Salients on the Somme

[nicburch]

Hello All,

I am looking for the locations of the Wick and Sugarloaf salients on the Somme;paticularly the action of the 19th July 1916 involving the 148th brigade of the 61st division. I would like to know more of the 2nd Bucks battalion if anyone has anything. Thankyou.

[bmac]

Are you sure this is right? 148th Brigade were part of the 49th West Riding Division. I guess you mean 184th Brigade, 61st Division which took no part in the Somme but was involved at Fromelles on 19th July.

Wick and Sugar Loaf salients were part of this action on 19th and 20th July which involved the 61st Division and 5th Australian Division. It was a hugely costly diversionary attack located well away from the Somme front between Bethune and Armentieres.

Anything particular you want to know about the 2nd Ox & Bucks?

[nicburch]

Bill,thanks for putting me right,i did mean the 184th ;i am looking at the Ox and Bucks in general but i believe the 2nd/1st were part of the 184th at the action i have mentioned.I have discovered two men of my village were k.i.a. on the 19th july,i guess in this attack. Where can i find more info on the Ox and Bucks;there doesn't seem tol be much available.

Nick

[bmac]

184th Brigade (c/o B Gen C H P Carter) attacked on the left of the 61st (South Midland) Division on 19 July. 2/1st Bucks were opposite the Sugarloaf salient with the 2/4th R Berks to their right. The Sugarloaf was outside the effective range of Stokes mortars and they were checked by machine gun fire as they exited their sally ports. Two companies were then led by Lt Col H M Williams up a sap (Rhonnda sap) where they deployed in No Man's Land in a hail of shrapnel. The right company was effectively destroyed but a party from the left company reached the NE face of the Sugarloaf where they were all killed or wounded. A third company, bringing up supplies, was stopped in No Man's Land by artillery fire.

The 2/1st Bucks lost 4 officers and 114 men killed or died of wounds.

Overall, the 61st Division lost 1547 officers and men (killed and wounded), the 5th Australian Division lost 5533. The man in charge of the attack, Gen Haking, has, I believe, a very poor reputation in Australia. Not too surprising.

Extraordinarily, there does not appear to be a full history of the Ox and Bucks LI in the Great War. Vol 1 covering the Mesopotamian and North Russian campaigns appeared but no others.