A volume in the BATTLEGROUND EUROPE series, a battlefield guide which draws upon material in national and local archives, documentary evidence, personal reminiscence and British and German unit histories of the Somme battlefield during World War I.
The battle for Guillemont raged throughout August 1916. Like so many of the battles into which the 'Big Push' degenerated, the struggle centred around a wood, Trones, and a heavily fortified village. It was in this battle that Noel Chavasse won the first of his two VCs.
The Battleground series is designed for both the battlefield visitor and the reader at home. For the former, this book is an invaluable guide and each site is described in detail. For everyone there are graphic descriptions of action, often through first-hand accounts, supported by illustrations, diagrams and maps.
The Somme Offensive which opened on 7 July 1916 is the battle that symbolises the horrors of the Great War, with its appalling carnage and waste in return for negligible tactical achievement. This book not only describes the action but has many personal accounts. It gives details of numerous walks and explains the locality's military significance.