Ovillers – 5/7/16 – 10pm: During the day relieved by 6 R.W.R Regt (37^th Bde) & marched to Albert, got into billets about 3am

Ovillers – 6/7/16 – 7am: The CO & all Coy commanders ordered to go to Bde HQ. Bn paraded at 11.40am to take over trenches in front of Ovillers. Arrived in the trenches about 5.30pm. The Bn received orders to attack Ovillers tomorrow morning. The attack is to be made by the 36^th Bde, 9^th F.F in left, 7 R. Sussex centre, 8^th R. F. right and 11^th MX [Middlesex] in reserve. The position is a very strong one & has been attack without success by very large forces of the French by the 8^th Div & by 36 & 37^th Bde. The night was spent by us in continuous preparation, collection of Bombs etc.

Ovillers – 7/7/16 – 4.30am: Our bombardment commenced & became intense at 5.30am at which time the Coys took up their positions in the front line ready for the assault. A on left, D on right were to form the first line & to be followed immediately by B & C Coys respectively.

The enemy retaliated almost as soon as our bombardment commenced & our trenches were heavily shelled by guns of big calibre, there were no dug-outs available and our casualties were very heavy. C Coy suffered most heavily being reduced to about 40 [men]. It was then decided that C Coy should go over with D.

At 8.30am the time fixed for the assault A & D & the remainder of C left our trenches. A Coy was decimated by M.G. fire & the same fate met 2 platoons of B which followed. The remaining platoons of B Coy were ordered to remain in the trench as it was seen to be useless to send them across at the same place.

D & C on the left were more successful & although greatly weakened managed to reach the German trenches which they carried by assault. The enemies fire & support trenches were captured & consolidated. Two M.G’s were put out of action & 50 prisoners were captured. Continual bombing attacks were beaten off with loss to the enemy.

About 5.30pm the remaining Platoons of B Coy managed to get across and brought with them a large supply of bombs. It was raining heavily during the day

Ovillers – 8/7/16: In the morning we bombed along the trench on our left flank and gained about 90 yards. We handed this over to reinforcements of the 9^th Essex (35^th Bde) which had arrived. During the day the enemy shelled us & we lost rather heavily.

Royal Fusiliers in the Great War by H.C. O’Neill by Naval & Military Press [Buy here]

Ovillers.—On the 7th [July 1916] two other Fusilier battalions were also engaged in the battle. The 8th and 9th Battalions of the 36th Brigade, with the 7th Sussex between them, made another attempt to capture Ovillers, and few more costly actions were fought in the whole of the battle of the Somme. The 8th Battalion was on the right, and the plan was to take Ovillers from the S.W. flank. The bombardment began at 4.30 a.m. The weather was bad; and though no rain fell during the night, the fumes of the gas shells were blanketed into the hollows of the ground, and formed a death-trap for many who fell wounded.

The 9th had fared similarly [to the 8^th]. They had fought under the same conditions, and their losses were only slightly less than those of the 8th Battalion. Rawlins, Cook, Philipps, Street, Osborne, Bindett, Peacock and Manson were killed, and Vere-Smith later died of wounds. Spiers, Brown, Bastable, Twiddy, Garrood (missing), Mackenzie and Evans were wounded. In all about 180 men came out. The gallant survivors of both battalions were congratulated, and it is merely the sober truth that the ordeal through which they had come was unique. Ovillers held out some days longer, and it was not taken until the village had been more completely obliterated than any other in the Somme area and its garrison reduced to 126. The two Fusilier battalions carried the reduction to its penultimate stage.