The First of July 1916 marked the opening of the Battle of the Somme. The First of July 1916 marked the opening of the Battle of the Somme. The First of July 1916 marked the opening of the Battle of the Somme.
. It was the blackest day in the history of the British Army. Nearly 20,000 men lost their lives; a further 40,000 were wounded. The 16th Royal Scots (“McCrae’s Own”) were in the worst of it: almost three-quarters of the battalion became casualties, including several Heart of Midlothian footballers (above) who had volunteered in 1914. In spite of these dreadful losses, McCrae’s were credited with achieving the most advanced penetration of the enemy line anywhere on the front that morning. Elements of C Company entered the tiny ruined hamlet of Contalmaison, deep inside the German trench system. After the war it was proposed to erect a substantial commemorative stone cairn close to the rebuilt village church. The scheme foundered through lack of funds. The Hearts Great War Memorial Appeal has now resurrected that original plan in the hope that the sacrifice of McCrae’s Battalion will finally be recorded within sight of the graves of the fallen. ‘It is old, unfinished business,’ said the Colonel shortly before his death in 1928. Seventy-five years have passed since then: it’s time we did them proud.
Author, McCrae's Battalion.