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Extract from war diary of 168 Brigade RFA

This section of the Long, Long Trail will be helpful for anyone wishing to find out about the day to day activities of the army.

Coverage

This diary covers the months of May and June 1916. For the Field Artillery on the Somme, it was a period of great toil and danger, as they prepared and then fired the huge bombardment that preceded the infantry attack on 1 July.

Extract

1.5.16 Bouzincourt Batteries in action in same position still under 32nd Divisional Artillery Group. Uneventful trench warfare continued. Headquarters continued to prepare for active offensive operations, digging OP's and burying telephone cables 6 feet.
5.5.16 96th Infantry Brigade made successful night raid on enemy trenches bringing back 16 prisoners of which 5 had to be shot as they attempetd escape. All batteries partook in artillery bombardment which the infantry afterwards declared to be excellent.
26.5.16 Divisional artillery reorganised. D Battery transferred entire to 164 Brigade RFA and [Brigade] Ammunition Column disbanded. Six trench mortar batteries, A/32, B/32, W/32, X/32, Y/32 and Z/32 come under the Brigade for administration.
31.5.16 The month has been uneventful. The most noticeable points are (1) that the initiative both with artillery and infantry most markedly rests with us. (2) Our marked aerial superiority. A German aeroplane is hardly ever seen now behind our lines.
1.6.16 Orders received to hasten preparation for offensive operations. The OP's and Forward Telephone Exchnage are nearly complete but the buried cables rather behindhand. Trench warfare continued on ordinary lines. Marked aerial activity on the part of the Royal Flying Corps. .
15.6.16 C/168 [Battery] move into their forward positions at W.6.d.7.7 in Authuille Wood. A/168 exchange positions with C/161 moving into position at W.18.a.1.5. Batteries are now in their battle positions. [Note: the numbers are trench map references].
17.6.16 Definite orders received regarding offensive operations. There will be 5 days bombardment named U, V, W, X and Y days with an attack on Z day. U day will be reserved for 18-pounder wire cutting. Lieut-Colonel F.T. Oldham will assume command of the Group on the night of T/U. Date of T day will be notified later.
23.6.16

T Day. Lieut-Colonel F.T. Oldham assumes command of Left Group, 32nd Divisional Artillery with Lieut-Col. H. Sheppard DSO as 2nd in command. Headquarters remain at Bouzincourt for the time being, and Lieut. R.B. Barwell, Adjutant 155th Brigade RFA goes to "Adjutant's Post", the forward telephone exchange at Q.35.a.2.8. The Group is composed as follows:

No. of Position Battery Map Square OP Position Nature of Battery
2 A/168 W.18.a.1.5 Q.35.a.38.80 18-Pounder
7 D/164 W.9.d.8.5 Q.29.q.3.3 4.5-inch Howitzer
9 Spare W.10.a.5.5 - 18-Pounder
11 B/168 W.3.b.4.5 Q.35.a.36.80 18-Pounder
12 C/164 Q.33.d.4.0 Q.29.a.10.42 18-Pounder
14 B/155 Q.35.d.4.8 Q.29.a.3.3 18-Pounder
15 C/155 Q.35.b.5.1 Q.35.a.27.95 18-Pounder
16 A/155 Q.35.d.4.7 Q.35.a.26.98 18-Pounder
18 C/168 W.6.d.7.7 Q.29.c.25.04 18-Pounder
22 D/164 W.17.c.2.9 Q.29.c.12.39 4.5-inch Howitzer

The Zone covered is the 96th Infantry Brigade front. Northern boundary a line running through points R.25.b.23.63 - along the edge of Thiepval Cemetery inclusive - R.26.a.45.95 - R.20.c.85.15. Southern boundary a line running through points R.31.a.50.45 - R.26.c.5.1 - R.27.c.25.75.
24.6.16 U Day. A/155, B/155 and C/155 cut wire all day on support and reserve trenches with A/168, B/168, C/164, D/155 and D/164 covering them. During the night, A/168, B/168 and C/164 fired on gaps made in wire and roads behind front line system. A/168 and C/168 cut wire during the day for the Right Group.
25.6.16 V Day. Wire-cutting batteries continued. Trench Mortar Batteries started cutting wire on front line. Night firing as before.
26.6.16 W Day. Wire-cutting batteries continued as before. Night firing as before. Discharge of gas and smoke as a blind whilst 36th Division on our left carried out a successful raid. HQ moved to The Bluff at Q.36.c.7.7., the Adjutant moving to Adjutant's Post.
27.6.16

X Day. Wire-cutting continued and night firing as before. During the night 17th HLI supported by artillery of Right Group carried out an unsuccessful raid, enemy's barrage being too strong. Infantry Brigade HQ moved to The Bluff. More gas discharged in the afternoon.
28.6.16 Y Day. Wire cutting on front line where Trench Mortars had not been successful. Night firing as before. Zero time for attack tomorrow fixed at 7.30am. Attack postponed 48 hours owing to rain.
29.6.16 Y1 Day. Wire curtting on front line continued. All wire on reserve and support line flat now. Night firing as before.
30.6.16 Y2 Day. Same as Y1 Day. Attack fixed for 7.30am 1st July 1916..
Note

From the British Official History: "The two leading battalions of 96th Infantry Brigade, the 16th Northumberland Fusiliers and 15th Lancashire Fusiliers, attacked at 7.30am on 1st July 1916. They met with disaster at the outset, the immediate cause being enemy machine guns in Thiepval... So intense and accurate was their fire that that whole lines of men were swept down dead or wounded at every further attempt to get forward by rushes. It was said, with some truth, that only bullet-proof soldiers could have taken Thiepval on this day".

The efforts of 168 Brigade RFA to destroy the barbed wire defences in front of Thiepval had been in vain.

Sources

This extract from the Brigade war diary is from the original held at the National Archives in piece WO95/474.