Gallery - Present Day Front Line View 2

This view looks north from the start point of the 8th Norfolks. The village of Montauban can be seen top right, the ground ahead and left being that assaulted by 53rd Brigade on the opening day of the Somme. The 6th Berks attacked to the left of the Norfolks and in conjunction with them.

"We dashed forward and I found, right in my line of advance, a patch of thistles and nettles. Reaching this, I pushed the Lewis gun through this small, but dense group of weeds. This afforded complete horizontal cover to my number two with his ammunition, and for my body. Having pushed the gun through and dividing the nettles, I found my first target of the day, six or eight Germans in a trench firing at our men stranded in the open. One good burst of fire cleared that parapet" - Cpl. J. Norton, 8th Norfolks.

Quotation from "The First Day on the Somme" by Martin Middlebrook