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Battle of Somme 1 July 1916 - 18 November 1916 'Lest We Forget'

Can I start by proposing the following to be remembered in the days ahead. I 'adopted' Robert Thrale after discovering him on the 1911 census in a house rented by our son and out of interest researched his life. Sadly there was no happy ending. Please do add any other names that are dear to us
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Corporal Robert Thrale
Date of Death: 1 July 1916 Age 20 Years
Regiment Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) 1st/7th Battalion
Service no: 2025.
Robert Thrale was born on 23 June 1896 in Lenton, Nottingham. A bright boy, he won a 3 year scholarship to Nottingham High School. He left the school age 14 as no funds were available to continue his education and he was taken on as a trainee Chemist with Bass & Wilford in 1910. He joined the Territorial Army in April 1914.

He is recorded as the Captain of the Battalion Football team. A Medical Orderly, on 1st July 1916, he went forward with a medical party, behind the 4th wave of the Sherwoods attack. As the party emerged from the remains of the smoke cloud that had clouded the German trenches they were suddenly in full view and were caught by the artillery and machine gun cross fire sweeping No Man’s Land. Every man bar one was hit immediately. Amongst the men of the medical detachment who perished were two 20 year olds, including Corporal Thrale, and seven stretcher bearers. treating some of the 200 wounded suffered by the battalion. Thrale’s body was never found and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. . Thrale is recorded in the Sherwood Foresters’ History. It states that he was the Battalion Medical Orderly, ‘a lad of 19 at mobilisation’ who ‘was one of the lights of the medical staff’. ‘His cheerfulness and unvarying good nature, also the fact that he was Captain of the Battalion Football Team made him a great favourite in the battalion. He was gifted with extraordinary endurance on long marches besides having to remain behind continually with men who had fallen out and to regain his place with the Battalion, he usually spent time at the halts performing service for others. It is sad to record that he lost his life at Gommecourt, July 1st 1916.

Also this is very interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWvfO9SEoUE
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Comments

  • Nice post cherryorchard.....we visited the battle fields/memorials of the Somme last year...very moving.
  • whilst staying in arras before wales game we took a day to visit the arras memorial, no where near the size of some of the others but 35,678 men lay there, was a really emotional day.
  • I know the England Football Team were going to take a day trip there yet it was cancelled because officials felt that they'd be too tire... Absolute joke if you ask me as why couldnt they just stay out a day longer AFTER the Tournament and pay a visit?
  • There was a bit on the BBC news this morning about a guy who's making poppies from the brass detonators still being dug up by the farmers and the soil over which the two sides fought. There will be one for each of the 19,000-odd who died on the 1st.
  • There is also a free "Night before the Somme" Event at the Imperial War Museum on Thursday evening that looks very interesting.

  • And while all those who fought and fell should be remembered we as Charlton fans will want to remember Fred Chick, part of the pre-war staff, who died on the Somme.
  • Was listening to forces radio today - lot of Northern Irish soldiers killed on the first day, including 3's and 4's from the same family / house.
    Devastating stuff that must never be repeated.
  • I understand there's a 2 minutes silence at 7.30am on Friday.
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  • These futile battles put football defeats into perspective .. what a waste of young lives
  • SE7toSG3 said:

    Nice story Cherry Orchard, I have a group walking Gommecourt on the 1st July so will print the pic off and share as they study the 46 (North Midland) Div attack.

    I am at the service at Theipval on Friday if anyone else is there, if you can't make it but do want to commemorate a battle that shaped and changed far more lives than it ended (and that's saying something given the horrific losses suffered by the BEF between July/November 1916), then there is a free vigil/service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey starting at 2200 on Thursday night through to 0730 Friday morning. It's a drop in event similar to the Queen mothers lying in state a few years ago, two fellow historians and I have been helping DCMS tell the narrative of the battle overnight, I am told it will be broadcast on BBC.

    Whatever you are doing Friday morning try to pause and recall the catastrophic events of a century ago that affected every street, school and club in the country and the generation that fought it.

