Stories from the Somme

12 August 2026

As the 'I Was There!' project continues to roll forward, more and more personal accounts from those 'who were there' on the Somme in 1916 are being narrated by our band of volunteers.

These personal accounts commenced with stories from August 1914, have covered the early battles, Gallipoli and the year 1915. The current 'Somme' section is by far the largest and so far has provided ten personal accounts from July 1916. These are: 

I Saw Thiepval Masked with a Wall of Corpses, by Brig-Gen F P Crozier (1 July)

I Filmed the Somme Advance, the Courage of a Camera Man, by Lt G H Malins (1 July)

I Saw Tragedy on a July Somme Dawn, by Yeoman Warder A H Cook (1 July)

The Cost of a Few Craters - a Frenchman at La Boisselle, by Paul Maze (1-12 July)

14 Days in No Man's Land - Ordeal on the Somme, by Pte. A. Matthews (1-14 July)

A Sentry Amongst The Brass Hats, Happy Memories of Haig, by Capt Allbeury MC

The Gloom and Terror of War - at Montauban, by Sir Philip Gibbs (4 July)

We Were Weary and Bloodstained - at La Boisselle, by Guy Chapman (6-9 July)

A Brass-Hat Blunder, by Llywellyn Wyn Griffith (7 July)

Bombs and Tear Gas, Mopping Up at Contalmaison, Somme, by Pte GM Sturgess (8-10 July)

 

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To see all these videos in one place, you can either subscribe to the WFA's YouTube channel, or go to the dedicated area on the WFA website.

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