One hundred years ago today remains the worst day in British army history, as 19,240 soldiers lost their lives on the first day of the battle of the Somme. Guardian readers have been sharing wartime letters, diaries and photographs passed on to them by relatives or friends who were involved. From young recruits to a nurse and a chaplain here are some of their stories about the Somme.
The 19-year-old barman and Lancashire clerk who died on the first day
Born in 1897 in Plaistow, Essex, Pte Charles John Harvey was in the No 1 section, 64th company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). He had three sibings and worked as a barman before he enlisted. Charles was killed during the advance on the village of Fricourt on 1 July.
His last letter home was written four days before he died:
Dear Mother and Dad,
I now take the pleasure of writing to you hoping the letter will find you in the best of health as it leaves me at the time of writing. Also to let you know that I have just got your letter with the birthday cards and I thank you very much for them – they both have very good tokens on them and are very pretty. I will look after them and each time I look at them will remind me of the first birthday I have ever had away from my home. But I am living in great hope that by next June 1917 I will be with you all at home and enjoying myself.
Well I am very pleased to hear that you are getting on a bit better and that Dad is at work again, and I must say that i am getting on with the life well. I think I shall soon be a regular pipe smoker which will be better for my chest as you know I am very short winded and it’s a great trouble to me out here. I would be glad if I could get my wind back again. Well I am quite satisfied with the cards and I won’t forget that home and Mother and Dad are my best friends when I am in trouble again. I think I done wrong when I joined up the second time but all being well, and with God’s help, I will soon be with you all again.
I think this is all I can tell you at the time of writing. So I close this letter with best love to all at home wishing you all the very best prospects of the year.
From your Loving Son,
CharlieKisses for Dollie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From her Loving Brother CharlieTell Aunt Lizzie that I thank her for the card she sent.
A loving heart but far away but thinks of home every day, though the war may last long I hope to come home well and strong.
Submitted by great-niece Elizabeth Dean
Born in Ulverston, Lancashire on 8 November 1889, Cpl Frank Porter was a clerk in an estates office when he enlisted in the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. He and his twin sister, Ethel, were the youngest of five children born to Robert and Jane Porter.
Frank went to Ulverston National School and worked for a solicitor after he left. He then joined the Old Volunteers in which he served for three years, and was a corporal in the new territorial force for 12 months. He died aged 26 at Serre on the first day of the battle of the Somme.
A letter to Frank’s mother from one of his comrades said:
It is with deep regret I write these few lines informing you of the death of your son Frank, which occurred on 1st July, 1916. He was in the same platoon as myself, and we were very great chums, and I think it my duty to write to you. He was well liked by all in the company, and by his death we have lost a good comrade. He died doing his duty – leading his section in action, and I can assure you he got a good name and a proper burial, and the platoon and myself share our sympathy with you in your sad bereavement.
Submitted by great-nephew Andy Porter
The capture of Trônes Wood: the missing soldier and the prisoner of war
Harry Norman Snape, born in 1893, was a prisoner of war (POW) after being captured at the battle of Trônes Wood. He wrote many letters during his time at the front until his capture on 10 July 1916.
One of them dated 20 June refers to “The Day”, which was to become the first day of the battle of the Somme:
We are training for ‘The Day’. We are only here for a day or two and then back. I can’t say when it’ll come off but when it does I think that we all shall be ready. Honestly, kid, I am going to try and do something. Nothing rash of course but I’m going to have a good try for honours. There are three of us here pals together, Clem Nixon, a chap we call ‘Ginger’ (H Rogers) & myself. The aforesaid Ginger is in for a Military Medal for attending the wounded under shell fire … This is the last letter I can write for a bit for post is stopped from here after tonight.
Best Love Harry.
Don’t worry. I shall be A1.
Love to all.
A few days later Harry’s battalion assembled in Maricourt, just west of Trônes Wood, as part of a strategic offensive to capture the village of Guillemont. Although they crossed the first 200 yards of no man’s land without incident, they encountered heavy shell fire from the Germans.
The Germans retaliated and Trônes Wood came under heavy bombardment. The allied troops found themselves locked in and were eventually bombed out. All were killed or, as in the case of Harry Snape, captured. Over 200 men were missing after the battle of Trônes Wood.
Due to wounds on his hands and wrist Harry was hospitalised before being transferred to the POW camp in Hammelburg. He continued to write during his time there until his release and subsequent return home.
Submitted by John Willmott
John Patrick Connolly was 23-years-old when he went missing during the assault. What follows is an extract from the regimental diary of the 2nd battalion Yorkshire Regiment.
The Attack on Trones Wood, Somme, 8th July 1916.
