divisions marched slowly over no-mans land, carrying 66 pounds of kit each, in wave after wave of extended lines. The week previously, the British artillery bombardment from 1,350 guns expected to annihilate the barbed wire, trench defense and artillery, but as the British crossed no mans land, they found this was not the case – struggling through uncut barbed wire, they were cut down by German machine guns – 19,000 of them killed.
The pages on this site should help you understand what happened and why it happened
The part that the Sherwood Foresters played
A Map of the Somme with highlighted sectors
Links to other web sites with a WW1 flavour
For best car rental rates near Somme, France visit EveryCarHire at Car Hire Somme .
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Great war – ww1 and second world war- ww2 Battle fields experience. Anzacs,canadian, australia. The tour of the battle grounds with a British guide will include Vimmy, the Somme, Verdun, Ypres salient -also known as Leper and wipers - Thiepval, Albert, mailly maillet, serre, Newfoundland, Sheffield, memorial park, ocean ville, ocean villa, Beaumont hammel, hawthorn ridge, ulster tower, pozieres, lochnagar, locknagar, devil, delville wood, les bouefs, ancre. Visit tommy or tommies café, y ravine, the danger tree.Flanders field museum, visit the trenches or the great war. See hell fire corner, hill 60 and hill 62. Tyne cott and hooge crater with its museum all in an area called passchendale. See the last post at the menin gate, go to plug street, toc house in poperinge then on to the firing post, at which some of those shot at dawn were executed.Learn about what happened on july 1st 1916. battles of 1914 – 1918. the front line will never seem the same.See a cemetery where Victoria cross holder is commemorated.Stay on the somme in bed and breakfast with English speaking hosts. accommodation in the French village of mailly-maillet chamber d’hotes hotel. All travel details can be found on the web site.Motorcycle tours are available for all those with a motor bike, in a club a group or individual.Tours can be for groups or clubs or individuals, if you have an interest in history and the wars battle field experience is for you. details of accommodation, tourist information and how to get around with easy to use maps.
 |
 |