Above, troops resting in a front line trench, Thiepval Wood 1916
formation of the 36th ( ulster) Division: 107th brigade
15th ( Service ) Battalion ( North Belfast ) The Royal Irish Rifles. 8th ( Service ) Battalion ( East Belfast ) The Royal Irish Rifles. 9th ( Service ) Battalion ( West Belfast ) The Royal Irish Rifles.
10th ( Service ) Battalion ( South Belfast ) The Royal Irish Rifles ( Until February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusilers ( From August 1917 until February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( From February 1918 )
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( from February 1918 )
107th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 18th December 1915, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918.
107th Trench Mortar Battery ( 1st April 1916 )
10th ( Service ) Battalion ( South Belfast ) The Royal Irish Rifles ( Until February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusilers ( From August 1917 until February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( From February 1918 )
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( from February 1918 )
107th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 18th December 1915, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918.
107th Trench Mortar Battery ( 1st April 1916 )
In August 1917 the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles amalgamated to form the 8/9th Battalion which disbanded in February 1918. Between November 1915 and february 1916 the Brigade swapped with the 12th Brigade from the 4th Division.
the 108th brigade:
9th ( Service ) Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers.
12th ( Service ) Battalion ( Central Antrim ) The Royal Irish Rifles.
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( From November 1917 to 107th Brigade February 1918 )
11th ( Service ) Battalion ( South Antrim ) The Royal Irish Rifles
13th ( Service ) Battalion ( County Down ) The Royal Irish Rifles
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers ( From 107th Brigade, February 1918 )
108th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 26th January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918 )
108th Trench Mortar Battery ( From 1st April 1916 )
12th ( Service ) Battalion ( Central Antrim ) The Royal Irish Rifles.
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles ( From November 1917 to 107th Brigade February 1918 )
11th ( Service ) Battalion ( South Antrim ) The Royal Irish Rifles
13th ( Service ) Battalion ( County Down ) The Royal Irish Rifles
1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers ( From 107th Brigade, February 1918 )
108th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 26th January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918 )
108th Trench Mortar Battery ( From 1st April 1916 )
the 109th Brigade:
9th ( Service) Battalion ( County Tyrone ) The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
10th ( Service ) Battalion ( Derry ) The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( disbanded january 1918 )
11th ( Service ) Battalion ( Donegal and Fermanagh ) The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( Disbanded February 1918)
14th ( Service ) Battalion ( Young Citizens ) The Royal Irish Rifles ( Disbanded February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( From February 1918 )
2nd Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( From February 1918 )
109th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 23rd January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918)
109th Trench Mortar Battery ( From 1st April 1916 )
10th ( Service ) Battalion ( Derry ) The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( disbanded january 1918 )
11th ( Service ) Battalion ( Donegal and Fermanagh ) The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( Disbanded February 1918)
14th ( Service ) Battalion ( Young Citizens ) The Royal Irish Rifles ( Disbanded February 1918 )
1st Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( From February 1918 )
2nd Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers ( From February 1918 )
109th Brigade Machine Gun Company ( From 23rd January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1st March 1918)
109th Trench Mortar Battery ( From 1st April 1916 )
the german positions at thiepval
(The following information has been sourced from " The Great War " by Amalgamated Press Limited Vol 8 ", Thiepval (Somme ) by Michael Stedman and from the ' Battleground Europe ' series and ' The First Day on the Somme ' by Martin Middlebrook, published by Penguin Book )
To appreciate the task and incrdible achievement of the Ulster Division on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme it is important to have some idea of the type of Fortress the Germans had turned Thiepval and the surrounding area into.
Within weeks of the outbreak of the war the German Army was positioned on the heights overlooking Authille Village. Whilst many French units opposed them during the first eight months of 1915, the German soldiers who occupied the Thiepval sector, all belonging to units of the 26th Reserve Division, were thoroughly used to the location and its geography. That division's sector ran from Ovillers to Beaumont Hamel. Their positions were a natural and formidable defensive situation. Thiepval's height and the exposed slopes of many of the approaches meant that any attacking force would be immediately under a disadvantage. In fact there was liitle fighting here and a policy of ' live and let live ' had been expeditiously adopted by both sides.
Within weeks of the outbreak of the war the German Army was positioned on the heights overlooking Authille Village. Whilst many French units opposed them during the first eight months of 1915, the German soldiers who occupied the Thiepval sector, all belonging to units of the 26th Reserve Division, were thoroughly used to the location and its geography. That division's sector ran from Ovillers to Beaumont Hamel. Their positions were a natural and formidable defensive situation. Thiepval's height and the exposed slopes of many of the approaches meant that any attacking force would be immediately under a disadvantage. In fact there was liitle fighting here and a policy of ' live and let live ' had been expeditiously adopted by both sides.