5-45am – The battalion moved off up the valley by Talus Boisse to a position just west of Bernafay Wood with orders to attack and take the southern portion of Trones Wood.
This accomplished the Wiltshires were to attack from Maltz Horn Alley their right joining up with the left of the French who were attacking at the same time.
The 19th Manchesters were in trenches behind available for support and the 18th Kings Liverpools were detailed to provide carrying parties, battalion HQ was at the Briqueterie.
7-15am – “C” Company under Capt Maude entered Bernafay Wood followed in succession by the bombing sections, “D” Company under Capt Belcher, “B” Company under 2nd Lt Hubbard and “A” Company under Capt Colley.
8-00am – Under severe shellfire which caused casualties before starting and added to some confusion caused by the passage through the wood.
“C” Company emerged from the wood and commenced to cross the open space between it and Trones Wood.
For about 80 yards rising ground gave some cover but immediately this was topped a very heavy machine gun and rifle fire was opened from the edge of Trones Wood and the front line was practically hit to a man.
Some men got into Trones Alley a communication trench between the two woods and Lt Field with the battalion bombers made an attempt to bomb up it and get into the wood, snipers in trees defeated this and seeing that without further and more powerful artillery support a direct attack was hopeless and a withdrawal to Bernafay Wood was ordered at 8-30am
The Germans now commenced a heavy and constant bombardment of Bernafay Wood with guns of every calibre.
Cover was poor and for the rest of the day the battalion could do nothing but hold on under heavy punishment.
Casualties were numerous and the removal of wounded was a matter of the greatest difficulty.
Mens nerves were subjected to probably the greatest strain the battalion had yet to bear in this war and it was with great relief that at 7-00pm orders were received to withdraw.
Casualties were,
Officers killed = 3
Officers wounded = 4.
Other ranks killed = 19
Wounded = 116
Missing = 17.
Submitted by great nephew Martin Renwick
The nurse who worked on an ambulance train that collected wounded from the front line
Ruby Chapman (née Cockburn) worked as a British Red Cross service nurse on the No 16 ambulance train that collected the wounded from the frontline during the battle of Somme in 1916.
The train was fitted with wards, kitchens, a dispensary, office, storerooms and accommodation. Ruby worked on the train for six months travelling to and from the casualty clearing stations near the front. Her pay throughout the war was £1 1s 0d a week, which is roughly £370 in today’s money.
Working on an ambulance train was hard work and there was a high illness rate among the personnel. The train often travelled at a snail’s pace. Air raids were frequent and the windows blew in with the force of the explosions.
Coping with large amounts of wounded men on the move made work incredibly intense. When not needed Royal Army Medical Corps staff sometimes went on long walks or played cricket and football with teams from other trains. Unlike military nurses, Red Cross nurses were allowed a degree of freedom when it came to mixing with men. Sometimes personnel returned to find the train no longer in the sidings and had to hitch a ride to get back on board.
In June 1918 No 16 train was hit by a bomb during a heavy raid in Etaples and it caught fire but luckily nobody was killed or badly injured.
In 1918 Ruby was awarded a Royal Red Cross second class. After the war she married Lt Philip Chapman in June 1919 and they moved to Yorkshire. Ruby was widowed in 1923 and moved south to support her young daughter. She died in the late 1960s surrounded by family in Bournemouth.
Submitted by granddaughter Sheila Brownlee with notes from British military nurse historian Sue Light
The RAF pilot with a bird’s eye view
Second Lieutenant EJ Watkins was a Canadian pilot in the Royal Air Force. He became an instructor after having survived a number of aircraft failures. Examples can be found in his logbook where he wrote that on two separate occasions the, “propeller came off [and he] ran out of oil”.
As part of his role taking pictures of the fronts Watkins flew many most of the RAF’s aircrafts. Based at the Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario, he kept the last telegraph order on the last day of the war, which said, “all flying to cease immediately”.
Submitted by grandson Jim Watkins
An order of battle for September 1916
The document shows an order of battle for 12 September 1916 belonging to Arthur John Cooper. Born in 1892 he worked in Norwich as a shoemaker before fighting as a young man in the Norfolk Regiment.
The map shows the German positions (the flags) at the time as well as the position of the frontline. On the same day as the order, Ginchy was captured from the Germans by the French Sixth Army in what was its biggest attack of the battle so far.
Orders of battle were created to show the organisation, formation and command structure of armed forces. They recorded tactics employed and mapped the locations of friendly and enemy forces, as well as attempting to estimate their capabilities and their plans.
Submitted by granddaughter Jenny Downing
The Irish chaplain who died during service
Fr Donal O’Sullivan was a Roman Catholic chaplain to the forces who died at the age of 26. Born in Killarney, Ireland, he was not assigned to any specific regiment nor did he limit his care solely to Irish soldiers or Catholics.
