Skip to main content

Somme Cemeteries and Views of the Battlefields - Oct 2012, Part 2

A long tramp today, starting off from Pozieres and taking in Courcellette, Regina Trench and Martinpuich. Early on in the walk, we found  a metal tag with the following inscription:
"2688 PTE. S.C.SNELL 43-CAN"
This strip is a temporary grave marker that would have been attached to a wooden cross before the permanent headstones that can be seen today where erected. We found Private Snell, 43rd Canadian Infantry, in Regina Trench. Private Snell died on 8th October 1916 during an attack on Regina Trench. He was just 19 years old. Regina Trench was to the north of Courcellette, running east-west across the area and was the longest single named trench on the Somme.The Canadians were involved in heavy fighting in this area during 8th to 10th October 1916 and again on 21st Oct when  Regina Trench was finally reached in a joint Canadian and British attack. Canadian Official Historian, Col G.W.L. Nicholson, described Regina Trench as follows: " Regina Trench, the capture of which had cost so much blood, was no longer a position of strength. Repeated bombardments had reduced it to a mere depression in the chalk, in many places blown twenty feet wide, and for long stretches almost filled with debris and dead bodies".





Above: Top image shows the metal grave marker of Pte Snell, found in the fields. Second image shows Regina Trench Cemetery. Third image shows Pte Snell's permanent headstone. Bottom image shows another couple of interesting headstones in the cemetery. First Lieut. E Shaw, an American pilot from South Carolina, was attached to RAF and is buried alongside his observer, Sgt Smith; their Bristol Fighter of No 48 Squadron was shot down on 9th July 1918.

Next up was ADANAC Cemetery, and back round to Corcellette where in the village cemetery can be found an original headstone to a German, Company Commander H Mayer, killed at Thiepval in 1914. A rare survivor as the vast majority of German memorials were destroyed.



Above: Top - ADANAC Cemetery. Bottom - headstone to H Mayer.

From Courcellette we headed off across the fields to Martinpuich. Martinpuich was captured on Sept 15th by the 15th Scottish Division, supported by one tank (four were originally allotted but only two turned up of which one broke down; the Divisional History states the tank was not of much use). 










Above: Top two images show Martinpuich Cemetery. Next three show a German concrete bunker, probably used as a headquarters for a unit. Next image shows the 47th (London) Division in the village's main street, erected here in recognition of the Division taking High Wood on Sept 15th 1916. Last three images show British screw pickets still in use nearly 100 years on, although for a much more peaceful purpose!

From here is was back to Pozieres as the light began to fade. The day ended as usual with a few beers and omelette and chips at Le Tommy!





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Eastern Command Line - a lazy post

As the title suggests, just a lazy post today, a few pics of CRE Colchester design pillboxes in the Sudbury area to round of the thread on this May visit. Also one pic of concrete road block cylinders now being used as part of river bank defences. This is the first time I have come across this type of road block in Suffolk although I suspect it was probably used quite widely on this Stop Line, perhaps I will come across more examples / references in time. These pictures do show a timeless landscape - traditional floodplain meadows still used for grazing, with the Second World War clearly marking its presence. Lets just hope both the pillboxes and  grazing meadows will be preserved.

RAF Hethel Defence Post

At RAF Station Hethel, a remarkable defence post still exists.  Admittedly, RAF Hethel is in Norfolk and not Suffolk, but the records for this site do provide some interest in relation to the defence of airfields in Eastern Command. Work on Hethel began in 1941 and the station was opened late 1942 and was actually one of the RAF Stations handed over to the USAAF for the use of its bomber units. The defence post was constructed in accordance with a new policy adopted by Eastern Command. Previously, airfield defences had been built as a result of the Taylor Report and largely consisted of pillboxes and breastworks which were large and conspicuous and vulnerable to air attack. Experience at Crete had shown the need for small inconspicuous field works. The new defences were to now consist of small two man weapon-slits and small machine gun pits constructed in accordance with “Infantry Training, 1937” Supplement No.3 – “The design and lay-out of Field Defences, 1942”. Above...

Anti-tank ditch

December 31st Decided to visit the anti-tank ditch at Aldringham Walks this afternoon. It was constructed between late 1940 and early 1941 and ran from (north to south) Sizewell to the north of Thorpeness Mere. Some of its length is still visible today (see map and bottom photo)). The war diary of 9th Cameronians (15th Div) mentions the construction of the ditch in Margaret Wood (vicinity of No 12 Platoon, B Coy).  The diary also mentions a pillbox being destroyed by the RE in No 12 platoons area, but no luck in finding any remains this time. The diary would also indicate the ditch was a combined obstacle with Z1 scaffolding. The top left photo shows the remains of a weapons pit/shell slit; six pieces of angle iron revetment still exist - one of the pieces is clearly visible in the photo. Perhaps this is part of No 12 platoons position. Many years ago when beating up the young woodland I found a Yorkshire billhook with the WO arrow dated 1946, so this area would appear to have ...