The British only arrived within this previously 'cushy' sector in the autumn of 1915. From nowhere in the British sector was the higher land east of Thiepval capable of being observed. Almost all of the front line defences at Thiepval were manned by the 99th Reserve Infantry Regiment ( 99RIR) These units were comprised of soldiers who had fought in the early engagements of the war and who had then, as the front settled into a static and relatively undisturbed trench routine, set about the task of fortifying Thiepval throughout almost twenty months of occupancy, until July 1916. Just how much the German positions overlooked the British lines is given in the following account.
" out of breath and to gather my wits and strength i dropped into a shell hole, just in front of the German wire. I peeped over the edge, fired a shot at a round hat on a German head that suddenly appeared, rushed the last few yards and jumped into the German Trench. I saw nobody there, friend or foe. It was very eerie but i recall facing our old front lines and being appalled at the poor positioning of them. They were absolutely clearly overlooked by the enemy for all those terrible months preceding the battle, sitting ducks we must have been i thought "
By that time the German Divisional artillery had ranged almost every known location in the British sector opposite.
" out of breath and to gather my wits and strength i dropped into a shell hole, just in front of the German wire. I peeped over the edge, fired a shot at a round hat on a German head that suddenly appeared, rushed the last few yards and jumped into the German Trench. I saw nobody there, friend or foe. It was very eerie but i recall facing our old front lines and being appalled at the poor positioning of them. They were absolutely clearly overlooked by the enemy for all those terrible months preceding the battle, sitting ducks we must have been i thought "
By that time the German Divisional artillery had ranged almost every known location in the British sector opposite.
This map is to give the reader some idea of the location of Thiepval in relation to the other surrounding villages
The German soldier knew the area intimately. Hailing from Wurttemburg they were a determined and proud regiment. By early 1916 the British sector opposite the 99RIR was occupied by three divisions, the 32nd, 36th and the 49th. On the 1st of July the initial assault would be entrusted to the 32nd and 36th Divisions. The 32nd were a broad mixture of Regular and New Army battalions from Enniskillen in Ireland, the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, Dorsetshire, Lancashire, the lakeland areas, Yorkshire and Northumberland. Each Division would rely heavily on the other for failure would have dreadful consequences as the men advanced across the exposed landscape. On the 32nds left was the 36th Ulster Division, positioned a little to the north-west of Thiepval and on past the River Ancre marshes towards Beaumont Hamel. All along this frontage with the brief exception of the land adjacent to the marshes between St. Pierre Divion and Hamel, the German trenches overlooked the British lines by a height difference of at least sixty feet. No Man's Land, the gap beween British and German Lines was on average two hundred and fifty yards in front of the 32nd Division's sector and four hundred yards in front of the 36th Division. In that No Man's Land on the front of the 99 RIR's sector, that is in front of the 36th Ulster Division, was bisected by the Thiepval Road ( later to become known as the
' bloody ' road ) which then led onto the Mill Road running down towards the River Ancre.
The 99 RIRs sector ran from the banks of the Ancre at St Pierre Divion along to the lip of the Leipzig Redoubt or Grandatloch. This entire sector was comprised of three sections, each section being held by one battalion. These three battalion sections were Thiepval North, Thiepval Middle or Central and Thiepval South. Three companies would hold the front line whilst a fourth would be held in reserve, nearby. The 99th RIR was distinct from other German Regiments in that it was composed of four battalions rather than the normal three, the fourth being placed as a Corps reserve and later as reserve for 26 resrve Division. The Regiment had two machine gun companies whose guns covered the entirety of their regiment's front at Thiepval. " Twenty- Five " guns were available by July 1st 1916, including one captured Russian weapon and one British.
' bloody ' road ) which then led onto the Mill Road running down towards the River Ancre.
The 99 RIRs sector ran from the banks of the Ancre at St Pierre Divion along to the lip of the Leipzig Redoubt or Grandatloch. This entire sector was comprised of three sections, each section being held by one battalion. These three battalion sections were Thiepval North, Thiepval Middle or Central and Thiepval South. Three companies would hold the front line whilst a fourth would be held in reserve, nearby. The 99th RIR was distinct from other German Regiments in that it was composed of four battalions rather than the normal three, the fourth being placed as a Corps reserve and later as reserve for 26 resrve Division. The Regiment had two machine gun companies whose guns covered the entirety of their regiment's front at Thiepval. " Twenty- Five " guns were available by July 1st 1916, including one captured Russian weapon and one British.