    My Brother in law Bob is attending Clive, say hello if you see him, I was at the Mary Evans picture library today and saw Mike's book, beautifully produced and highly reccommended, some fantastic photographs. I must get up to the exhibition at the Guild hall.
    I am hoping to get over again to Theipval later this year.
  • Bromley are having a whistle blowing at 7.30 on 1 July to mark the time the soldiers went "over the top".
  • I read a book a while back about The Somme. It explained how the disastrous strategy unfolded, and how so many men were sent so catastrophically to their deaths.
    It was Hell on Earth basically. When I finished the book, I felt pretty numb to be honest. And how lucky I am never to have had to face and participate in such a terrible, terrifying event.
  • Been to the somme many times ,truly humbling
  • Only been twice. The size of it, and therefore the number of people who died, many through incompetence but all through a desire to fight for their country, is very humbling.

    Fortunately it will never happen again in such a way.
  • edited June 2016




    SE7toSG3 said:
    Nice story Cherry Orchard, I have a group walking Gommecourt on the 1st July so will print the pic off and share as they study the 46 (North Midland) Div attack.

    I am at the service at Theipval on Friday if anyone else is there, if you can't make it but do want to commemorate a battle that shaped and changed far more lives than it ended (and that's saying something given the horrific losses suffered by the BEF between July/November 1916), then there is a free vigil/service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey starting at 2200 on Thursday night through to 0730 Friday morning. It's a drop in event similar to the Queen mothers lying in state a few years ago, two fellow historians and I have been helping DCMS tell the narrative of the battle overnight, I am told it will be broadcast on BBC.

    Whatever you are doing Friday morning try to pause and recall the catastrophic events of a century ago that affected every street, school and club in the country and the generation that fought it.


    That's great news, thank you. Like many others will be thinking about these men, especially on Friday. An opportunity for the nation to act as one.
  • edited June 2016
    Programme on BBC tonight,The century of the Battle of the Somme. The Vigil. BBC2: 7.30
    Took this graphic of the memorial at Lunchtime of the troops running through the arch to the German front line....... very effective and moving.
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  • My Grandfather Edward Street was there he arrived in France in 1914 as he was a professional soldier prior to the outbreak of WW1. He was mentioned in dispatches in the first year of the war but as fighting became entrenched as he was a member of the Royal Field Artillery providing close artillery support to the Army nearer to the front but not going over the top.

    Lived in Charlton and supported Charlton in the 1920's though originally from Deptford.
  • Did you manage to talk to him about what happened in his life before he passed away?

    For me I had no real discussion with my great parents, I had some with my grandparents who are now unfortunately all dead but not as much as I would like to have had.

    My dad was born in 1950 and my mum a few years later. We've spoken a bit about this history but not as much as we should have.

  • pickwick said:

    My Grandfather Edward Street was there he arrived in France in 1914 as he was a professional soldier prior to the outbreak of WW1. He was mentioned in dispatches in the first year of the war but as fighting became entrenched as he was a member of the Royal Field Artillery providing close artillery support to the Army nearer to the front but not going over the top.

    Lived in Charlton and supported Charlton in the 1920's though originally from Deptford.

    Don't know how much you know about your grandfather and his family - I have found his Medal Card Index - 27th Brigade RFA plus the census for 1901 where as a 6 year old he was living in Church Street Deptford, plus other records of the family. You probably know all this, but if not let me know and I will pass the info on to you.

  • edited July 2016
    God bless those heroes on both sides. What a tragedy of humanity. My great grandfather was already dead at 25 by this date but i feel very somber today at this commemoration.
  • I was very moved by this mornings proceedings, it brings back the horror of war and the bravery of those that lost their lives. The worst whistle ever to be blown happened at 07:30 hrs 1/7/1916, it sent 20,000 allied soldiers over the top who would lose their lives that very same day, whilst another 40,000 would be injured again on that very same day.
    Lest we forget - RIP.
  • Regarding Pickwick's and Addickted' s above posts, it should be remembered that being in the artillery was no sinecure in The Great War. 50,000 gunners lost their lives in that war, including Nobby Nightingale.
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