The Western Front Today - 41st Division Memorial, Flers
The site of the initial use of tanks in battle on 15 September 1916 as part of the wider Somme Offensive, Flers today hosts a memorial to the British 41st Division. The memorial, that of a fully-equipped British infantry soldier, was built facing the direction from which 41st Division attacked on the first day of the tank battle.
The battle brought with it the liberation of Flers from German control. A tank ponderously rolled through the main street of the village followed by numerous cheering infantrymen.
Film Footage of Flers
References:
Before Endeavours Fade, Rose E.B. Coombs, After the Battle 1994
Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide - Somme, Leo Cooper 2000
In preparation for the Battle of the Somme, the British launched a seven-day artillery bombardment in which 1,500 guns fired 1.6 million rounds.
- Did you know?
