London Divisions of the Somme – “Londoners” 90th Anniversary tour September 2006

Post Tour Report

As you are no doubt aware 2006 marked the 90th anniversary of the Somme fighting and an awful lot of attention was understandably focused on the events of July 1st. We felt however that it was important to remember the attack on the 15 September 1916, the first use of tanks and of course a very active day for the two senior London Territorial Divisions. With that in mind Battle Honours arranged a specific walking tour entitled "London Soldiers on the Somme", this three night trip was based at the modern 3* Holiday Inn Express in Central Arras.

With both Clive and I having London roots we were delighted that so many fellow Londoners came on this trip but were equally glad that the traditional power house of Army recruiting, the North West, proved to be as good for us as it had been in the Great War!

The first walk started following the 56th Division at Combles from the 20th Light Division memorial, we continued on along the edge of Leuze Wood passed the German bunker to the Dickens Cross. Near Leuze wood looking across Plain Du Tank, we introduced 2/Lt Septimus D’Arcy,  from the memoir “Englishman Kamerad” by Gilbert Nobbs late the London Rifle Brigade. The group clearly took the affectionately described D’arcy to their hearts and were thoroughly miserable when it was revealed later that he dies in the attack at Leuze wood.

It was further more surprising, perhaps good in a way when it was also later found out the D’Arcy was a fictional character, perhaps a montage of other people in Nobbs’ memoir.
With virtually no other pilgrimages out on this anniversary we had the lovely Somme autumn battlefields to ourselves to finish the walk at Combles itself in the Communal Cemetery.
Our afternoon walk took us from Caterpillar Valley cemetery down Wood lane to do a complete circumference of High wood ending at the London Cemetery where we met up with the Southend branch of the WFA and members of the Royal Fusiliers Association. We jointly laid a wreath during a short but poignant ceremony.

Walk 3 –“The 56th Div at Gommecourt” Turning the clock back to July 1st 1916 we began our walk in the Hebuterne Military Cemetery, we then walked up Yankee Street to gain our first look at Gommecourt. We Paused in “Hebuterne” to consider the Pals units that had passed through prior to the 1st July 1916.
Passing Gommecourt No2 and the site of the infamous Nameless Farm we walked into the village until we reached Gommecourt Wood Cemetery where our driver Keith from Diplomat travel was patiently waiting.
After a short visit to Chipilly to see the 58th Division memorial we returned to see the wonderful “Beating the Retreat” by the band of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) from the City of London outside the Albert Marie. The local Mayors and Dignitaries took the salute and the Band played a host of cracking tunes including many from London times passed. Many locals were attracted by the bearskin wearing bandsmen and women who truly did London proud! Well and truly exhausted we returned to Arras for supper.

As a special request for passenger Kim McGuire we went via the Butte De Warlencourt to Eacourt L’abbaye where her great Uncle had died with the 20th Londons in 1916. A toast was given in the name of the fallen and a minutes silence followed. This took us nicely to the last ceremony where the Royal Fusiliers and various branches of London Regiment associations together with the HAC band and numerous locals had gathered at the 47th London Division memorial for a service of remembrance. There are times as a battlefield guide when you can get the measure fairly quickly for the dynamics of any tour group and this tour was to be one on which the dynamics came to the fore in so many good ways it grew into a truly great tour in a short time, in no short thanks to that great mix of folks who had come along. Knowledge, humour and banter were rife but interspersed with great emotion and of course quiet reflection.