Gallery - Present Day Front Line View 3

The village of Montauban viewed from the approx. position of the British front line. The village was successfully attacked and taken by 30th Division on 1st July, 1916. The road on the right runs north west from Carnoy to Montauban.

"German machine-gun fire was dropping our men by the hundred and when we came to a sunken road we halted in it for cover, although it was wrong to do so. Fortunately our quartermaster sergeant, who was twice the age of most of us and had served as a regular with the Coldstream Guards, came along and very quickly did the necessary rallying and urged us on with his great shouts of what I might call 'cheerful command'" - L/Cpl F. Heardman, 2nd Manchester Pals, part of 30th Div. attacking due north towards Montauban.

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

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