When you learn about history, there is no way that you can forget the First Battle of the Somme in France. It took place in 1916, which showed the world the bravery of 38th Welsh Division of British Army during the war. Due to their bravery during the war, Mametz Wood Memorial had been established to commemorate and honor them. Why don’t you look at the complete post below for facts about Mametz Wood?
Facts about Mametz Wood 1: the memorial
David Petersen was the Welsh sculptor who erected the memorial in Mametz Wood in 1987. The stone plinth has the height of 3 meters with a Welsh dragon sits at its top tearing and facing barbed wire.
Facts about Mametz Wood 2: the fund
The funding for memorial was from public funding raising appeal. The South Wales Branch of the Western Front Association commissioned the construction of the memorial.
Facts about Mametz Wood
Facts about Mametz Wood 3: the location
The location of the memorial is on D64 Road nearby Mametz village in northern France.
Facts about Mametz Wood 4: refurbishment
Refurbishment would be conducted to prepare for the 100th anniversary for the Battle in 2016. Therefore, the Welsh government took part in the funding on July 12th, 2013.
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Facts about Mametz Wood 5: the importance
During the First Battle of the Somme, the 38th Welsh Division considered Mametz Wood as the primary objective.
Mametz Wood Facts
Facts about Mametz Wood 6: the attack
The attack took place on July 7th to July 12th, 1916 by focusing on the German army in the wood. The first wave of attack took place on July 7th. The goal was to control the wood in a couple of hours.
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Facts about Mametz Wood 7: the killed and injured soldiers
More than 400 soldiers were killed and injured during the first wave of attack because of shelling, machineguns and strong fortification. The position of the army was not improved even though further attack had been made on July 8th, by the 17th division.
Facts about Mametz Wood 8: the number of total loss
The total soldiers killed and injured in the mission to take over the wood from the Welsh side was more than 4,000 individuals.
Siegfried Sassoon
Facts about Mametz Wood 9: the present-day wood
The present-day wood is available today. The farmland is located around the wood.
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Facts about Mametz Wood 10: Siegfried Sassoon
If you like reading poetry, which talks about war, you need to read the works of Siegfried Sassoon. He was from the Royal Welch Fusiliers known as a war poet who also talked about the horror in Mametz wood in his memoirs.
What do you think on facts about Mametz Wood?
