This Day in History: Penarthians' sacrifice at Mametz Wood

Librarian Marcus Payne explores the key events around the First World War one battle which took place one hundred years ago.

The battle for Mametz Wood in July 1916 is of special significance to the Welsh because of the involvement of the 38th Welsh Division.

Near the wood stands a red dragon monument to the sacrifices of the division erected by the South Wales Division of the Western Front Association in 1987.

A number of Penarthians were involved in this conflict which can be seen through stories of their sacrifice.

The Battle of the Somme was launched on 1st July 1916 in France against the Germans, and within a week the 38th Welsh Division was given the objective of taking the densely wooded and heavily manned German defences of Mametz Wood.

The first Welsh attack on July 7 came up against machine guns and heavy shelling which killed and injured over 400 soldiers.

Among them were the Tregaskis Brothers, Lieutenants Arthur and Leonard, in the 16th Battalion, Welsh Regiment.

They served in the same unit, died on the same day and were buried next to each other in the nearby Flatiron Copse Cemetery.

The brothers had connections with Penarth, having both attended the Penarth County School.

They had emigrated to Canada but returned home when war was declared and enlisted.

It had been expected that the wood would be taken on the first day, and further attacks on July 8 failed to capture the well defended wood.

On July 10, another even larger attack was launched involving heavy bayonet combat.

A number of German machine guns were silenced and part of the wood was secured.

Sergeant Major Harry Bird, D.C.M., was most likely to have been severely wounded on July 10 because his 8th Battalion, South Staffs Regiment was one of a number of English Battalions from the 17th Division, who attacked the wood on that date .

He was transferred to a hospital in Northampton, where he died on July 18.

His body was sent home where he was buried with full military honours at St. Augustine’s Church on July 22.

Frank (Toby) Blackmore of the 16th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment was killed in action on July 10.

His platoon had formed the front line in the attack on Mametz Wood. He lived in Cogan, and before the war had worked at the local cement works.

He left a widow and six little girls, with another arrival expected soon.

His body was never found, so he is commemorated on the Thiepval monument to the missing dead.

After a final attack on July 12 the wood was effectively cleared of the enemy.

On that date, Penarthian, Horace Hall of the Royal Engineers was killed by a shell after entering the wood with 10 men and being heavily shelled for 48 hours.

He was buried in Flatiron Copse Cemetery.

T he Welsh Division saw 4,000 killed and wounded but all these sacrifices were largely in vain, because within weeks the Germans were able

to retake the wood, and held it for the the remainder of the war.