Sat, July 16th, 2016
Mametz Wood
Posted in the News Category
News
Dr Jonathan Hicks, an award-winning military historian and novelist and head teacher of a local school, gave a fascinating talk to a packed audience at the Parish Hall on 16th July. About 70 people gathered to hear the story of the Battle for Mametz Wood, using the voices and images of the men who were there.
Dr Hicks is the author of “The Welsh at Mametz Wood” in which he drew on unpublished accounts and photographs of the men who fought there to allow the survivors to speak of those dark days of the capture of the largest wood on the Somme. In the words of one soldier: ‘Hell cannot be much worse’.
Many of those who fought there did not come home, including Henry Bird, Frank Blackmore and Horace Hall – men named on the Roll of Honour in St Augustine’s.
There were some interesting artefacts on display including a uniform, a gun and bayonets, both British and German army issue and an artillery shell.
The talk provoked a lot of interesting questions and observations.
Tricia Griffiths thanked Dr Hicks and gave him a copy of the book containing details of the history of the Roll of Honour in St Augustine’s.
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