100th anniversary of the Somme 2016

[Mark Hone]

I know that this is ridiculously early, but has anyone started planning for the commemoration of the centenary of the first day of the Somme? I was lucky enough to attend the 70th anniversary in 1986, before I went into teaching and in 2006 took a small group of boys on a 'mini' battlefields tour to coincide with the 90th anniversary. As far as I can recall we were the only school group with cadets at the Thiepval ceremony that year. We also walked the route of the Manchester Pals' advance on Montauban, commemorating the three old boys of our school who died during the attack. God willing, we would like to attend again in 2016.

[JimSmithson]

To be honest Mark I'm not sure what I'll do on that day. I will be living in France by then and therefore, unlike all other years, will be able to get there. However, I fear the crowds and all the 'whatever is organised' could be the kind of scene that I would rather avoid. I think I may find a spot somewhere not so easy to reach along the line where I can contemplate on the day without the distractions.

Or am I just being a Victor Meldrew?

Jim

[nigelcave]

Or am I just being a Victor Meldrew?

Jim

If you are that makes two of us at least!

[Alan Tucker]

One thing you can guarantee is that the gendarmerie will be as useless in terms of organisation around the area as they were for the 90th!

[8055Bell]

Mark,

I also followed my Grandad and your old boys to Montauban in 2006. There were some enthusiasts in Uniform remembering our Pals at the Memorial and not too many other people around. It's only another day for us, but the significance made another trip particularly good for me.

Unfortunately many surrounding roads and places were closed to the public and we were unable to visit everything we wanted. We certainly had a laugh on the journey up the sunken lane, where our mottly crew concluded that nobody could stop our Pal 90 years before and nobody was stopping his son, grandson and three gt. grandaughters. Just imagine the diplomatic incident!

I've learned a lot more about the other assaults and intend to go back this summer to have a look. Hopefully some of my crew will be available / willing to tag along and I will watch out for Bury School. We may may be held up at Glatz Redoubt for a while, but I don't think there will be too many dignitaries stopping us.

Tim

PS Any chance of seeing Capt. Cartman's scrapbook before the Centenary?

[Mark Hone]

We actually did the walk from Maricourt to Montauban the day before, on 30th June. It was 36 degrees centigrade; good job we took a lot of water!

I am still awaiting the return of the Captain's scrapbook from the digitizers. I will post some images when it re-appears.

A thread about our 2006 trip, with photos, is at:

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54956&hl=glatz&st=0

'Veterans' rated it as their favourite battlefields tour; most of the lads on that trip had been on four or five of our October ones.

[8055Bell]

Mark,

I've looked at your post on 90th Anniversary a few times. The photo looking up to Montauban from Glatz is my favourite. It's hard to imagine the scene in 1916, when you see the hazy rolling hills and church spire on the hill - even with the teacher's arm blocking the view haha. It's great your lads could still identify with their ancestors and moving to see the boy looking up at his relative's name @ Thiepval. I learned the history of medicine for O level. Your guys have learned something much greater.

I promise to stay patient for Capt. Cartman's pictures. I'm hoping for a named photo of Pt. A A Bell, Lt Miller, Holt, or possibly 17th Bttn. bombers, with names of all the men. Is that too much to ask from a scrapbook found in a skip? Ok YES, but any snippets are an exciting prospect..

Tim

[dycer]

Mark,

Why does 1st July 1916 feature so greatly apart from future "topical news"?

Many,of the boys,may have ancestors,who carried on "The Battle",until it's, or their death.

George

[Mark Hone]

_{Don't worry, George, I'm fully aware of that. Of the twenty Bury Grammar School old boys who died in the Battle of the Somme, four were killed on the first day; three in the Manchester Pals' attack on Monatauban, the other one with the Royal Engineers near Thiepval. The rest died during the remainder of the four and a half month battle, and many more of course took part at various stages of the campaign and survived. Of the relatives of pupils and staff whose graves or places of commemoration on the Somme we have visited over the years, I can recall only one who was killed on the first day. On our most recent, 2011, Somme Tour, we visited the grave of a boy's great-grandfather, a Salford Pal, who took part in the 1st July attack but was killed on 12th. My own great-uncle (my avatar, pictured) was killed on 13th November at Serre, having already taken part in his battalion's costly night attack at Delville Wood in late July.}

_{The fact is, however, that like it or not official commemoration of the battle has traditionally focussed on 1st July. I make a point on my visits of emphasising the rest of the campaign, such as the fighting for the woods and the 'last gasp' on the Ancre.}

[Roxy]

George,

Don't forget that many of our ancestors never made it to 1 Jul 1916. That said, it is still a significant day; perhaps the only date that some folks are aware of wrt the Great War.

Roxy