"I could see, away to my left, long lines of men. Then I heard the 'patter patter' of machine guns in the distance. By the time I had gone another ten yards there seemed to be only a few men left around me; another 20 yards and I seemed to be on my own. Then I was hit."
Sgt J Galloway, 3rd Tyneside Irish, Sausage Valley July 1st 1916

The Tyneside Irish, which comprised the second wave in front of La Boisselle, had suffered greviously in what was an unusually extended advance, the first 2000 yards of which was down the long, completely exposed slope of the Tara and Usna hills, and behind the British front-line, which their already depleted ranks then had to cross before they entered no-man's-land. Despite this, a small party penetrated all three enemy trench lines, probably in the area shown in the next photograph, and managed to reach the village of Contalmaison where, completely cut off from any possibility of reinforcement, they were either killed or captured. To them went the somewhat hollow distinction of having achieved the longest advance and deepest penetration of any unit on 1st July.