Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel, November 2015
This soft, autumnal scene showing the graceful avenue of lime trees that leads to the Hawthorn Ridge No.2 Cemetery belies the horror which rapidly unfolded on this spot on the morning of July 1st 1916, as failure was unkowingly reinforced. The second wave of attackers, comprising the 1st K.O.S.B and 1st Borderers, adhering to the plan of attack, though slightly delayed by a fierce German counter barrage, followed the first at 7.35, advancing right to left across the frame of this photograph. However, they quickly came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire, and failed even to reach as far as the initial wave before they too were scythed down, or forced to take refuge in what little cover the open and dreadfully exposed ground offered.
This soft, autumnal scene showing the graceful avenue of lime trees that leads to the Hawthorn Ridge No.2 Cemetery belies the horror which rapidly unfolded on this spot on the morning of July 1st 1916, as failure was unkowingly reinforced. The second wave of attackers, comprising the 1st K.O.S.B and 1st Borderers, adhering to the plan of attack, though slightly delayed by a fierce German counter barrage, followed the first at 7.35, advancing right to left across the frame of this photograph. However, they quickly came under intense machine-gun and rifle fire, and failed even to reach as far as the initial wave before they too were scythed down, or forced to take refuge in what little cover the open and dreadfully exposed ground offered.
|
