Pitiful Desolation: The attack by 63rd (Royal Naval) Division in the Battle of the Ancre, November 1916

The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, formed in 1914 from naval reservists, had served as infantry at Antwerp and in Gallipoli. Their first taste of major action on the Western Front was as part of the BEF's final effort of 1916 on the Somme front to dislodge the Germans north of the Ancre River from the positions they had held since 1 July. In mid-November, the 63rd attacked along the north bank of the river in awful conditions: rain, mud and fog ruined well-laid plans, and despite the action being described as 'a failure, redeemed by one brilliant, even astonishing, success', the division captured its objective - the village of Beaucourt - albeit at a terrible cost.

Their primary objective was to capture the village of Beaucourt, which they achieved by advancing through heavily fortified German trenches and strong points. The division advanced along Station Trench, eventually capturing Beaucourt on 14 November after facing stiff resistance, with the Howe Battalion mopping up in Station Road afterwards. 

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