THE SOMME INNOCENCE LOST CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN

THE SOMME INNOCENCE LOST CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN KENT HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY

WHY? • ALLIED OFFENSIVE PLANNED FOR 1916 LONG BEFORE VERDUN • VERDUN – 21 FEBRUARY – 18 DECEMBER 1916 • GERMAN INTENTION – ATTRITION TO DESTROY FRENCH RESERVES & BRITISH RELIEF AT VERDUN • SOMME OFFENSIVE PLANS ALTERED AS GERMAN RESERVES HELD AT VERDUN • END MAY 1916 CIGS ROBERTSON WARNS HAIG ABOUT RAISING EXPECTATIONS

SOMME - VERDUN

BRITISH ARMY DISPOSITION

WHO? • FOURTH ARMY CREATED FEBRUARY 1916 • GENERAL RAWLINSON COMMANDER • NEW ARMY SOLDIERS – KITCHENER’S MEN • NEW ARMY INFANTRY TRAINING REQUIRED • ONE WEEK OUT OF FOUR MONTHS • FATIGUE OF ENDLESS LABOUR

ROBERTSON

HAIG

RAWLINSON

Digging

HOW? • DECENTRALISED COMMAND • ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ OR ‘BITE & HOLD’ • ARTILLERY – LONG & SLOW OR FAST & INTENSE? • ARTILLERY RESOURCES MISMATCHED TO REQUIREMENTS • LOSS OF SURPRISE • COMPROMISE & CONFUSION

BATTLE OF SOMME MAP

6 BN EAST KENT REGIMENT • 6 TH (SERVICE) BATTALION – THE BUFFS -FORMED IN CANTERBURY AUGUST 1914 • ARRIVED IN FRANCE (BOULOGNE) JUNE 1915 • TAKES PART IN BATTLE OF LOOS SEPTEMBER 1915 • SOMME – BATTLE OF ALBERT 1 JULY 1916 • STRENGTH 39 OFFICERS 1050 OTHER RANKS • 1/3 JULY LOSSES 11 OFFICERS 263 OTHER RANKS • IN ACTION AGAIN AT POZIERES & LE TRANSLOY

6 TH BUFFS WAR DIARY 1 ST JULY 1100 MESSAGE RECEIVED- ‘FIRST OBJECTIVES HAD BEEN ACHIEVED ALONG THE WHOLE LINE’ 1830 – ADVANCE TO LINE NORTH OF ALBERT – RETURNED TO ORIGINAL TRENCHES 2100 2 ND JULY 3 JULY 0315 ATTACK ON OVILLERS ‘A COY WENT OVER BY PLATOONS…FIRST WAVE FEW CASUALTIES…SECOND & THIRD WAVES CAUGHT NO MANS LAND. SURVIVORS BOMBED GERMAN DUGOUTS UNTIL BOMBS EXHAUSTED. 2/LT FARMER LED SURVIVORS ‘BACK TO OUR LINES. ’

Thomas Charles Farmer Originally from Essex, arrived in France 3 November 1914 as a Private in 13 th London regiment Commissioned into the Buffs Military cross awarded : ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. When all the other officers of his company had become casualties, he organised and led a bombing attack with great dash. When his bombs were exhausted he covered the withdrawal of his company with rifle fire. And was the last man to leave the enemy trench. ’ Resigned commission 26 July 1918 and survived the war

7 BN THE QUEEN’S OWN (ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT) • 7 TH (SERVICE) BATTALION FORMED MAIDSTONE 5 SEPTEMBER 1914 • LANDED IN FRANCE – LE HAVRE – 27 JULY 1915 • ATTACKS MONTAUBAN ON FIRST DAY OF BATTLE • SEPTEMBER 1916 – ATTACKS SCHWABEN REDOUBT • INVOLVED THROUGOUT BATTLE FROM 1 JULY – 18 NOVEMBER 1916 • SOMME LOSSES – 44 OFFICERS & 1263 OTHER RANKS

George C. Pearson Born Ashford Regular soldier CSM – holder of Distinguished Conduct Medal Killed in action 1 st July 1916 Was 50 years of age when lost

7 BN QORWK WAR DIARY 1 JULY 55 BRIGADE ATTACKS MONTAUBAN. BATTALION RECEIVE MESSAGE 0812 THAT ‘ALL APPEARED TO BE GOING WELL, BUT THAT THE LEADING BATTNS HAD MET WITH MORE OPPOSITION THAN EXPECTED AND HAD SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE CASUALTIES’ AROUND 1000 BATTALION CALLED TO SUPPORT 7 SURREYS & 7 BUFFS. A, B & C COYS SENT ORDERS TO ADVANCE – RUNNER FOR D COY ‘KNOCKED OUT’ - D COY IN IGNORANCE UNTIL 1215 HEAVY OFFICER CASUALTIES – CSM KLEIN REORGANISES A COY 7 RWK CONSOLIDATE MONTAUBAN POSITION WHICH HELD UNDER GERMAN SHELLFIRE BY BATTALION UNTIL 4 TH JULY

UP TO THE LINE

INTO NO MAN’S LAND

BACK IN THE TRENCH

THE PRICE • SOMME CASUALTIES BRITISH 450, 000, GERMAN 420, 000 FRENCH 200, 000 • VERDUN FRENCH 380, 000 GERMAN 340, 000 • BRITISH ARMY FIRST DAY 20, 000 KILLED • FRENCH ARMY 22 AUGUST 1914 27, 000 KILLED • HIGHER FRENCH CASUALTY RATES IN INITIAL MOBILE PHASE OF WAR AUGUST – DECEMBER 1914 • CASUALTIES IN HUNDRED DAYS TO VICTORY IN 1918 BRITISH 298, 000 FROM 1. 8 M FRENCH 279, 000 FROM 2. 5 M & USA 130, 000 FROM 1. 9 M.

AND? • AYLMER HALDANE – 22 OCTOBER 1916 ‘ IT IS EVIDENT THAT THEY HAVE NO CLEAR PLAN EXCEPT POSSIBLY THAT OF ATTRITION. ’ • HAIG’S BELIEF UNTIL NOVEMBER IN BREAKING GERMAN MORALE • HAIG INFORMS KING THAT ATTRITION ‘A VALID MILITARY OBJECTIVE’ WORKING IN ALLIES FAVOUR & BRITISH ARMY IMPROVING ITS SKILLS. • ASQUITH SUPPORTIVE BUT LLOYD GEORGE SEEKS OPINIONS OF FRENCH GENERALS REGARDING THEIR BRITISH ‘COLLEAGUES’. • BATTLE IDENTIFIED USE OF ALL ARMS • MANPOWER SITUATION WOULD NOT PERMIT A REPEAT

INNOCENCE LOST ? • RELIABILITY OF BRITISH ARMY • REALITY OF ATTRITION ‘ACCEPTED’ BY PUBLIC • SOMME FILM SHOWING • DAILY DEATH LISTS ACROSS NEWSPAPERS • CONSCRIPTION • TOTAL WAR

PRESIDENT WILSON’S SPEECH 2 APRIL 1917 ‘It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts - for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own Governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. ’

HAIG’S SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY 11 APRIL 1918 ‘ Many amongst us now are tired. To those I would say that Victory will belong to the side which holds out the longest. The French Army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support. There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause each one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the Freedom of mankind alike depend upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment. ’