Gallery - Thiepval Memorial from the Berkshire's Position

The view from the 6th Berks. final positions on 1st July looking over Mametz Wood towards the Thiepval Memorial, which on this photo is just visible in the centre of the horizon. The Memorial is roughly half way up the tall side of the "L" shape of the lines assaulted on the first day of the Somme. On the 16 mile front there were 60,000 casualties, inc. some 20,000 killed. Of these, a significant proportion occured in first hour. In other words, British Army casualties were the equivalent of some 75 whole Battalions.

Put in an even more chilling way, that's 4 men wounded and 2 killed for every 3 yards of the front.

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