Some proper snow. Old pics from about 10 years ago. Bernafay Wood & Guillemont Road Cems
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Zero Hour Z Day 1st July 1916
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Zero Hour Z Day 1st July 1916, detailed accounts of the British & German operations between Maricourt & Fricourt, during The Battle of the Somme.
Zero Hour Z Day 1st July 1916’s Tweets
Corporal Percy Howarth has been identified. It took 10 years to identify Percy's skeletal remains. 10 years.
Every case is different and the evidence available for each case will affect the length of the investigation. So why did it take so long for Percy? (1/8)
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Remains recovered in Vendin-le-Vieil, France, have been identified as being those of Corporal Percy Howarth, a Canadian soldier of the First World War who fought in the Battle of Hill 70. canada.ca/en/department-
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The US war correspondent, Donald Grant, described the SBS as a "band of Robin Hood’s merry men, steeped out of a story book, complete with knives slung at their belts".
Here are some of the merry men on Simi, early October 1943
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The grave of Maj Ken Taylor DSO of the 29th Canadian Infantry. Wounded in Jan 1916 leading brigade bombers on a raid, and awarded both an MiD and DSO in early 1916 he died leading his men on 12 Sep 1916 aged 28. #LestWeForget #WW1 #Somme
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107 years ago (29th Dec 1915) this afternoon Reserve Infantry Regiment 110 raided the 6th Northampton Reg at Fricourt capturing 13 prisoners:
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Thanks to all my customers this year. Odd to think that someone may open one of my books as a Christmas present. Four books left in stock, orders today will go Fedex, tomorrow. Bios and over 850 photos of the officers that fell on the 1st July 1916. DM me for more info
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Thank you everyone for your positive comments, I really appreciate it
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Big thank you to everyone who has bought my books this year. If you don't have a copy of volume 2 and would like to receive one in time for Christmas please order them before Sunday on the buy a book page of zerohourzday.com
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#OnThisDay 80 yrs ago in 1942 the Boom Patrol Detachment launched a Commando raid from sub HMS TUNA in canoes against German blockade runners in the Gironde, Bordeaux. Known as OP FRANKTON or the Cockleshell Heroes. RMBPD later became the Special Boat Service.(SBS)
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107 years ago this evening 1st Cheshires raided Mametz West Craters Somme. The enterprise was regarded as a model of its kind, being published in several Army documents as an example of best practice. An MC & 3 DCMs were awarded, one raider and several Germans died, one taken POW
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A few pics from this morning’s walk (Cave Hill Belfast), then back to the computer all day working on chapter 7 for vol3 Zero Hour Z Day
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Often missed, the memorial to Reserve Infantrie Regiment 111 at Le Sars is one of the few German memorials left on the Western Front. We visited last month but it’s hidden away on private land. It was featured in the 1920 Michelin Guide to the Battlefields of the Somme.
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The boxes of books have arrived, the end of a long journey and a lot of work. The whole book is my own work including the cover and it’s a unique record of all the Pompey lads who never came home from the Somme, over 650 of them. The cost will be £23.00 and will be only available
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A New Zealand gunner describes the thrill of loading and firing a field gun for a creeping barrage in the autumn of 1917:
“I heard nothing but the vicious whanging of our own guns, nothing but the jerk of the breach as it opened and the snap as it closed again, nothing but 1/3
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Brothers George & Robert Coutts were killed in action #OTD 13 Nov 1916 in the same attack during the Battle of the Somme. George, in the Royal Naval Division, is in Ancre British Cemetery. Robert, in the 51st Highland Division, is in Y Ravine Cemetery (Sunday Post, 17 Dec 1916).
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WHITE, Captain, John Vernon. Killed in action, Fricourt Farm, 1st July 1916. C Coy., 20th Bn.,
Manchester Regiment.
Born at Shaw, Lancashire in 12th November,
1891. Attended Denstone College.
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At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.
#somme #ww1 #LestWeForget #fww #WeWillRememberThem
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Another 36th Div casualty researched for a future Vol of zerohourzday.com - 2nd Lt George Kam Radcliffe, 14th Bn R Irish Rifles, Missing (KiA) 1/7/16 at Thiepval. (There’s a bit of a mystery at the end of this).
