Walking the Somme: Gommecourt

In our first episode of Season 9, we walk the northern part of the Somme battlefield from Foncquevillers out to the ground before Gommecourt, and examine the attack here by the 46th (North Midland) Division on 1st July 1916. We examine the Court of Enquiry, the roles of the commanders Major-General Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley and Lieutenant General Sir Sir Thomas D’Oyly Snow, and hear the voices of the ordinary soldiers who fought and fell at Gommecourt on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme.

10 Comments on “Walking the Somme: Gommecourt”

arnhemdescent
September 21, 2025

Great episode and always a poignant place to visit……

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- oldfrontline
  September 21, 2025
  
  Thanks, Niall.
  
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Pingback: Noah’s report on the podcast episode “Walking the Somme: Gommecourt” (from the Old Front Line podcast) | Literature of the Great War
- oldfrontline
  September 29, 2025
  
  Thanks for this, interesting reading as is the one on the Forgotten Front by one of your fellow students.
  
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wildly90507f0853
September 29, 2025

Another quality podcast Paul. Your experience at doing them combined with your vast knowledge is what makes OFL a success. With regards to the Somme, Gommecourt is a choice subject for me so may be I’m being a little biased. Keep ’em comin’!

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- oldfrontline
  September 29, 2025
  
  Thanks so much, your comments are very much appreciated.
  
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Stephen Hunt
September 30, 2025

Thanks Paul for an excellent podcast and a reminder of the first day of the centenary Walking the Somme Walk with Gary Ashley in October 2016. We started at at Gommecourt then moved on the Gommecourt Park.

Where can I find out more about the Court of inquiry? Would you recommend Alan Macdonald’s book ?

I can’t say that I’m surprised that ordinary squaddies didn’t usually get a voice in such proceedings, when you think that only three or four years before there was no formal representation of the steerage passengers in the British inquiry into the loss of the Titanic!

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- oldfrontline
  October 4, 2025
  
  Hi Stephen – the Court of Enquiry is in the Divisional HQ Diary for July 1916.
  
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Stephen Hunt
October 4, 2025

Cheers thanks Paul.

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David Leeming
October 13, 2025

Thanks Paul for a podcast redressing the balance on the 46th North Midland division and their so called “lack of offensive spirit”.

Having spent the previous 2 days walking around Auchy les mines (Hohenzollern) and then walking from Gommecourt village via the lane to the Z (where we found a mills grenade) and up to Funky villas we saw the open nature of the ground and undestood why it was a slaughter zone. Great grandfather was in 1/5 Leicesters and was ‘fortunate’ to be in follow up waves on both occasions and survived.

I was rather miffed to listen to an air war podcast in my arras hotel room that night to hear the mention of lack of offensive spirit. Thank you for redressing that.

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