Donal kept a diary; a brief but moving record of four months in 1916 between his departure from Killarney on 28 February and his death on 5 July. He used to set up a field altar, visit the wounded and distribute general absolution to the troops along with “sweets from home”.
Two days before his death, he wrote: “Ulster Division Rifles under heavy fire. Heavy casualties. Wounded, wounded, wounded! Busy day for chaplains.”
Donal was killed by a shell at the front as he gave an English soldier the last rites. The soldier survived and after the war made the long journey to Killarney to visit Donal’s mother, Hannah O’Sullivan, and give a first-hand account of his death. The Englishman described Donal hearing confessions on horseback at the front while the shells flew and the penitent held the reins.
Submitted by great niece Jean O’Sullivan
The German pharmacist and keen photographer
Born in Münster in 1883, Gottfried Darup served as a pharmacist and was deployed in France. As a pharmacist he had more spare time than most and, as he had a good camera, he took many photographs during the war.
He survived the war and returned to Bremen where he owned a pharmacy until his death in 1956.
Submitted by grandson Jens Darup
The letters sent home from the frontline
Second Lieutenant Arthur James Sloan enlisted into the Royal Field Artillery in 1914 and trained with his division until they went to France in May 1915.
In 1916 he was in action during the battle of the Somme, including the attacks on High Wood and the battle of the Ancre, capturing Beaumont Hamel and taking more than 2,000 prisoners.
During his time at the front he sent several letters to his wife, Margaret. One is dated 3 September 1916 and recounts his worry as he tried to find his twin brother, Andrew, who was also at the front.
Dearest Margaret,
I am sorry to say Margaret that we have had no further word of the poor boy. Father has written to quite a number of the ones who were in the charge with him, & who are now in various hospitals, but they have all much the same tale to tell. He seems to have been one of the last survivors of his lot & the man who seems to have seen him last states that when he was wounded & crawling back he passed Andrew, who was rolling up some bombs.
He says that Andrew was alright then & gave him a nod & shout in passing. So, whether he got knocked over or taken prisoner after that we must just wait & pray for the best. The only thing is, if he is a prisoner & badly wounded he won’t get the attention that would have been given him if he had been under British doctors.
Altho’ I don’t even yet realize it Margaret dear, I have had more time to think about it this last week & I sometimes try to think what like it would be after the war & we all get back to things again, if we had to do without Andrew, but there’s no use talking like this just now darling, we must just wait & whatever it is to be, will, I suppose, be for some good purpose, altho’ it may not seem so to us at present.
Thanks so much dear for wanting me to get a short rest, but it was just what I wanted, a spell that time to write, even few lines to you dear one & pour out my thoughts, for they were sore & there is no one that I could write to, as I can to you. Well I must stop now, my lights should have been out ten minutes ago & if I’m much longer there will be a row, so good bye just now darling.
With all my love, your own loving Arthur.
After 18 months in France, Arthur became sick and was sent home. He recovered and returned to France in the spring of 1918. He was killed in action while leading his men in the second battle of Arras.
Submitted by Jimmy Brammer
The painter whose brushstrokes recorded the battle
Reginald Hanson Fawcett served in the Royal Engineers in France and Belgium. He travelled with a small artist’s pad and watercolour paints recorded his experiences of WW1, including the battle of the Somme.
Born in Wilsden, near Bradford, he worked in signals, which involved laying cables close to the front. Surviving the war, Reginald was discharged in 1919 and returned to his hometown to become the village’s postmaster.
Submitted by grandson Tim Brown
The apprentice draughtsman and the Canadian soldier who survived
Herbert Scott joined the army in 1914 with several of his school friends from Manchester Grammar School. He fought at the battle of the Somme, was wounded twice and lived to the age of 95 but never married.
Born in Horsforth near Leeds, he became an apprentice draughtsman after school and went to Wodecote Farm Park Camp, Epsom for training when he enlisted. During his time in the Somme he was wounded on 29 October 1916 and returned to the UK to recover.
Soon after the war he emigrated to Canada and became a chicken farmer. He moved back to the UK in December 1926, and set up a small restaurant in Norwich called the Cloverleaf until it closed in 1975.
Submitted by goddaughter Mary Blathwayt
John Meaney had six siblings, two of whom were in active service during the first world war. Born in Ireland he emigrated to Canada in 1912.
After being wounded in South Africa during the Boer War, his military experience also included six years in the Inniskilling Dragoons and more than a year with Remington’s Scouts. His regiment also spent time in India around 1908.
During the first world war John was part of the Second Canadian Mounted Rifles. He was killed in the Somme area on 15 September 1916.
Submitted by great grandnephew John McMahon
