Gallery - View North from Montauban - Mametz Road

The open ground overlooked to the north of the Berkshire's final position. Virtually unoccupied at close of day on 1st July, many of these and similar woods in the German's second set of lines were soon to be reinforced and become icons of the slaughter of the first world war. On the left of the horizon above is a prime example - Mametz Wood.

"It was then very quiet, with only an occasional long range shell from Gerry coming over. From my own point of view, I should have thought that a small force of cavalry could have followed up and inflicted enormous damage to the German lines of communication. Quite a number of same were lying in reserve" - Pte. N.H. Norton, 8th Norfolks.

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

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