BEAUMONT HAMEL, SOMME

Cap with original Badge, in Museum in Ypres

Sir Douglas Haig, Lieutenant General in command of the Corps, wrote a letter to the Government of Newfoundland expressing his appreciation of the Regiment's splendid courage and determination on 1st July 1916.  Here is part of what he wrote.

"That Battalion covered itself with glory on July 1st by the magnificent way in which it carried out the attack entrusted to it.  It went forward to the attack when two other attacks on that same part of the line had failed, and by its behaviour on that occasion it showed itself worthy of the highest traditions of the British Race, and proved itself to be a fit representative of the population of the oldest British Colony.  When the order to attack was given every man moved forward to his appointed objective in his appointed place as if on parade.  There were no waverers, no stragglers, and not a man looked back.  It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no farther."  

"Better than the Best"

PADRE NANGLE AND MONUMENTS

Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel,
 Somme, France

Padre Thomas Nangle played a major part in the building of Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel.  He was also a driving force behind the erection of our magnificent War Memorial in St John's.

Bowring Park, St John's

When speaking of memorials and monuments, Padre Nangle said that they were "Monuments to our Glorious Dead and to our just as Glorious Survivors.  They are monuments to the Mothers that bore such brave sons and the Land that bred them." 

St John's War Memorial

Whatever part of Newfoundland you are in tomorrow, 1st July, do your utmost to get out to your local War Memorial and honor them all.

WHAT THEY SAID

I think you all know that St Patrick's Convent School, Deanery Avenue, which  opened in 1921, was built as a Memorial to those of the parish who fell in WWI. Every year, on 1st July, Newfoundlanders remember them and all who fell in that brutal conflict.  This Blog also tries to honour them in some small way.  For that reason, in the couple of weeks leading up to 1st July, the posts will concentrate on our Regiment and its men.  In this first post, "WHAT THEY SAID", I will simply quote what some others have said in regard to the Newfoundland Regiment.

The plaque from St Patrick's Convent School,  Deanery Avenue 

In Scotland, they were popular with the locals and on 25th April 1915, The Edinburgh Evening News said "THE NEWFOUNDLANDERS WILL LEAVE BEHIND THEM THE NAME OF A MODEL REGIMENT, WHICH KNEW HOW TO HONOUR ITSELF AND THE PLACE WHENCE IT CAME."

Of course, their bravery in the face of terrible odds also impressed those who fought alongside them.  After the horror of 1st July an eyewitness, Pte F H Cameron of the King's Own Scottish Borderers had this to say, "ON CAME THE  NEWFOUNDLANDERS, A GREAT BODY OF MEN, BUT THE FIRE INTENSIFIED AND THEY WERE WIPED OUT IN FRONT OF MY EYES.  I CURSED THE GENERALS FOR THEIR USELESS  SLAUGHTER - THEY SEEMED TO HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON."    

Throughout the war, the Newfoundland Regiment was highly thought of as a  brave and dependable body of men - a Regiment to be trusted and to rely on.  In October 1918 there was ferocious fighting in the Steenbeck.  A respected British Officer, Brigadier General Freyberg,  heartened to learn that his left flank was being protected by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment remarked, "THANK GOD, MY LEFT FLANK IS SAFE!"

In a letter to the Government of Newfoundland, Sir Douglas Haig, expressed his admiration of the Regiment's courage and determination on 1st July, 1916.  "I SHOULD LIKE YOU TO LET MY FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE EMPIRE IN THE OLDEST OVERSEAS PORTION OF THE BRITISH REALM KNOW HOW WELL THEIR LADS HAVE DONE......., HOW PROUD I, AS THEIR CORPS COMMANDER, AM TO HAVE HAD SUCH A BATTALION UNDER MY COMMAND, AND TO BE A COMRADE IN ARMS OF EACH AND ALL OF THEM. 

NEWFOUNDLANDERS, I SALUTE YOU!  YOU ARE BETTER THAN THE BEST."

REGIMENTAL NUMBER 364

St Patrick's Convent School, Deanery Avenue, was built as a memorial to the men and boys of St Patrick's Parish who died in the carnage of WWI.  Sadly, that building no longer exists.  There is just an empty space where once generations of girls and boys rushed past the memorial plaque by the front entrance. Thanks to Fr Wayne Dohey, the plaque has been erected in St Patrick's Church. 

St Patrick's Convent School, Deanery Avenue

The Plaque which was at the main entrance 

of the school

The Woodfords were one of the many families from our parish who lost loved ones.

One of the First 500, Frank Woodford was a single man living with his parents, John and Jane Woodford, at 7 Convent Square.  Frank was a machinist making wire nails and earning $7.80 a week. He had blue eyes and light hair and on the day of his enlistment, 5th September 1914, he had a cut right hand! 

