CWGC Devonshire Cemetery, Mametz, France
The Devonshire Cemetery near Mamtez, France is the final resting place for over 170 men killed in the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916.
A special memorial headstone at the entrance to the cemetery records the message on a wooden cross left on this cemetery in 1916: 'The Devonshires Held This Trench, The Devonshires Hold It Still.'
This small cemetery follows the trench from which the Devonshires were ordered to advance on 1st July 1916. Many died within a few feet of the trench, killed by machine gun fire from across the valley. They did not stand a chance as they had to advance down into a wide valley. The fallen Devonshires were buried in the trench from which they had advanced, hence the memorial message.
Uniquely, all 170 men buried in this cemetery were from the Devonshires and all died on 1st July 1916. I did not see another cemetery with such a history in the Somme or Ieper area.
Want to travel to this location but do not know how to find it? Battlefields By GPS ( has self-drive tours of the Somme with full GPS packages for Garmin sat nav devices.
Please take a look at Video History Today , the first web site to offer unique collections of re-usable original video clips designed for teachers and students.
Devonshire Cemetery, Mansell Copse, The Somme.
Visit of members of The Devonshire and Dorset Regimental Association and laying of wreaths.
Devonshire Cemetery
At the end of the first day of the Battle of the Somme over 160 of men of the 9th and 8th Devonshire Regiment were retrieved from where they had fallen in action in No-Mans-Land and the German positions. They were carried back to the British Front Line trench position for the start of the day, and were buried in a section of this trench near a small wood called Mansell Copse.
#Devonshire #Trench #Memorial - The #Somme #WW1 The #RIFLES History
1st of July 1916. The Battle of The Somme is raging all around. By the end of this day it would be called The Bloodiest Day of The British Army. Near the village of Mametz the 9th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment are well dug in their trench and well prepared for their part in the battle. Just a few days before the Officer Commanding Captain Duncan Martin had warned higher command of a machine gun position overlooking his assault ground.
When their time came to assault they went over the top and were cut down as predicted - Capt Martin was among the 160 dead that day.
4 days later under direction from the regimental chaplain the men were recovered and buried in that very trench where they spent their final days as men together.
The Devonshires held this trench, and the Devonshires hold it still.
The BBC have done the memory of these men great honour - check this link
Any questions, please contact right away. Kindly, Luke Woods
The Devonshires held this trench...
...the Devonshires hold it still! A small cemetery that stands as a reminder of the sacrifice of the first day of the Somme. Commonwealth War Graves historian, Glyn Prysor, tells the story of the men Devonshire regiment who died facing overwhelming odds and who now lie buried in the trench they had held on July 1st, 1916
Drone footage by John Layden.
War Graves in the Somme area of northern France.
A selection of photos from the eternally sad and fascinating war graves from the Somme area of France. The plain gravestones are British and Commonwealth, the stone crosses are French and the metal crosses are German. Young men all, separated from friends and family and destroyed in the mud to satisfy the politician's insatiable desire for power and control. The music is the Puccini aria O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi.
Devonshire Hospital, Buxton (1916)
in 1916 the Devonshire Hospital, Buxton, Derbyshire, was used as a casualty centre for soldiers from WW1, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Reading a war poem at Beny-sur-mer Canadian War Cemetery, Normady France
Jeff, our Bus Driver and ex British Army Sgt/Major reading a war poem at Beny-sur-mer Canadian War Cemetery.
Words from Mametz Wood
The words are those of men who actually took part in the Battle of Mametz Wood.
Capt. Llewelyn Wyn Griffith of the 15th. Royal Welsh Fusiliers wrote 'Up to Mametz' survived the war. He lost a son in WWII.
David Jones, a Private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, wrote 'In Parenthesis'. He was wounded in the thigh during the battle. After the war he became a distinguished poet and artist.
Along with his friend Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves was a commissioned officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. They both fought at Mametz Wood.
Harry Fellows was in the Northumberland Battalion. He was involved in burying the dead after the Battle of Mametz Wood. The horrors he saw left a lasting impression. When he died in 1987 his ashes were buried in Mametz Wood.
No one knows the identity of the authors of the letter or the poem.
Video and Editing:
Huw Davies
The Welsh Dragon Memorial at Mametz Wood was designed by Carmarthenshire sculptor and blacksmith David Petersen. He sent me an email after he'd watched 'Words from Mametz':
Dear Huw Davies,
Thank you so much for sending me the DVD of the Mametz Wood battle. I thought the DVD was excellent and does express the horror of what took place.
When I was making the memorial I had the opportunity to talk to some of the old soldiers who were at Mametz and their stories were truly awesome and terrible. The bravery that those guys showed under terrible conditions!
There was a serious case of lice amongst the troops in the trenches and everyone had to have their heads shaved by the regimental barber. One young lad [17 yrs] had promised his Mam that he would not have his 'beautiful' ginger curly hair cut whilst he was away in France for a few months! and he told the Sgt. this. So when he refused to have it cut, the Sgt. drew his pistol and shot him dead, for 'disobeying orders at the front line'.[Immediate court marshal].
