LITMIR.BIZ

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July 1916 The lengthy Battle of the Somme begins: the Allies aim to overcome strong German defences in the Somme River valley in north-west France. Prior to the battle (actually a series of sub-battles), British and French artillery have heavily bombarded German positions in preparation for a grand infantry assault. But when Allied troops climb out of their trenches at 7.30 a.m. this day and go ‘over the top’ they find that barbed wire has not been cut as expected, that the strongly built German defences have survived the shelling, and that the enemy is ready with deadly cross-fire. On the first day of the Somme the British casualties alone are 19,240 killed, 35,493 wounded, and 2,152 missing. Tolkien and the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers are in reserve, but he hears the thunder of the artillery and no doubt sees dead and wounded brought back behind the lines. – Among those killed in action this day is Lieutenant R.Q. Gilson, with the 11th Suffolks near La Boisselle.

      2 July 1916 The 11th Battalion waits in readiness. – At 9.30 a.m. Tolkien attends Mass in a field at Warloy-Baillon.

      3–5 July 1916 At 8.30 p.m. on 3 July the 11th Battalion parades and marches to Bouzincourt with the rest of the 74th Infantry Brigade, reaching it at midnight. Captain Lionel Ferguson of the 13th Cheshires, who followed the same route on this day, will write in his diary: ‘We left Warloy at dusk, meeting a very tired Highland Division coming out of the show. It was a sight new to me to see really tired men, they were just walking along in twos and threes, holding each other up for support, unshaved, covered with mud, and war worn, in fact never have I seen troops in worse condition’ (quoted in Malcolm Brown, The Imperial War Museum Book of the Somme (1996; reissued 2002), p. 118). Tolkien is able to sleep in a hut for the rest of that night and the two following nights. The 11th Battalion remains in reserve at Bouzincourt until 6 July and is kept occupied with drilling, training, and inspections.

      ?3–8 July 1916 During this period Tolkien writes two poems, A Dream of Coming Home and A Memory of July in England. The earliest manuscript of the first, dedicated ‘To my wife’, is dated ‘Bouzincourt July 4–8 1916’ and refers to ‘a vision of Great Haywood in May’. A later inscription on another manuscript assigns it to ‘Bouzincourt during the British barrage July 3 (?) 1916’. The manuscript of A Memory of July in England is dated ‘Bouzincourt July 7–8 1916’.

      6 July 1916 At 1.00 p.m. A and C companies of the 11th Battalion parade and move to Usna Hill, arriving at about 4.00 p.m. At 11.00 p.m. they proceed to the trenches at La Boisselle. Two companies, including Tolkien, remain with the brigade at Bouzincourt to act as carrying parties for rations and ammunition. He re-reads ‘Edith’s letters with news from home and glance[s] once again at his collection of notes from the other members of the T.C.B.S.’ (Humphrey Carpenter, Biography, p. 83).

      6–8 July 1916 G.B. Smith arrives in Bouzincourt on 6 July. When free from duties he and Tolkien meet on 6, 7, and 8 July, before Smith returns to the front. They talk as often as they can, ‘discussing poetry, the war, and the future. Once they walked in a field where poppies still waved in the wind despite the battle that was turning the countryside into a featureless desert of mud’ (Biography, p. 83).

      7 July 1916 Companies A and C relieve the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles in the trenches at 1.00 a.m., and are later sent over the top to help consolidate a position in some newly-captured German trenches near Ovillers. Enemy defensive fire is constant, and losses are heavy. In the afternoon, A Company is pulled back.

      8–10 July 1916 C Company of the 11th Battalion overshoots the German trench that is its objective and finds itself in an exposed position. Although carrying parties from B and D Companies bring them supplies of wire and tools and help with the work during the night of 8–9 July, their position remains too exposed, and at 3.00 p.m. on 9 July they withdraw to the front line trenches held by A Company, having suffered heavy casualties. A and C Companies are relieved during the night of 9–10 July. Tolkien writes in his diary: ‘Battalion went into action between Ovillers and La Boisselle on Thursday [6th], coming out on Sunday night [9th] – I was in “B” team remained in Bouzincourt’ (Tolkien Papers, Bodleian Library, Oxford). See note.

