Despite the very limited success of the British attack on 1 July 1916 Sir Douglas Haig was determined to continue pressing the Germans as part of the Somme Offensive. He had never intended the 1 July to be a one day show and he now looked to develop operations on other parts of the front. By the latter part of the first week of July 1916 his attention was switched to Mametz Wood, from which he hoped to soon evict the Germans. 

Mametz Wood from the air. Photo: Trevor Tasker

The wood was not especially fortified by the Germans as it represented a considerable obstacle in itself. Having been understandably neglected during the war years and further damaged by shellfire it was a tangled mass of fallen trees and thick undergrowth. The 'rides' or paths within it were themselves overgrown or obstructed and were it not for a map it was frequently difficult to see where a path existed.

Germans at the fringes of the wood had reasonable fields of fire on advancing troops who, by contrast, could often only see a mass of trees concealing the precise positions of enemy positions. Once inside the wood fields of fire were greatly reduced and rapid progress hampered by the undergrowth and the uncertainty over which direction to follow.

Sir Douglas Haig duly directed that the 38th (Welsh) Division (sardonically referred to by some as Lloyd George's Welsh Army) should capture the wood. Following a poorly co-ordinated attack on 7 July 1916 Haig and Rawlinson visited the Welsh Division Head Quarters and removed from its command Major General Ivor Philipps. Entrusting the division temporarily to Major General Watts (commanding officer, 7th Division) he asked only that Watts make use of it 'as he saw fit'.

Another aerial view of the wood showing the hammerhead. Photo: Trevor Tasker.

Watts instructed that an attack be made on the wood on the 9 July although this was delayed by one day and was eventually made on 10 July 1916. There were to be no diversions or feints; instead there was to be a headlong charge towards the wood by all the force that the 38th (Welsh) Division could muster.

As news of the planned attack reached the men it understandably had a sobering effect. The scale of the task confronting them was all too evident as they would have to advance uphill, over open ground and with the dark mass of the wood concealing their enemy. It was also known or suspected that a number of German machine guns were located on the flanks of the path of attack meaning that the attackers would be exposed to enfilade fire - a potentially murderous prospect. To relieve the tension of that evening the men spontaneously sang the songs of their homeland - including Jesu, Lover of My Soul - as they awaited the dawn.

Welsh Division order for the capture of Mametz Wood. Photo: National Archives

Trench map showing the dense mass of Mametz Wood. Photo: National Archives

Stanley J.C.Williams (writing in the local paper some years later as 'Yelnats') described the scene as the men waited to attack while watching the bombardment of the wood:

'...not even a rat could survive after such a 'strafe' and as it was going in our boys remained quietly waiting with fixed bayonets, five cartridges in the magazine, one in the breech and two bombs each...at 4.05 a.m. precisely our Colonel, who was waiting about fifty yards in advance of our position took off his steel helmet and, as the artillery raised its fire to another part of the wood, he gave a movement with his helmet to get the first line to advance. There was not a moment's hesitation - each and every man moved off in perfect order and the Colonel repeated the sweeping movement with his helmet each time the line was 100 yards in advance of those still lying down...'