Mametz Wood, commemorating the Welsh during the Battle of the Somme July 1916 - a painting by Christopher Williams
About four thousand men from the Welsh Division were killed or wounded in the attack on Mametz Wood that took place in July 1916, during the First Battle of the Somme. The wood still stands today and there is a Memorial to the 38th Division nearby. Mametz Wood was a large area, overgrown and well defended by experienced German soldiers. The first attack on 7th July 1916 failed to reach the wood. Welsh soldiers, who were expected to make an assault o n German lines, were machine-gunned as they moved across open fields.
Born in Maesteg, Wales, Christopher's father Evan Williams wanted his son to study medicine and to be a doctor but Christopher had other ides.
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| Self portrait by Christopher Williams |
For a poem about the Welsh at Mametz Wood by Welsh poet Llewelyn Wyn Gfiffith, who served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on the Western Front, please see the Forgotten Poets of the First World War weblog post of 23rd June 2021. The poem was found for us by Nick Lock of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum which is in Caernarfon Castle in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales. To find out more and book a visit please visit their website https://www.rwfmuseum.org.uk/index.php
