Butte de Warlencourt
Encyclopedia
The Butte de Warlencourt is an ancient burial mound alongside the Albert
-Bapaume
road, north-east of the village of Le Sars
in the Somme
département of northern France
. It is located on the territory of the commune
of Warlencourt-Eaucourt
.
During the final stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme
, the Butte de Warlencourt was the subject of a number of costly and unsuccessful attacks by the British Fourth Army
. It was captured by the British after the German
retreat to the Hindenburg Line
in February 1917.
The Butte de Warlencourt earned an evil reputation because the Butte dominated the British lines and was used by the Germans for artillery
observation. The Germans also constructed deep dugouts throughout the Butte, making it a formidable defensive position.
The first attack on the Butte was made on 1 October 1916 by the 141st Brigade of the British 47th (1/2nd London) Division
following their capture of the nearby village of Eaucourt L'Abbaye. Another failed attack was made by the 140th Brigade on 7 October. The 47th Division's history described it thus:
The regiment
most closely associated with the Butte de Warlencourt was the Durham Light Infantry
. In November this sector was held by the British 50th (Northumbrian) Division
which contained the 151st Brigade comprising, at the time, three Durham Light Infantry battalion
s. On 5 November the Butte was attacked by the 1/9th Durham Light Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Roland Boys Bradford
who had just won the Victoria Cross
at Eaucourt L'Abbaye. Initially the attack was successful with a foothold being gained in the German trenches however strong counter-attacks drove the Durhams out. The battalion sustained over 400 casualties.
Bradford summed up the fatal attraction of the Butte:
The land on which the Butte de Warlencourt stands was bought by the Western Front Association in 1980 and is the site of a number of memorials.
Albert, Somme
Albert is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume.-History:Albert was founded as a Roman outpost called Encre, in about 54 BC...
-Bapaume
Bapaume
Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...
road, north-east of the village of Le Sars
Le Sars
Le Sars is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Le Sars is situated south of Arras, at the junction of the D11 and the D929 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
département of northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is located on the territory of the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Warlencourt-Eaucourt
Warlencourt-Eaucourt
Warlencourt-Eaucourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Warlencourt-Eaucourt is situated some south of Arras, at the junction of the D929 and the D10E roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
.
During the final stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
, the Butte de Warlencourt was the subject of a number of costly and unsuccessful attacks by the British Fourth Army
British Fourth Army
The Fourth Army was a field army that formed part of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The Fourth Army was formed on 5 February 1916 under the command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson to carry out the main British contribution to the Battle of the Somme.-History:The Fourth...
. It was captured by the British after the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
retreat to the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
in February 1917.
The Butte de Warlencourt earned an evil reputation because the Butte dominated the British lines and was used by the Germans for artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
observation. The Germans also constructed deep dugouts throughout the Butte, making it a formidable defensive position.
The first attack on the Butte was made on 1 October 1916 by the 141st Brigade of the British 47th (1/2nd London) Division
British 47th (1/2nd London) Division
The British 47th Division was a first-line Territorial Force division. Originally called the "2nd London Division" it was designated the 47th Division in 1915 and referred to as the "1/2nd London Division" after the raising of the second-line 60th Division...
following their capture of the nearby village of Eaucourt L'Abbaye. Another failed attack was made by the 140th Brigade on 7 October. The 47th Division's history described it thus:
- "From across the valley the enemy had magnificent observation of the ground leading to our objective. and made full use of it... not a man turned back, and some got right up under the Butte, but they were not seen again."
The regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
most closely associated with the Butte de Warlencourt was the Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
. In November this sector was held by the British 50th (Northumbrian) Division
British 50th (Northumbrian) Division
The British 50th Division was a first-line Territorial Force division. The division was sent to France in April 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War...
which contained the 151st Brigade comprising, at the time, three Durham Light Infantry battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s. On 5 November the Butte was attacked by the 1/9th Durham Light Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Roland Boys Bradford
Roland Boys Bradford
Brigadier General Roland Boys Bradford VC MC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
who had just won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
at Eaucourt L'Abbaye. Initially the attack was successful with a foothold being gained in the German trenches however strong counter-attacks drove the Durhams out. The battalion sustained over 400 casualties.
Bradford summed up the fatal attraction of the Butte:
- "The Butte itself would have been of little use to us for the purposes of observation. But the Butte de Warlencourt had become an obsession. Everybody wanted it. It loomed large in the minds of the soldiers in the forward area and they attributed many of their misfortunes to it. ... So it had to be taken. It seems that the attack was one of those tempting, and unfortunately at one period frequent, local operations which are so costly and which are rarely worthwhile. But perhaps that is only the narrow view of the Regimental Officer."
The land on which the Butte de Warlencourt stands was bought by the Western Front Association in 1980 and is the site of a number of memorials.