British Soldiers 1903 pattern Water Bottle, nice relic condition original blue colour with cork stopper recovered in 2012 from the Bernfay woods area of the July 1916 opening of the battle of the Somme
This is a British Soldiers army issue 1903 pattern Water Bottle which still retains its original blue colour it is in nice solid condition for a recovered relic with a lot of the original blue paintwork. The bottle is missing its cork stopper remains it does have some damage and has a large rust hole in the top with surface rust on one side from being buried but has been very well cleaned and is perfect for display or any collection rare to find with so much colour and stopper. This bottle was recovered in 2012 from Bernfay woods which were part of the German front line that had been shelled by the British for a week before the attack this area was attacked by the British 30th Division on the 1st July 1916 during the opening battle of the Somme.
Bernfay wood is a pear-shaped wood close to the east end of Montauban village which was taken by the 30th and 18th British Divisions on the 1 July 1916 on the first day of the offensive .Bernfay wood was taken on 3 and 4 July 1916 by the 9th (Scottish) Division. On 25 March 1918, in the retreat to the Ancre, the same Division was driven from the wood but recaptured it for a time. On 27 August 1918 it was finally regained by the 18th Division.
On the 2nd July 1916 the Germans attacked twice between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. at Bernafay Wood. They were repulsed by a shrapnel barrage laid by 30th Divisional artillery, which later made an unsuccessful attempt to set the wood on fire. On Monday July 3rd 1916. Temperature 68°; fine, with some cloud and thunderstorms to the south-eastXIII CORPS. CAPTURE OF BERNAFAY WOOD.9th Division. After a 20-minute bombardment of the near edge, 27th Brigade attacked Bernafay Wood at 9 p.m., occupying it almost unopposed and sustaining only six casualties. The 6th KOSB and 12th Royal Scots covered 500 yards of open ground and took 17 prisoners, three field guns and three machine-guns. The east of Montauban Alley was consolidated. Patrols sent out towards Trônes Wood found it held by some machine-gun detachments.This wood is frequentely mentioned as an evil place by Australian soldiers writing home. In the middle of the Australian sector of the Somme battlefield of 1916, Bernafay Wood had been heavily fortified by the Germans, and thier machine-gunners, concealed by the shelltorn tree stumps, inflicted many casualties.
Trench map of Bernfay woods and British Soldiers in the Bernfay woods area during the battle
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