Page 13
The Boys From Devon and the Battle of the Somme
1st July this year marks the 100th anniversary of the
Battle of the Somme, a battle that many see as an example
of the futility and stupidity of trench warfare in the First
World War. This was the battle that saw the first action for
so many of the eager recruits who had volunteered in their
millions to fight for ‘King and Country’ in 1914 and 1915.
It was supposed to be a 'cake walk' – over a million shells
had been fired at the German lines; three huge mines were
exploded under enemy positions – it was supposed to be
just a case of walking forward and occupying the shattered
German positions. However, the soldiers walked into a hail
of bullets and shells that left 60,000 dead and wounded,
almost half of the attacking force. It was the bloodiest day
in British military history and men from South Devon were
there in the thick of the actions.
Derek Davies
One Man’s story – The Death of a Poet
Serving with the 9th Battalion the Devonshire Regiment,
Lieutenant William Noel Hodgson was on the Somme
battlefield in June 1916 preparing for the Battle of the Somme.
The scheduled date for the start of the battle was originally to
be August 1916, but had been brought forward to the 28 June
1916. Owing to bad weather in the week building up to the
battle, the date of the attack was postponed at 11.00 hours on
28 June and moved by two days to the morning of 1 July 1916.
This delay allowed Lt. Hodgson to write a poem called
'Before
Action'
on the 29th June 1916.
Before Action
by Lt. William Noel Hodgson MC
By all the glories of the day
And the cool evening's benison
By that last sunset touch that lay
Upon the hills when day was done,
By beauty lavishly outpoured
And blessings carelessly received,
By all the days that I have lived
Make me a soldier, Lord.
I, that on my familiar hill
Saw with uncomprehending eyes
A hundred of thy sunsets spill
Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice,
Ere the sun swings his noonday sword
Must say good-bye to all of this;
By all delights that I shall miss,
Help me to die, O Lord.
In the early hours of the morning of 1 July, Lt. Hodgson was
in position with his comrades, anxiously waiting for Zero Hour
at 07.30 hours. As the command was given, the men of 9th
Devonshire started their advance. They had been ordered to
attack across Carnoy Valley towards the village of Mametz.
This involved crossing about 400 yards of No-Man's-Land but,
as soon as the first men of the 9th Devonshire Battalion left
the British trenches, they were exposed to fire from German
machine guns. The battalion suffered heavy casualties. At
8.30, just 50 yards from the enemy trenches, Lt. Hodgson was
killed, he was aged 23.
The 9th Devonshire battalion, with the support of the 8th
Devonshire battalion, succeeded in taking the enemy trench,
just south of Mametz, but at a heavy cost. That night, Lt.
Hodgson's body was retrieved and brought back to the British
Front Line position, along with over 160 of his comrades. They
were buried in the vicinity of a little wood called Mansell
Copse. A ceremony was held at the burial site on 4 July 1916. A
wooden cross was put up at the time by the survivors of the 9th
and 8th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiment. Carved on the
cross were the words: “The Devonshires held this trench, the
Devonshires hold it still.” The graves were left in this position
when the cemeteries were rebuilt after the war and 163 graves
are now contained in the 'Devonshire Cemetery'.
By all of all man's hopes and fears
And all the wonders poets sing,
The laughter of unclouded years,
And every sad and lovely thing;
By the romantic ages stored
With high endeavour that was his,
By all his mad catastrophes
Make me a man, O Lord.
KEVICC students paying
their respects at the
Thiepval Memorial on
the Somme Battlefield
History teacher Cat Hayes was thrilled to receive a flyer
from History school trip specialists NST recently. She
arranged the KEVICC trip to the Battlefields through them
last year and this year's flyer had two photos taken by her
used on it – one was the main picture on the front!
The company have sent out 8,000 flyers to their potential
customers and were delighted with the photo.
History
