Swanley History Group – November 2017 meeting
At this time of year many of us will be wearing red poppies and attending remembrance services. As the topic of our November meeting was The Battle of The Somme in World War 1, our speaker Steve Hookins, through his informative presentation supported by excellent photographs, enabled us to reflect on what it must have been like for the soldiers.
It is widely stated that the catalyst for the start of WW1 was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. Steve outlined some of the complex array of alliances, treaties and conflicts which placed countries into being allies or foes and ignited into WWI soon after this event, with neutral Belgium becoming a key barrier to the German advance.
The opening slide showed a pleasant rural scene. Buried beneath the poppy filled meadows is a vast assortment of deadly reminders of the battles fought in the Picardy area of Northern France. This was nothing like previous wars. Instead of rigid lines of soldiers and battle charges on horseback, there were vehicles to pull heavy artillery, messages could be sent via the telephone, reconnaissance balloons used to view what the enemy was doing from above, anti-aircraft guns, gas (mustard and chlorine), tunnels filled with mines and submarines – a war in three dimensions for the first time. This was also the first battle when tanks were used. Casings of artillery shells were returned to munitions factories for refilling. Some examples were included in Steve’s museum of WW1 artefacts.
Before it became a strategic position on the front line, being posted to The Somme was deemed suitable for newly enlisted soldiers or those who needed to recuperate from heavy fighting. Former miners, sewer and tunnel diggers were enlisted to dig the miles of tunnels. The German forces were expected to be decimated by the seven days of heavy bombardment launched on 1 July 1916 However, because of the siege warfare which had previously ensued, the Germans were well dug in and prepared so when the allied soldiers emerged from the trenches advancing towards enemy territory carnage ensued. 72,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers died during The Battle of The Somme.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
At this time of year many of us will be wearing red poppies and attending remembrance services. As the topic of our November meeting was The Battle of The Somme in World War 1, our speaker Steve Hookins, through his informative presentation supported by excellent photographs, enabled us to reflect on what it must have been like for the soldiers.
It is widely stated that the catalyst for the start of WW1 was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. Steve outlined some of the complex array of alliances, treaties and conflicts which placed countries into being allies or foes and ignited into WWI soon after this event, with neutral Belgium becoming a key barrier to the German advance.
The opening slide showed a pleasant rural scene. Buried beneath the poppy filled meadows is a vast assortment of deadly reminders of the battles fought in the Picardy area of Northern France. This was nothing like previous wars. Instead of rigid lines of soldiers and battle charges on horseback, there were vehicles to pull heavy artillery, messages could be sent via the telephone, reconnaissance balloons used to view what the enemy was doing from above, anti-aircraft guns, gas (mustard and chlorine), tunnels filled with mines and submarines – a war in three dimensions for the first time. This was also the first battle when tanks were used. Casings of artillery shells were returned to munitions factories for refilling. Some examples were included in Steve’s museum of WW1 artefacts.
Before it became a strategic position on the front line, being posted to The Somme was deemed suitable for newly enlisted soldiers or those who needed to recuperate from heavy fighting. Former miners, sewer and tunnel diggers were enlisted to dig the miles of tunnels. The German forces were expected to be decimated by the seven days of heavy bombardment launched on 1 July 1916 However, because of the siege warfare which had previously ensued, the Germans were well dug in and prepared so when the allied soldiers emerged from the trenches advancing towards enemy territory carnage ensued. 72,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers died during The Battle of The Somme.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
