Free Forgotten Voices of the Somme by Joshua Levine

reached a staggering crescendo. Over the next hour, almost a quarter of a million shells were fired across the entire fourteen-mile front, whilst seventeen massive mines were detonated under German positions. The largest mine, near La Boisselle, shot earth four thousand feet into the air, leaving a crater – which became known as the Lochnagar Crater – almost a hundred feet deep, and 450 feet across. At half-past seven – zero hour – British troops went over the top along the entire front.
    Lieutenant Ulick Burke
    2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
    Immediately the daylight came, the men had their rum ration. The quartermaster was always good on those occasions. And then I gave the men my last orders. They had ladders – two bits of wood nailed together with three or four cross-pieces – to help them to climb out of the trench. And five minutes
    before the time of going over . . . this was the worst time for the troops. That's when their feelings might break.
    Private Albert Day
    1/4th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
    They gave us rum; I suppose that made it a little bit better. The fact that the others were there kept you going – but I had a terrible feeling; I thought I was going to have an accident in my pants.
    Private Basil Farrer
    3rd Battalion, Green Howards
    We had got the ladders ready, and next to me was a sergeant, who had the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and he was rubbing a piece of earth, a piece of clay, between his feet.
    Lieutenant Ulick Burke
    2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
    I shouted down the left and right of my sector, 'Five minutes to go!' Then four minutes, then three minutes, two minutes, half a minute, then, 'Ten seconds . . . get ready . . . Over!'
    Private Reg Coldridge
    2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment
    When I went over, I didn't really think of anything. I just had to go. That was all.
    Stephen K. Westmann
    German Army Medical Corps
    For seven days and seven nights our German soldiers had had nothing to eat, nothing to drink, but constant fire, shell after shell bursting upon us. And then the British Army went over the top. Our gunners crawled out of their bunkers, redded eyes, sunken eyes, dirty, full of blood. And they opened terrific fire . . .

    A German machine gun perched on a parapet.

    A patrol crawling towards German trenches on the morning of July 1.
    GOMMECOURT TO BEAUMONT HAMEL
    In the most northerly sector of the front, two divisions of the British Third Army attacked the Gommecourt salient . This was a diversionary assault, intended to distract German artillery and infantry from the main thrust of the attack further south, where the Fourth Army was attacking the German lines between the villages of Serre and Montebaun .
    The 18th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry , the 16th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (The Bradford Pals) and the 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (The Leeds Pals) suffered heavy losses whilst attacking Serre village. The 12th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (the Sheffield Pals) and the 11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment (the Accrington Pals) were also ripped to shreds in the attack. A few men of the Accrington Pals managed to enter the village, but were forced to retreat. The 14th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment attempted unsuccessfully to reinforce the attack. Further south, the 1/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment entered the Heidenkopf Crater and the German supporting trenches, but these were abandoned the following day. Overall, in this sector, no ground was taken.
    Private James Snaylham
    11th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
    I went over the top at 0730 and my next-door pal was killed straight away. I kept going and going, being the youngest, and daftest I suppose. I got as far as the Jerry wire, before a shell exploded and a lump went through my leg. I laid there until seven o'clock in the evening. I crawled back into every shell-hole I came to, and there were lads wounded, shouting, 'Send somebody!