2017 Battlefield Tour Page 23

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Erected in 1932 as a memorial to the 72,396 soldiers of the British and Commonwealth Forces who have no known grave. The youngest is 15, the oldest 60, the average age is 25. There is a joint Anglo-French cemetery on the site each holding 300 graves from each nation. The memorial is on the site of Thiepval Chateau which was fortified by the Germans. The Cross of Sacrifice is sited on the German front line trenches facing Thiepval Wood from which the British 32 Div launched their attack on 1st July 1916. It was a disaster, The Lancashire Fusiliers and Northumberland Fusiliers of 96 Brigade was decimated by artillery and enfilade machine-gun fire, not gaining an inch of ground. Almost a hundred buildings had been turned into fortresses by the Germans, with 30 machine guns covering all the approaches. Of the 650 men of the 15th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers (1st Salford Pals) 470 were casualties. It wasn’t until 27 September that Thiepval was finally captured by 18 Div. R.I.P.

At Thiepval Memorial we laid 2 poppy crosses in Remembrance of L/cpl Harry Whitaker 110482 and Tpr William McLure 110604 D.L.O.Y. both are named on the far left panel, right side edge as you approach from the Memorial entrance. PK, also laid a wreath from all ranks D.L.O.Y. Inside the Arch. R.I.P.