Current Information:

Age-23

45, Bessborough Place, Pimlico

Dive Copse British Cemetery, Sailly-le-Sec, France

The Battle of the Somme (July-November, 1916)

On 1st July 1916 The British Army launched a massive offensive along a section of the front line running north of the River Somme. The French attacked south of it. The first day was a disaster for the British army which suffered nearly 60,000 casualties, 19,000 of whom were killed, and made hardly any inroads into the enemy lines. But the battle had to go on, if for no other reason than to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun where they had been facing the full onslaught of the powerful German Army. So it continued all the way through to November with nearly every battalion and division then in France being drawn into it at some stage. In the end the German trenches had been pushed back a few miles along most of the line but the cost in lives had been staggering. By the end of the fighting in November, 1916, British Army casualties numbered over 400,000, killed, wounded and missing.

By 14th July, 1916, the British Army on the Somme was ready to renew the offensive along a broad front stretching from Longueval to Bazentin-le-Petit, but in order to improve the chances of success it was vital to first capture Trones Wood, on the right of the British line, and prevent the enemy from using it to pour enfilade fire on the advancing troops. This task was given to 18th Division and on 13th July, 55 Brigade attacked but failed to capture the wood. On 14th July, at the same time that the main attack was launched, 54 Brigade made a last ditch attempt to take the Trones Wood. 6th Northamptonshire and 12th Middlesex entered the wood in the early hours but the tangled undergrowth and fallen trees meant that they soon lost direction and purpose. It was not until the redoubtable Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell arrived on the scene that progress was made. Gathering together what men he could find her organised them into a straight line stretching across the wood and then ordered a steady advance as if they were beaters on a pheasant shoot. Firing their rifles as they made their way forward, they overcame German stongpoints and cleared Trones Wood of the enemy and then manned its eastern edge to protect the flank of 9th Division as they attacked Longueval. 12th Middlesex remained in these positions in Trones Wood until relieved on the evening of the 17th July. During these three days they consolidated their positions, sent out patrols, reached out to make contact with neighbouring units and searched the wood for Germans still hiding out there, a number being taken prisoner. The enemy reacted to the loss of Trones Wood by relentlessly bombarding it with their artillery. This all added to the casualty list which included John Harris who died of wounds on 16th July