His father James wrote to the War Office 30/1/17
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BROCKBANK, Captain, Charles Norman. Fell shouting “go on – number one”, killed about 7.30am, 1st July 1916.
Wounded got up and then hit in the throat.
1 Coy., 18th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment).
Aged 32.
Entered France, 7th November 1915.
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ADAM, Captain, Arthur De Bels, MC, killed by a stick
grenade. His job was to keep in communication with the 18th Division on the left flank. 1st July
1916. No. 3 Coy. 18th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment).
Entered France on the 7th November 1915
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BOSANQUET, Brevet Major, Graham Bromhead, MC. Killed Fricourt-Contalmasion Road leading the advance 64th Brigade, 1st July 1916
1st Bn., Gloucestershire Regiment.
Joined Gloucesters on 30th October 1914 joining the regiment at Zillebeke on the 7th November 1914.
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A few pics from last week- Devonshire Cem - Bois Faviere - Thiepval Memorial - Bazentin le Petit.
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Good news: It's arrived. Bad news: It has been grabbed from my hands until Christmas 😡
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Looks like a possible German grave marker outside north corner of Bazentin le Petit Cemetery, now a field marker. Definitely an Iron Cross carved on the stone & there were German burials there 1914-16 see German burial map
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More on the 34th Division attack at La Boisselle on 1 July 1916. This is an overlay I’ve done of a map from the Official History onto Google Earth - it gives a better idea of the distance the Tyneside Irish had to cover before even reaching the British front line.
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Then and Now - La Boisselle. Men of the 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade advance towards the crest of Tara Hill and into full view of German artillery and machine guns on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
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Another 36th Div officer researched for a future vol of zerohourzday.com, 23 year old Lt John Pollock 13th R Irish Rifles, missing (KiA) 1/7/16.
“Your son was loved by all the men because he was the right sort, always looking after the interest of the men and when they 1/3
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How to clear German dugouts, Battle of the Somme, July 1916: 1) phosphorous 2) kill prisoners. Allied coordination of infantry & artillery tactics ultimately forced the Germans to abandon deep front-line dugouts but 1) & prob 2) played role. #UndergroundWarfare (see alt for ref)
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106 years ago today, the Battle of Flers–Courcelette began when the first ever tank in action cleared the Germans from Brewery Salient by Delville Wood. Two companies of 6/KOYLI supported on foot 'with bomb and bayonet' and lost 63 men, including my great-uncle, William Mooney.
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I found this tin of anti-frostbite grease on the Somme battlefield in the mid-1980s, on the site of the old July 1916 British front line near Mansel Copse. The contents are still present & contain fat from pigs or cows, as the tin is marked 'Not to be used by Indian troops'.
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I was 17 when I found this German helmet, in the Carnoy mine craters in no man’s land on the Somme battlefield, where a farmer had flung it in the early 1980s. The craters are long-since filled in, and the iron is slowly returning to earth.
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Wirecutters evaluated by the Chief Instructor in Fortification at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, early 1916. He recommended adoption of H to replace A, but did not rule out F. Both H & F were adopted (Extracts from Proceedings of the RE Committee Jan-Jun 1916).
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More from the teenage militaria collection. British 1917 wirecutters, £3.50 from Greenwich market.
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Chuffed to see this painting today at the DCLI museum. 2nd Lieutenant Alec Forbes, painted by his father on his final home leave before joining the 1/DCLI. Killed at the head of his platoon, two days after joining the battalion, assaulting Guillemont.
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Road next to what would become #CWGC Becourt Military Cemetery, #Somme (a burial marker cross can be seen to left of horses) in 1916. Australian Army Transport passes by. (IWM Q 898) Also a picture taken by me on same spot a couple days ago. #BattleoftheSomme
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📸 - Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières, Albert x 3.
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A privilege to lay a wreath at the memorial to 2Lt George Marsden-Smedley today on the 106th anniversary of his death near Guillemont Stn on 18 Aug 1916 as part of 3rd Rifle Brigade. The Smedley family carry his memory for generations. #LestWeForget #somme
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#OTD in 1917, Pte. John Lambert was killed near Langemark. Being buried in the field his body was lost until 2016 when we discovered his remains together with 7 others. He was identified in 2020 and reburied New Irish Farm Cemetery in 2022.
skylarcs.org/private-john-l
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