Because of the lice, everyone tried to get hold of 'women's silk undergarments', as these stopped the lice from being on their skin and biting!
These are two of the stories that were told to me by those who were there! They left an impression on me that I carry to this day. They are all dead now, but their stories live on and somehow we must commit them to history with films like yours and articles and books. I have a copy of a BBC Wales film by Vincent Kane on the battle as well, it's about 20 years old!. We must learn from them and make sure that our politicians will never engage in wars again. (some hope, I know; but we must try.)
It's interesting that there were so many excellent poets and artists engaged in that particular battle, on both sides. Remember that Otto Dix was actually 'in' the wood and writes about his experience at the time.
After designing and making the Mametz memorial, I haven't been asked to make any more and I have to wonder why? Was it that the officials didn't approve of my concept that stated the stupidity of war and only focused on the courage and bravery of the 38th Welsh Division? I'll never know! But the image is one of the most printed and photographed of all the monuments on the Somme, so perhaps I did strike a chord with most people!
Anyway thank you again for sending me the information, I really do appreciate it.
Best regards,
David Petersen.
THE SOMME - NO SOUND
Colonel T W H Veale of Devonshire Regiment re-enacts hopw he won the VC. Re-enactment of private James Miller - 7th Royal lancaster Regiment winning VC despite terrible injuries he got message through. South African Brigade at Belville Wood - shots of soldiers in trenches wounded and re-enactment of gas attack.
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Buttes CWGC Cemetery, July 2009
a view of Buttes New British Cemetery from on the top of the Butte, including the Australian memorial.
Welsh Memorial, Mametz Wood, The Somme, France
The magnificent Welsh Dragon Memorial (to the 38th Welsh Division) overlooks the World War One battleground close to Mametz Wood and the open ground, now called Death Valley.
Mametz Wood was the objective of the 38th (Welsh) Division during the First Battle of the Somme. The attack occurred in a northerly direction over a ridge, focussed on the German positions in the wood between 7 July and 12 July 1916.
Want to travel to this location but do not know how to find it? Battlefields By GPS ( has self-drive tours of the Somme with full GPS packages for Garmin sat nav devices.
Commonwealth War Graves Somme battlefields Part 1
Three day in France looking at Somme battlefields,
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
First or Second World War
Video in three parts
Part 1
War Cemeteries (1)
First part of a short film presenting information on how to find the burial site of a First World War soldier. Created by Oxford University's First World War Poetry Digital Archive Project -
WW1 Dead of St.Helens Cemetery
A short Film on the Brave Soles who died in WW1 and are buried in St.Helens Cemetery.
Welsh Memorial Mametz Wood, The Somme, France
This is a small sample of the video clips showing views of the Welsh Memorial, Mametz Wood, The Somme, France taken from the Video History Today database.
Please take a look at Video History Today , the first web site to offer unique collections of re-usable original video clips designed for teachers and students.
The idea behind Video History Today is to give schools the raw material to make mini-documentaries and video essays on historical subjects.
Initial packages focus on World War I (Somme and Ieper areas), The Holocaust, the American Civil War and D-Day & Normandy 1944.
Regina Trench Cemetery - CWGC
CWGC Cemetery from WW1
The Wormhoudt Massacre site & Cemetery, France (Extended)
The Wormhoudt massacre took place during the British retreat to Dunkirk in May 1940 as the German Army advanced towards the Channel (28th May 1940).
An estimated 100 POW's (mainly British but some French) were crammed into a small cow shed in an isolated farming area about 14 miles south of Dunkirk.
Several grenades were thrown into the shed killing many of the men instantly. Those still alive were led outside the shed and shot one by one.
Two men, Lynn Allen and Bert Evans managed to escape along a ditch running beside the shed. Bertie had been injured in the initial assault and was pulled along the ditch for about 100m by Allen. Upon reaching a small pond they were spotted by a SS guard who killed Allen with a single shot to the head. Evans was hit in the neck and played dead.
Evans survived the ordeal and returned every year to the site to remember his colleagues. The site itself was unknown until the 1960's and a solitary tree became the main memorial to the event. It wasn't until 2000 that the meadow area was purchased and the full memorial created.
Wilhelm Mohnke was alleged to be the perpetrator but was never brought to trial.
The end of the video shows the Commonwealth War Grave Commission Cemetery (CWGC) Esquelbecq Military Cemetery where the bodies of the British soldiers were buried.
Please take a look at Video History Today , the first web site to offer unique collections of re-usable original video clips designed for teachers and students.
The idea behind Video History Today is to give schools the raw material to make mini-documentaries and video essays on historical subjects.
Initial packages focus on World War I (Somme and Ieper areas), The Holocaust, the American Civil War and D-Day & Normandy 1944.
PARADE OF DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT THROUGH EXETER
Cut story - GV of troops marching over bridge, CU of crowd. Various shots of the marchpast. The Mayor taking the salute. CU of the colours. CU of Old Comrades banner. Shots of medals on old comrades. Soldiers marching. GV. Mayor is ALderman charles Hill. Colonel Of Regiment is Colonel Westrupp
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