Tag Archives: Battle of the Somme

The Battle of Beaumont-Hamel: commemoration and remembrance

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By Ethan M. Coudenys

The Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916, at 7:30 a.m., but preparations for the attack took longer than expected. The advance was planned to relieve pressure on the French forces fighting at Verdun, and it was meant to take place during the last few days of June. However, because of poor weather, the attack was delayed. For the First Newfoundland Regiment (later the Royal Newfoundland Regiment), this meant lying in wait for the assault to begin. On the first day of July, at 7:20 a.m., the Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt held by the Germans was blown up, and the British attack began 10 minutes later.

Over the course of 45 minutes (between 9 and 9:45 a.m.), the Newfoundlanders sent their men over the top of the St. John’s Road trench into no man’s land. Unfortunately, due to the high casualty rates during the early phases of the attack that morning, the Newfoundlanders had to walk above the trenches, instead of benefitting from the relative safety of the communication trenches that linked the secondary line to the primary and observation lines. In this period, nearly 85 per cent of the Regiment would be killed, wounded, or missing. Of the nearly 900 Newfoundlanders in the field, only 65 would be present at roll call the following day.

The Battle of Beaumont-Hamel was the bloodiest day in Newfoundland’s history, and in the First World War as a whole. The loss of life was too much for the British Dominion of Newfoundland. It was forced to revert to colony status in the 1920s and eventually joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949. The commemoration of this battle is a moving story that deserves more attention.

Soldiers stand on hill with caribou monument, as crowd below watches in front of wall with bronze plaques.

Beaumont-Hamel dedication ceremony for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (e010751150).

The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park, currently administered by Veterans Affairs Canada, is located at the site of the battle. Canadian student guides are there every day, sharing the story of the Newfoundlanders of the Great War who gave their lives in service to their nation. The park itself is incredibly pristine, with massive trees, magnificent gardens and an excellent visitors centre. But the landscape tells the tale of the horrific impact that the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel had on the Dominion of Newfoundland, and the terrifying reality of war for the regiment.

The memorial site itself officially opened on June 7, 1925, and it offers a setting with a sense of home for the soldiers who were killed in the battle. The park’s landscape architect, Basil Gotto, created this ambiance by including over 5,000 trees native to Newfoundland. The major memorial is the Caribou Monument, which stands more or less on the British front line. This massive bronze statue faces toward the direction of the advance by the Newfoundlanders on July 1, 1916. The caribou’s mouth is open, and it appears to be calling out to the fallen, calling them back home. The Caribou Monument is one of seven such memorials in France, Belgium, Turkey, and Newfoundland and Labrador, which mark major moments in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment’s participation in the First World War.

The caribou statue stands at the top of a massive mound. At the base of the mound is a wall with three bronze plaques. These have the names of the 823 fallen soldiers, sailors and merchant seamen who died in the war without a known resting place. The youngest of these was 14 years old at the time of his death, while the oldest was 60. These plaques, which are original to the site, have survived a second world war and several weather events. During the Second World War, in fact, the only element from the memorial park that did not survive was the bronze lions next to the 51st Highland Division monument near the rear of the park.

Caribou monument on rocky hill, covered with fog.

Beaumont-Hamel Caribou Monument, around December 2022. Image courtesy of the author, Ethan M. Coudenys.

Today, the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park is one of the most well-preserved and moving memorials to the sacrifices made during the First World War. With Canadian students providing free guided tours, and the atmosphere of the park itself, it truly demonstrates the tragedy of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel and the unfathomable losses suffered by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

Additional resources

Ethan M. Coudenys is a Genealogy Consultant at Library and Archives Canada, and a former student guide at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial.

Newfoundland and the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme

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Among the most infamous battles of the First World War and the most emblematic of its horrific slaughter, the Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916.

A black-and-white photograph of a pastoral landscape.

General view of the battlefield looking towards Contalmaison (Battle of the Somme). July, 1916 (MIKAN 3520937)

The attack was launched along a 30-kilometre front in northern France. Initially planned by the Allies as a French-British assault, it was intended to divert German forces from their ongoing siege at Verdun. The expectation was that an eight-day preliminary artillery bombardment would destroy the German wire and the forward German lines, allowing advancing forces to simply walk in and take possession of the territory. The artillery, however, failed to destroy either of these targets and at 7:30 a.m. on July 1, 1916, when the bombardment lifted, German infantry emerged from their bunkers to aim their machine guns at the gaps in the otherwise intact wire. An estimated 60,000 British and Allied troops, including close to 800 Newfoundlanders, were killed or wounded on that one day alone. The Battle of the Somme lasted until November 18, 1916. Only 12 kilometres of ground were gained, with 420,000 British, 200,000 French, and 500,000 German casualties.

A black-and-white photograph of a devastated forest, only a few tree trunks are left standing

Scene in Maple Copse (Battle of the Somme). July, 1916 (MIKAN 3520908)

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Anniversary of the participation of military tanks in combat

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Tanks first appeared for military use in September 1916 at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in France. The First World War was at a pivotal point, since the Battle of the Somme had begun a few months earlier.

Developed in great secrecy over a number of years, the tanks did not, in general, inspire confidence from military authorities of the time. However, their trial in combat conditions in 1916 revealed their true potential. Well-known officers, such as American George S. Patton, were firm believers in the role of the tank; Patton was one of the first officers to command an armoured unit.

Tanks were heavy, slow, loud and could be easily located by the cloud of black smoke they spewed behind them. The first models were made of wood with metal frames; a full metal structure was quickly adopted, since it was fire resistant and shellproof.

The period between the two World Wars saw some major improvements to the tanks. When the Second World War began in 1939, the usefulness of tanks was no longer in doubt. Tanks became a common feature of any army. In 1941, Canada produced its first tank, the Cruiser, and its production continued during the entire conflict.

Canadian armoured units used numerous tank models during the Second World War, such as the Sherman, an American model.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

Summary of comments received in French up to September 30th, 2013

  • A user asked when and where the Canadian tanks were used. LAC answered that the Canadian tank « Cruise » also called « Ram » was used for the training of Allied Forces in England from 1941 until mid-1944. This tank was not used for combat during the Second World War.