The Somme - part 2

As if trench warfare was not horrific enough, with mud, rodents, lice, gas and constant bombardment from shells exploding overhead and close by, there was also the threat of being blown up from below. Both sides engaged tunneling crews to quietly creep beyond their own trenches, tunnel beneath enemy lines and lay down a ridiculous amount of explosives. 

Our guide, Ken takes us to Lochnagar Crater in the afternoon. The crater is 30m deep and 100m wide and is the permanent scar left over from a mine (one of 19) that was detonated by British troops on 1 July 1916 - the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Giving trenches 'street' names was a way of organising logistics in amongst the confusing network of trenches. These had to run in a jumble of directions and angles to avoid straight lines which would otherwise channel explosives and gas directly towards the troops. And so the Lochnagar mine took its name from Lochnagar 'Street', the name of the British trench from which the tunneling companies dug. 

One of the most meaningful panels commemorates Private Harry Fellows of the 12th Northumberland Fusiliers, who heard the mine detonate while waiting to attack nearby Fricourt. He wrote a poem reflecting on his war experiences in Mametz Wood in 1916, and added a stanza in 1984 when he returned there to visit (his ashes were later buried there). 

The panel at the Lochnagar Crater Memorial

Here is an excerpt of Reflections on two visits to Mametz Wood 1916 & 1984... the full poem can be read here.

Shattered trees and tortured earth 

The acrid stench of decay

Of mangled bodies lying around 

The battle not far away.

This man made devastation

Does man have no regrets?

Does he pause to ask the question? 

Will the birds sing again in Mametz?

...

As far as the eye can see 

Dead bodies cover the earth, 

The death of a generation 

Condemned to die at birth,

When comes the day of reckoning 

Who will carry the can?

For this awful condemnation,

Of man’s inhumanity to man!

... * ... *...*...*...*...*...

What a wondrous pleasant sight 

Unfolds before my eyes,

A panoply of magnificent trees 

Stretching upwards to the skies, 

Did someone help Dame Nature? 

The sins of man to forget,

Where once there was war, now peace reigns supreme, 

And the birds sing again in Mametz.

Our final stop of the day is at Pozieres, where Australian troops were tasked with encircling the Germans in July 1916 in order to capture strategic high ground. They came under horrific shelling and counter attacks before being relieved by Canadian troops at Mouquet Farm in September. In one battle alone to capture the German stronghold of Mouquet Farm, the Australians suffered 11,000 casualties for zero ground gained. Altogether, the Australians lost 23,000 men in this small piece of France and so Pozieres has the terrible distinction of being the most deadly battle of all for Australia in WWI.

The plaque at Pozieres Ridge

The 1st Australian Division Memorial is sited here too. We come across other Division Memorials in our two days of touring the battlefields and we instantly recognise the shape. It gives us a renewed respect and appreciation for our own War Memorial in Kings Park. Now at least we can better understand the memorials it emulates and the sacrifice it represents.

1st Australian Division Memorial in Pozieres (L) and the Kings Park War Memorial in Perth (R)

Perhaps owing to a combination of fatigue and having been profoundly affected by what we have seen and learnt today, we are all very quiet in the car as we journey back to Arras. Ken has been an excellent guide. His historical knowledge is formidable and his quiet and respectful delivery imbued just the right amount of gravitas to the day's events. We say our goodbyes as we are dropped off at our hotel. A hot meal in the restaurant is very welcome although still very muted and contemplative, and we make it an early night as we have an even longer day tomorrow when we visit Fromelles, Passchendaele and Ypres.