      10–13 July 1916 A and C Companies arrive at Bouzincourt at 7.00 a.m. on 10 July. At 4.00 p.m. the whole battalion parades and marches to Senlis-le-Sec, arriving about 6.00 p.m. There, over the next few days, it will be re-equipped and reorganized to fill gaps after the losses of 7–10 July: these include 2 officers and 10 other ranks killed, 3 officers and 112 other ranks wounded, 1 officer and 43 other ranks missing. On 12 July, after company training, the battalion marches at 10.00 a.m. to Albert to make room for the 9th Loyal North Lancashires, but are then recalled to Senlis-le-Sec.

      12 July 1916 Smith sends Tolkien a field postcard on which he has ticked ‘I am quite well’.

      14 July 1916 The 11th Battalion parades at 10.20 a.m. and moves to Usna Hill, where it bivouacks from 1.00 p.m. At 8.20 p.m. it proceeds to the front line trenches at La Boisselle. The men have to stumble through the long communications trenches to reach the front line, passing corpses ‘horribly torn by the shells. Those that still had faces stared with dreadful eyes’ (Biography, p. 83). Tolkien will find the communications system in chaos, and that many of the systems in which he has been carefully trained cannot be used since the Germans have succeeded in tapping field telephones, Morse code buzzers might be heard by the enemy, and visual signals might be seen by the Germans on higher ground. An attack by the 7th Infantry Brigade at 11.00 p.m. fails.

      15 July 1916 A and B Companies of the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers take part in a second attack, going over the top at 2.00 a.m. ‘No Man’s Land’ between the opposing lines is now a sea of mud marked by barriers of barbed wire and scattered with bloated, decaying bodies it has been too dangerous to recover. The Lancashire Fusiliers suffer heavy losses from machine-gun fire and have to withdraw to the front line trenches. Later that day they move back to dugouts around La Boisselle to serve as support troops for their own 74th Infantry Brigade, who are preparing for another attack on Ovillers. Tolkien will note in his diary that he saw action at Ovillers on 15 July but slept in a dugout at La Boisselle. It is not clear whether, as a Signalling Officer, he would have gone over the top or remained in the front line trenches to manage communications. – Smith writes to Tolkien about Gilson’s death; see further, entry for 17 July 1916.

      16 July 1916 Men from the 74th Infantry Brigade attack Ovillers at 1.30 a.m. with some success, but at about noon three bombing squads of the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers are ordered to reach a battalion of the 5th Royal Warwickshire Regiment which has been cut off. They attack so strongly that the Germans are driven back to their trenches and eventually surrender at about 7.30 p.m. At 8.00 p.m. the Lancashire Fusiliers reach the beleaguered Warwickshires, and eventually Ovillers is captured. Tolkien will note in his diary that he was in action until relieved during the night.

      17 July 1916 The 74th Infantry Brigade is relieved during the night of 16–17 July and arrives at Bouzincourt at 6.00 a.m. Tolkien sleeps during the morning. At 4.30 p.m. the 11th Battalion parades and marches to bivouacs at Forceville, arriving at 6.30 p.m. – Today Tolkien probably receives a letter written by Smith on 15 July (postmarked 16 July): ‘I saw in the paper this morning that Rob has been killed. I am safe but what does that matter. Do please stick to me, you and Christopher. I am very tired and most frightfully depressed at this worst of news. Now one realises in despair what the T.C.B.S. really was. Oh my dear John Ronald what ever are we going to do?’ (quoted in Biography, p. 84). Although Gilson was killed early on 1 July his body was not recovered for some time, and he was at first listed only as missing.

      18 July 1916 At 7.45 a.m. the 11th Battalion parades and marches to Beauval for a few days’ rest, arriving at 1.30 p.m. The men spend the rest of the day cleaning up.

      19 July 1916 After physical training by company, the 11th Battalion parades at 10.00 a.m. for reorganization. At 2.30 p.m. the 74th Infantry Brigade is inspected by Major-General E.G.T. Bainbridge, General Officer Commanding the 25th Division. – Tolkien records in his diary the expenses of a dinner for himself and five other

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