... World War One 1914-1918 ...

A major offensive of  World War One was the Battle of the Somme 1916, after 140 days of murder, ending in November - the death toll of British, French, and German soldiers would be more than 0ne million  ...

.. My Grandfather, Irving Jones fought in the `Great War`  as it was known ..

.. Here is an account of  the capture of Mametz Wood, his recollections and the bloodshed of 4000 Welshmen ..

Mametz Wood :- In World War One was a 220 acre stretch of Oaks and Birches which the Germans had made into a masterpiece of defensive strength with underground refuges, gun batteries, machine-gun emplacements and barbed wire.

.. 38th (WELSH) DIVISION ..

113th BRIGADE	114th BRIGADE	115th BRIGADE
13th R.W.F (1st North Wales).	10th Welsh (1st Rhondda).	10th S.W.B. (1st Gwent).
14th R.W.F. (Caernavon & Anglesey).	13th Welsh (2nd Rhondda).	11th S.W.B. (2nd Gwent).
15th R.W.F. (London Welsh).	14th Welsh (Swansea).	16th Welsh (Cardiff City).
16th R.W.F. (2nd North Wales).	15th Welsh (Carmarthen).	17th R.W.F.

.. The Capture of MAMETZ WOOD ..

On 5th July, 1916, the 38th (Welsh) Division weary from its long march to join the Somme offensive, moved into the front line between Bottom Wood and Caterpillar Wood to relieve the 7th Division. Here, the 20,000 men of the Division prepared to attack the woodland before them: Mametz Wood, nearly a mile wide, and a mile deep, on rolling chalk - downland, and strongly defended. The task, to be shared with the17th (Northern) Division on the left, was a formidable one for a newly created division experienced in all aspects of war except far routine trench life. Facing them were battle-hardened soldiers of the Prussian Guard.

The two divisions were to converge on the wood, the 17th from the West, the Welsh from the East. The attack began on the morning of 7th July, the Welsh Division deploying its 115 Brigade on a narrow front in a thrust towards the hammerhead on the Eastern edge of the wood.

From the start, things went wrong. A smoke screen never materialised; telephone wires were cut; and the artillery failed to stifle enemy machine-guns. As the Cardiff City and the 2nd Gwent battalions moved towards the wood they came under withering fire from the wood and from the copses to the north.

About 300 yards from the wood the attack petered out and the troops took what cover they could find.Casualties were high. Further attempts with reinforcement from other battalions failed. By evening, the situation was judged impossible and the attack was called off. to the dismay of the high command-To the west, 17th Division also failed to reach the wood.

A second attack on the southern edge of the wood from White Trench, was ordered for 10th July, the Welsh Division making the main thrust at 4-15 a.m. using two brigades, the 113th on the left and the 114th on the right, 17th Division assisting on the left flank. The plan had little subtlety, being a frontal  attack over uncompromising ground - down the cliff from White Trench then up the slope towards the wood. There were to be no feints, no outflanking  manoeuvres.

When the order to advance was given, the 16th R.W.F. leading for 113 Brigade and the 114th and 13th Welsh leading for 114 Brigade, moved down the cliff into a hail of shells and bullets 'with a success that astonished all who knew the ground. The advance to the wood was made in good order, but once inside, thick undergrowth impeded progress. Shells from both sides hit the trees and detonations and splinters caused many casualties. Reinforcements were pushed in and by 9 a.m. the division had reached the first cross ride and it was pushing on, though more slowly as the troops tired. By about 11 a.m. all the battalions in 113 and 114 Brigades were involved in fighting and two battalions of 115 Brigade were sent in to revive a flagging attack. The battle swayed to and fro but by half past six in the evening the division had reached to within 40 yards of the northern edge of the wood. To avoid exposure to heavy fire the troops were withdrawn 200 yards into the interior where they dug in for the night.

The following morning another attack was launched with the remaining fresh troops. This again took the Division near the northern edge of the wood but again it was forced to withdraw a little way to safety. But the enemy had had enough and that night evacuated the wood, leaving it in the hands of the Welsh.

On the eve of the second attack, the Commander in Chief had urged the men of the 38th (Welsh) Division to take the opportunity 'of serving their King and country at a critical period and earning for themselves great glory and distinction`. Two days later they had driven the cream of Germany's army from the largest woodland on the Somme.

.. The survivors marched away, leaving behind them 4,000 comrades dead or wounded ..

.. Glory and distinction escaped them ..

 ... Their courage and achievement deserve to be honoured ...

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The South Wales Branch of the Western Front Association pledged to erect a monument to the 38th (Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood in July 1987, on the 71st Anniversary of the Battle.

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.. The Mametz Wood Memorial to The 38th (Welsh) Division ..

The Memorial was the work of sculptor David Peterson, of Carmarthen. The Dragon is five-foot high, the emblem on the badge of the 38th Division, mounted on a plinth of Forest of Dean stone. The plinth bears the badges of the Royal Welch Regiment and the South Wales Borderers.

.. The Dragon is hand-made from Welsh steel, in a furnace fired by South Wales coal ..

