Newfoundland and Labrador Memorial Day

FROM THE BEAUMONT HAMEL ENTRY:

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On July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme in World War I, 801 soldiers of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment rose from the British trenches and went into battle at Beaumont-Hamel, nine kilometres north of Albert in France. The next day, only 68 men answered the regimental role call. 255 were dead, 386 were wounded, and 91 were listed as missing. Every officer who had gone over the top was either wounded or dead.

Related Topics:
July 1 - 1916 - Battle of the Somme - World War I - 1st Newfoundland Regiment - Beaumont-Hamel

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On the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army (57,470 casualties, 19,240 dead) at the opening of the largest battle (over one million casualties) of the war, Newfoundland had also suffered its gravest military loss. To this day, Beaumont-Hamel remains the most signifigant single military action fought by Newfoundlanders and a turning point in the history and culture of the island.

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