When men were sent like lambs to the slaughter

I WISH to compliment you on the series of articles (Irish Examiner June 27-29) commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. It needs to be remembered.

I can recall as a youngster in the 1950s speaking to veterans who took part in this and other battles of the World War I. It was hard to get much from them, as they did not really want to talk about it. But all admitted the battles were terrible.

However, of more personal significance is the fact that my grandfather, Peter Nash, fought in the Battle of the Somme. From his records I know that he served in the 32nd Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery. They were based in a place called Mailly-Maillet on July 1, 1916.

At that time each unit of the British army had a war diary into which was written daily all information on where the unit was based, what actions it took, what casualties it had, etc.

In the case of the first day of the Somme, and because it was such a huge event, an hourly record was kept. The following is an extract from the war diary of my grandfather’s unit for that day.

‘July 1, 5am: All guns cut wire in their own area. One round per gun per minute.

6.25: All guns on their front trench in their own area.

7.20am: Rate of fire three rounds per minute (high explosive).

7.30am: zero time. All guns lift by steps as ordered at the rate of 100 yards every two minutes. Attack commences. 11th Infantry Brigade advances over No Man’s Land. Hohenzollern redoubt seen to be blown up. (Zero time was when the troops went over the top to attack the German trenches and so the guns were ordered to keep landing the shells ahead of the advancing troops).

8.10am: Zday. German barrage very patchy.

8.20am: Men crossing No Man’s Land.

9.40am: Sappers building bridge over front trench have casualties from machinegun fire.

10.35am: 36 Division done well. 29 Division have not taken Beaumont redoubt.

11.45am: Essex held up at Munich Trench. Seaforths sent to reinforce meet with heavy machinegun fire’.

So ended the day’s entries. We now know that there were 20,000 deaths that day and 40,000 casualties. Day after day the war diary continues recording gun bombardments, wire cutting, etc., until the brigade was sent to rest on July 31.

When they resumed at the front in August, one entry summed up all the futility of the war. The entry says: ‘Normal trench warfare’.

Happily, my grandfather survived the war. He was one of the few. They deserve to be remembered.

Frank Nash

Gouldings Cottages

Dillons Cross

Cork