.. A Ceremony of  Dedication took place at the Vall�e des Gallois (Valley of the Welsh) - Mametz - France, on the 11th July 1987 ..

My Grandfather, Irving Jones attended with other first World War veterans and climbed the steep chalk slope to lay wreaths.

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.. Irving Jones - at the unveiling ceremony of the `Dragon Memorial`, St David's Hall, Cardiff, May 28th 1987 ..

  .. My grandfather lived at 45 Ledbrooke Close, St.Dials ..

        His recollections:-

It all happened a long time ago and some of the details escaped his memory which was understandable for he was 90 last birthday. But Irving Jones recalled vividly certain things and nothing which had happened since would allow him to forget the terrible scenes.

"It was absolute slaughter." he said. Irving Jones should not have been at the Battle of Mametz Wood. In fact, he shouldn't have been in the war at all. When he had left Bedwas Colliery to join the Army in September 1914 he was only 16.

"I thought it would be a holiday - well, not a holiday really, but a break from the pits. We thought it would be over in six months. We didn't give these Germans a chance against the British Army. We'd soon see them off."

Signalman Jones, like everyone else in the 38th (Welsh) Division, had no illusions about  how tough the task would be when they resumed the attack on Mametz Wood on July 10th - three days after the initial assault had been repulsed with heavy casualties.

"We knew near enough what we were going in for. A Colonel and our signalling officer came and gave us a briefing as we were waiting in Chalk Line. Everyone was to get to the wood if they could. We were not to stop on any account, even if your brother had dropped. He said two-thirds of the troops would be about the number they would expect to reach the wood."

"As we waited to go into the attack I wasn't afraid. We had a job to do and we had to go and do it. It was something I had been looking for ward to because the trench warfare which we'd been in was so monotonous and filthy that it was good to get away from it. This was something different: "But what you were hoping for was that if you did cop a bullet it would be a good one and that you would go quickly. The Germans gave us all they had as we attacked. I remember it was downhill for about 200 yards. Then, there was a valley like a deep dingle. Jerry was dropping his heavy stuff in there. You were glad to get out, I can tell you. To reach the wood you had to climb quite a steep gradient for 100 yards to get into the wood. I remember there was a trench just inside the wood which was full of dead Germans."

"Our Battalion when it went in was about 1000. When an officer mustered us after the wood was taken, 120 marched off."

Three months later during the Battle of Passchendaele, signalman Jones was sent for by his C.O. Asked his age, he replied `24`. The officer told him he was a bloody liar and he was being discharged. His mother had told the War Office that he was under age.

 .. I thought, `Thank you, mother, I've had enough.`..

        .. This extract appeared in the Western Mail newspaper July 10th 1987 ..

.. My Grandfather passed away on 23rd January 1995 ..

    His obituary reads:-

Our esteemed Veteran, Irving H Jones, 10th Battalion. (1st Rhondda), The Welsh Regiment died on Monday 23rd January 1995. He was 96 years of age. A man of Gwent, Irving enlisted at Caerphilly when he was only 15 years of age, joining 10th Battalion (1st Rhondda), The Welsh Regiment. After training at Rhyl, he embarked for France in September 1915 as part of the 38th (Welsh) Division, serving as a Company Signaller.

Irving took part in the Division's famous Battle at Mametz Wood, the Somme, France, in July 1916, when he was serving as a Signaller in `A` Company, Headquarters Section. Naturally he had vivid memories of the Battle which he related to me, in that his Battalion attacked Mametz Wood at 0400 hours on 10th July 1916. Irving distinctly remembered that he refused his offered tot of rum before the attack as he "wanted a clear head!" He related that he remembered Colonel Ricketts blowing his whistle to commence the attack, and that he had briefed the Battalion "not to stop advancing to attend to wounded men, but to press on". Of the 54 Signallers of the Battalion only 4 remained standing after the Battle. Irving being one of them.

His mother on hearing that the 38th (Welsh) Division were in the thick of the fighting for Mametz Wood, wrote to The War Office that Irving was only 16 years of age and that really he should not have been in the Army - leave alone at Mametz Wood!. When this news was put to Irving by his commanding Officer he was given two choices, a) either - to  remain with the Battalion or b) to be discharged  until he was 18 and then to be recalled. Irving did not hesitate. He opted to leave the Army until his recall in 1918. Now in my book that's a real hero. No John Wayne fake heroics there?

Until he was recalled to the Army, Irving went back to his work in the Colliery. Recalled to the Amy in 1918, he joined 4th Welsh at Pembroke Dock, not informing them that he had been in the Regiment previously. But that's another tale! Be was discharged from the Army on Armistice Day 1918.

My recollections of Irving, and I am sure I speak for: all those who knew him; was of a man possessing great charm, humour and honesty. There was always a smile in his eyes and on his lips, and as always with such men, he possessed great emotion also. I vividly remember that first time that he set eyes on the Memorial to the 38th (Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood during the week-end of its Dedication in July 1987. His eyes filled with tears for his fallen comrades.

   
Veterans Officer
South Wales Branch
The Western Front Association

"At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Shall Remember Them"

.. Click on the thumbnail images to view items  `recovered` from Mametz Wood area ..