SOMME

The Battle of the Somme
The battle honour “Somme, 1916” is one of the most sacred and costly in the history of the 2nd Battalion, CEF (the “Iron Second”), whose legacy is perpetuated by the Governor General’s Foot Guards.
The Transition to the Somme: In late August 1916, the 2nd Battalion moved out of the muddy Ypres Salient to the Somme front, arriving on August 30th at the barren, chalky ground of the Brickfields just west of the ruins of Albert. On August 31st, they conducted a daylight relief of the Australian 25th and 45th Battalions directly in front of Pozières.
The Harsh Reality of the Front: Unlike the familiar terrain of Flanders, the Somme was completely open ground with no cover, dominated by wheel-to-wheel artillery. In their first four days in the trenches, the 2nd Battalion suffered 92 casualties from enemy shelling alone without ever making direct contact with German infantry.
“The Ninth of the Ninth”: On September 9, 1916, the Battalion was ordered to assault and capture the last remaining German section of Pozières Ridge, just south of the Courcelette Sugar Refinery. It was during this fierce combat that Acting Corporal Leo Clarke earned the Regiment’s first Great War Victoria Cross. Detailed with his section of bombers to build a defensive trench “block,” Clarke’s entire party became casualties. When 20 Germans and two officers counter-attacked, Clarke single-handedly fought them off. Despite being bayoneted in the leg by a German officer, he shot the officer dead, pursued the retreating enemy, killed four more, and brought back a prisoner. Tragically, Corporal Clarke was killed in action just over a month later on October 19, 1916, near Courcelette, before his VC could be officially announced.
Subsequent Actions: Following Pozières Ridge, the Battalion moved into the line north of Courcelette on September 20th
. On October 8th, No. 3 and No. 4 Companies supported a costly assault on the heavily fortified Regina Trench, where No. 2 Company’s commander, Captain Hudson, was killed.
The Cost of the Campaign: The six weeks of fighting on the Somme practically wiped out the 2nd Battalion’s combatant strength, resulting in 18 Officers and 601 Other Ranks as casualties (including 9 officers and 186 other ranks killed).
The Somme Patch: To distinguish themselves after this battle, members of the First Division wore a two-inch red square “Somme Patch” on their sleeves. The 2nd Battalion surmounted this red square with a green cloth semi-circle (representing the 1st Brigade and the 2nd Battalion), which became a cherished badge of honour.