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The following are contemporary accounts relating to the attack on Serre
made by the Pals battalions of 94th Brigade on the morning of 1st July
1916.
Listen to sound recordings of those
who were there:
Archive material
Lt. Frank Bailey (11th Bn., East Lancs. Regt.). Report of wire examining
patrol on night of 29th/30th June 1916 (PRO CAB45/191).
I went out at 10.35pm leaving our lines at post No.
6. We walked through our wire and lay in No Man's Land for 5 mins. until
our artillery lifted. We then proceeded to crawl out towards the enemy's
wire, but were found by the enemy's flares about half-way. We were not
fired on by machine guns, but about 3 rifles from slightly to our right
kept up fire for about 15 minutes. We then proceeded toward the wire,
and examined same for about 40 yards north, but could only find one
thickness of concertina wire into which we put the Bangalore torpedo and
fired same. We immediately retired as it was now about 11.30 and the
artillery were trying to come back. we got back into No. 6 post at 11.45 .
Lt. Cecil Herbert Woodhouse (12th Bn., York & Lancaster
Regt.). Report of wire examining patrol on night of 29th/30th June 1916
(PRO CAB45/191).
I went out with a patrol tonight from No 27 Bay (opp.
Luke Copse) at 10.35p.m. The enemy wire is now considerably damaged
opposite this place, but a fair amount of loose wire remains. I do not
consider that it would be a serious obstacle to infantry. Another patrol
from my party went out opposite Bay 34, and report a similar state of
affairs. Two Bangalore torpedoes were placed in position and fired at
11.10, but the one opposite 27 Bay failed to explode. Some flares were
sent up from the 2nd German line, but none from the 1st. No other signs
of the enemy could be seen or heard.
Extracts from a letter written by Pte. Jack Hindle
(11th Bn., East Lancs. Regt.) (published in the Accrington Observer &
Times of 22nd July 1916).
On Friday,
the last day of June, we were told that we were going in the trenches
that night to start the attack in the morning. We did not worry, as we
expected it, and you may judge how cheerful we were when I tell you that
as we were going to the trenches that night there were a lot of
the R.F.A. on the wayside and one of our chaps would say to one of them,
"What do you want bringing back - a German helmet or an officer's wrist
watch?" and this was not the only joke, as all were promising to have a
drink with each other at a village we had to take. Well, at last we got
to the trenches, through which we had to walk three miles to get to our
position, and it was no joke, as the trenches were deep in mud and
water, and by the time we got to our post (about 11p.m.) we were wet
through.
At 6.30 a
terrific bombardment started, and Fritz gave us a little in return,
sending all kinds of shells, including whiz-bangs, aerial torpedoes,
canister shells, and rifle grenades. At 7.20 our trench mortars started,
and we went over the top. I myself felt more at ease when we got over
than I did in the trench, simply because I had a chance of firing back.
At 7.30 the bombardment lifted to the German second line, and we looked
for someone to lead us, but all the officers and the N.C.O.'s seemed to
have been put out of action, and while we were waiting (which was only a
matter of seconds) the Germans came out.
Extract from a letter written by Pte. Will Clarke (11th
Bn., East Lancs. Regt.) to his sister (published in the Accrington
Observer & Times of 15th July 1916).
I ventured to
look around me as with a whizz, ping, pang the bullets flew around me.
"God spare my soul" I cried, and saw to my surprise living beings. How
had they escaped being blown to pieces? Heaven only knows. But there
they were throwing bombs at us. Full length on the ground I flung
myself, when "biff!" a piece of spent shrapnel hit me behind the ear. I
slipped into a huge shell-hole twenty-five yards from the Huns' first
trench, and there wiped away the blood, pulling the small offender out.
Creeping forward I again spotted a few Germans. Taking aim, I fired one
shot. Then "thud!" "Oh, God!" I cried, "my poor head is blown in two",
so great was the shock.
Blinded
almost with blood from my wound, I commenced to roll back to our own
lines, but my equipment prevented me. In spite of the machine guns that
were still playing on us (and, by the way, they killed many of our
wounded), I knelt up, and God only knows how I threw off my equipment,
but I did it, and crawling, pulling, stumbling over barbed wire, etc., I
reached our own lines.
Extract from a letter written by Pte. Jack Haining
(11th Bn., East Lancs. Regt.) to his parents (published in the Accrington
Observer & Times of 11th July 1916).
We were in the worst of the fight and have lost a
terrible lot of men. I had a miraculous escape, having to pass 14 hours
in a shell hole with three comrades, one of them being badly wounded.
While we were there shells were dropping all around us and rifles and
machine-guns were blazing away as if they were alive. How many came back
from the charge I don't know. Neither do I know how I got back. Poor
Captain Tough was killed. I heard he was twice wounded but still kept
going till he was killed. I think it was very courageous of him.
Extract from a letter written by Pte.
Albert Naylor (11th Bn., East Lancs. Regt.) to a friend in the Accrington
Tramways Department (published in the Accrington Observer & Times of 15th
July 1916).
We made the attack at 7.30 on the
morning of July 1st, my platoon being in the third wave, or line of men,
after the first and second wave had gone. We moved on and we caught up
to them in good time - what there was left of them. Well, we kept moving
on until we got to the first German line. We started throwing bombs, but
I was not so long before I was hit in the leg with a piece of German
bomb, so I got out of the trench and got in a shell-hole just over the
top of the trench. I stopped there all day, but towards night a shell
burst behind me and put a couple of pieces in my left arm, and a piece
right through my shrapnel helmet into my head. Well, I bandaged myself
up as best I could, and as soon as it went dark I made towards our line,
in my way, but instead of landing there I got to another line of German
trenches. I only found it out by them throwing a bomb which dropped
beside my head, and it didn't half make blood fly - it poured out of my
nose, ears and mouth - but there was very little shrapnel which I got
about the face and into my right arm. After this I managed to get into
our own lines, and I can tell you it was a great relief, as I was three
days and a half without food, as I had to drop all my
equipment as soon as I was hit.
Archive material
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