Somme Commemoration Visit

The Birmingham Pals Living History Association

Representing the 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (5th Division)

Centenary of The Battle of The Somme

Photographs in France June / July 2017

The Birmingham Pals Living History Association

During late June and early July 2016 eleven members of The Birmingham Pals joined up with colleagues from the 10th Essex Re-enactment group and the Alte Armee in Montauban de Picardie to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of The Battle of The Somme.

On Thursday 30 June members of The Birmingham Pals held a wreath laying ceremony at the Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, at the grave of one of the member's family - Cpl George Styles 16/450 B Company 16th Battalion Royal Warwicks.

"The Glory Hole" at La Boisselle is the entrance to the tunnels used by the British to place explosives under the German lines. These were detonated at 07:28 on 1 July 1916, signalling the start of The Battle of The Somme. The resulting explosion - the largest man-made explosion up to that time - left a massive hole: Lochnagar Crater. The tunnels are currently being excavated, and are open to the public. They extend approximately 50m into the chalk.

The nearby Lochnagar Crater is 91 metres (300 feet) in diameter and 21 metres (70 feet) deep. It is privately owned by Mr Richard Dunning who preserves it as a memorial to those who lost their lives. Each year there is a memorial service held at the crater, starting at exactly 07:28 on 1st July.

On the morning of Thursday 30 June The Birmingham Pals visited the Delville Wood Cemetery to lay a wreath at the grave of a member of The Warwickshire Regiment. Delville Wood Cemetery was created after the Armistice, when graves were brought in from a few small cemeteries and isollated sites and from the battlefield. Almost all the burials date from July, August and September 2016. It is the third largest Cemetery in The Somme region.

To mark the centenary of the start of The Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916 some members of The Birmingham Pals went to the spot where the British and the French lines met. At exactly 07:30 whistles were blown (the signal to advance from the trenches and start the Montauban Assault), and a small ceremony of Remebrance took place. Other members of The Birmingham Pals were at the ceremony at Lochnagar Crater.

Later that morning The Birmingham Pals joined with the 10th Essex at a remebrance service at Montauban.

During their visit to The Somme region the group also visited the Museum of the Somme in Albert.

On Saturday 2nd July there was an England v Germany football match at the campsite. - Germany won on penalties. The German team consisted of Paul Weaver of the 10th Essex, Mat Dean and Simon Worley of the 116th Hessians, plus Mario Zutt and his Alte Armie unit. The English players were all from the 10th Essex group.