Battle Of The Somme

[Stuart0742]

Just to remind you, about the Dan Snow's "Battle of the Somme" on the Discovery channel tomorrow at 7:00 pm.

http://www.discovery...e-of-the-somme/

As you know there is a strong Sheffield connection with the York & Lancs 12th Service Battalion (Sheffield Cit Battalion) playing a large part and suffering terrible losses.

On SheffieldSoldierWW1 site we have a page listing 542 Sheffield Men who were killed on 1/7/16 the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme

http://www.sheffield...uk/search5b.php

[RichardB]

Thank you Stuart.

[Bayleaf]

I hope it's better than the More4 programme last night. A lady I know whose great-uncle was one of the Sheffield pals killed that day found it almost insulting, not least because it only talked about the Manchester Pals, as if they were the only ones involved, no Sheffield, Barnsley, Accrington etc. Re-enactments, pristine trenches, soldiers in spotless uniforms waiting for the off, then advancing across fields of flowers.

[PatrickDolan1]

I thought the Somme programme on More 4 was quite good with some reservations. It was aired back in 2006 I think on Channel 4. They concentrated on a few people's stories to try to humanise things. I didn't think it was suggesting that only the Manchester Pals suffered heavy losses. I didn't get that impression. Of course the battalion that suffered the heaviest losses was, I think, a Newfoundland battalion.

Don't forget that the 1 July attack was undertaken at the height of summer over quite dry ground. It was only later that it turned into the sea of mud we all know from the classic photos. Interestingly, my Grandad's battalion 2 KOYLI took part on the first and last day of the Battle. What a contrast that must have been.

One thing that did annoy me on that programme was the fact the soldiers weren't carrying the correct rifles? I'm not sure why. The rest of the look of the thing seemed pretty accurate and Lee Enfield SMLEs are often seen on TV?

[Bayleaf]

Don't forget that the 1 July attack was undertaken at the height of summer over quite dry ground. It was only later that it turned into the sea of mud we all know from the classic photos. Interestingly, my Grandad's battalion 2 KOYLI took part on the first and last day of the Battle. What a contrast that must have been.

True, but the ground they advanced over had been hit by continuous barrages of heavy shellfire from both sides for days before the advance, so even if it wasn't the sea of mud we see so often it would have been churned up by the shells.

[Guest lebourg]

Hi

Thought this may be of interest.

Dean has this picture.

My grandpa is second from the left rear rank.

Possibly 93 Bt machine gun corps. He served first in the Yorks and Lancs.