While training in Scotland, Frank had met a girl, Miss Bethia Morton. It must have been serious because Frank left instructions that she should be notified in the event of his death.

Frank's written instructions

Miss Morton heard that Frank had been wounded and she was still seeking news in August when she wrote this poignant letter.  

Betty Morton's poignant letter

Regimental Number 364, Pte Frank Woodford, was killed in action at Beaumont Hamel on 1st July 1916.  He was 23 years old.

Regimental Number 364, Pte Frank Woodford

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TODAY

Distance Marker on Monument at
Newfoundland Memorial Park, Beaumont Hamel

Pte E J Murphy

During WWI, the Newfoundland Regiment served bravely and with distinction in Turkey, Egypt, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany and Great Britain.   Despite its many courageous battles, it is Beaumont Hamel and the first day of the Battle of the Somme that was the most devastating for the Regiment and for Newfoundland.   

Pte F P Woodford

The Battle of the Somme lasted an horrific 141 days, from July to November 1916.  The Somme offensive, which began one hundred years ago today, on 1^st July 1916, was a terrible failure.  By the time it ended in November, about 400,000 lives had been lost and the Allies had succeeded in moving the front line just 10 kilometres or about 6 miles.

Lieut R Shortall

As they left their trenches on July 1st, the Allied Forces were mowed down by a barrage of enemy fire.  Of the approximately 800 Newfoundlanders who went into battle on the morning of July 1st, only 68 answered roll call the next day.  More than 700 were dead, wounded or missing.  It has been said that, as they walked into the hell of No Man’s Land that morning, the Newfoundlanders tucked their chins in, as if they were walking into the teeth of a blizzard back home in Newfoundland, and marched on!  The courage of the Newfoundlanders did

Pte J Breen

not go unnoticed on the front lines.  The Divisional Commander, Major General Beauvoir de Lisle, said of their sacrifice, “It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further.”  

 

Plaque from St Patrick's Convent School, 
Deanery Ave & portrait of Padre Nangle

Pte M F Kennedy

Among those who died that July 1^st, or from wounds sustained that day, were many young men of St Patrick’s Parish.  In 1921, a new St Patrick’s Convent School opened on Deanery Avenue.  This School was erected as a memorial to the men and boys of St Patrick’s Parish who paid the supreme sacrifice in World War I.  The school has long gone but, thanks to Fr Wayne Dohey, the plaque which once adorned the front entrance of the school has been preserved.  Alongside a portrait of WWI Chaplain, Padre Thomas Nangle, it is proudly displayed on the wall of St Patrick’s Church.  Thank you, Fr Dohey, for saving this important part of our School and Parish History.

Pte F J Galgay

We have the names of some of our gallant parishioners but if you know of one who lost his life as a consequence of the Battle of July 1^st 1916, please send the information to us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com and we will gladly add it to this post. 

Forget-Me-Nots

We remember and pay grateful tribute to all who gave their lives in WWI but we pay special tribute to these members of St Patrick’s Parish:

PTE JOHN BREEN, AGE

PTE LEO MICHAEL BURKE, AGE 18

PTE JOHN JOSEPH CAREW, AGE 26

PTE LAURENCE JOSEPH CORCORAN, AGE 33

PTE FRANCIS JOSEPH GALGAY, AGE 19

PTE JOSEPH HOLLAHAN, AGE 26

PTE BERT JACKMAN, AGE 27

SGT MICHAEL FRANCIS KELLY, AGE 26

PTE MICHAEL FRANCIS KENNEDY, AGE 22

PTE RICHARD JOSEPH MADDIGAN, AGE 19

PTE JOSEPH MARTRET, AGE 20

PTE THOMAS MELEE, AGE 19

PTE EDWARD JOSEPH MURPHY, AGE 24

CPL WILLIAM JOSEPH RYAN, AGE 25

LIEUT RICHARD A SHORTALL, AGE 25

PTE FRANCIS PATRICK WOODFORD, AGE 24

Beaumont Hamel at night

"BETTER THAN THE BEST"

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS"

The Plaque which was on the Deanery Avenue School

Since this is Memorial Day in Newfoundland, I thought this was a good photo to post here.  As children when we were filing in & out of the doors of St Patrick's on Deanery Ave we probably took no notice of the plaque on the side of the door.

 

The plaque indicated that the school, our school, was built as a memorial to the men & boys of St Patrick's Parish who gave their all in the mud and the blood and the gas and the unspeakable horror of "the war to end all wars"! 

 

Now we can appreciate just what those young men of our Parish sacrificed.  Today, on the Anniversary of Beaumont Hamel, where so many young men were killed or maimed, let us remember those who came before us, those who died & those who grieved for them.  Let's also remember just what this plaque & the school to which it was attached meant to that generation.

 

May they all rest in peace and, please God, may we all live in peace. 

 

"BETTER THAN THE BEST"