Stories of the Forgotten Heroes

The British Summer Offensive: The Bloodbath on the First Day of the Somme

On the fields once grew the rich grain that fed the French population of the nearby regions; in years when the harvests were more bountiful than usual the farmers managed even to sell it to the Parisian mills where they could get more for their toil, but now, they were abandoned, barren. In the distance, where one such field ended, a group of huge khaki tents could be seen with a white ensign and a red cross upon it and further on, the snaking line of the fortified British trenches. Two figures,  shown by the lamps in the enveloping darkness and standing at the entrance, reminding those passing that goodness still existed upon Earth, waited patiently for the trials which were to come. One of them turned towards the other and shyly commenced a conversation, to alleviate her fears.

Ma'am, are the bombardments going to do any damage to the enemy?

Elizabeth, we must have confidence that we'll have that breakthrough. This war has gone on for far too long, and you've seen its brutality.

I have indeed seen, said the younger one, but you've heard those daring aviators.

It is no doubt a difficult job they have to do, but God willing everything will be alright. Go to sleep Elizabeth, tomorrow we have a long day.

Yes ma'am, and she hurriedly left for her bunk bed where she crashed, tired from all the stress and expectation. As she drifted away in that sweet realm of sleep, the clock struck midnight and silence engulfed all.

The whole campaign hospital was bustling with activity some hours later with everybody on their edge, fully aware of the task ahead. Elizabeth Boyer woke up, afraid that she was late. Fortunately, she could see the other girls, which meant that only the senior nurses and the doctors were up and running. After washing her face and arms and taking a scone with a cup of tea from the table in the corner of the tent she went outside and towards the barracks assigned to her group, which was under the elderly nurse that she had asked last night. Being head nurse she promptly assigned Elizabeth's duties for the day ahead once more, in case she might have forgotten them, and left in a hurry to check the newer recruits.

Bandaging and cleaning wounds, luck must be on my side, and she gave a little smirk to the man standing at the door, ignoring his presence altogether. Whilst bringing the necessary supplies from the main storage area to the barracks an unnatural fear gripped her. Elizabeth found it hard to breathe but forced herself until she reached a bench. This had been the second time, and she would have wanted to tell the others about it, but what would they think of her? A weak girl, unfit for even the most basic medical care, and she could not let them utter such accusations. As most of her friends would be on duty with the surgeons, and therefore in another part of the camp, no chance of a friendly discussion might arise.

The bombardment began, shaking the earth and from moment to moment one of the girls would shriek in fear. In vain had Elizabeth tried to calm them down by telling them that those were their guns and that no German Artillery Unit would shoot a field hospital. As soon as the cannons stopped, everybody knew it had begun. At first, the casualties which were brought in the rear were few but the men bringing them had a ghastly look. By noon the ambulances were carrying more men than the field hospital could help. Doctors and nurses had to make decisions in an instant otherwise the whole system might bog down. Since the hospital everybody was working on was run by the Red Cross and with members from all the belligerents and neutral nations who desired to make a difference, Germans and British Tommies were treated, and although some felt urges which should have been above their function or profession kept on.