Tyneside Pipers: First Day of the Somme
La Boiselle this day so many years ago…
This Day – 1 July 2019
When I can…I walk this ground, towards La Boiselle…
We are in this place, peaceful now, but where the hearts of men once beat with adrenaline as they advanced. Their rhythms interrupted by the stuttering power of the seemingly endless machine gun, the burst of shell, grenade and all matter of hurt. Today we can only hope that the souls of those who fell here are at rest and that the souls of their surviving friends (in their day) found peace once again. All I can do as a visitor is hope…to wander…see…and record…my thoughts this same day but for 2019.
That Day – 1 July 1916
The Tynesiders were on our right, and, as they got the signal to advance, I saw a piper – I think he was the Pipe Major – jump out of the trench and marched straight towards the German lines. The tremendous rattle of machine gun and rifle fire completely drowned the sound of his pipes, but he was obviously playing as though he would burst the bag, and, faintly through the roar of battle, we heard the mighty cheer his comrades gave as they swarmed after him. How he escaped I can’t understand, for the ground was literally ploughed up by the hail of bullets; but he bore a charmed life, and the last glimpse I have of him as we, too, dashed out showed him still marching erect, playing on regardless of the flying bullets and of the men dropping all around him. (A War Correspondent)
(Seton and Grant, Pipes of War, University Press, 1920 p. 25)
At that time, 1 July 1916, four Pals battalions (Northumberland Fusiliers) of the 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade advanced. The 20th Battalion (1st Tyneside Scottish), 21st Battalion (2nd Tyneside Scottish), 22nd Battalion (3rd Tyneside Scottish) and the 23rd Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish). The attack commenced at 7:30 am with the battalion played into the battle by their pipers.

Near La Boiselle. Looking from the Memorial at Lochnagar Crater, Somme, France.
(P. Ferguson image, September 2006)
The First Day of the Somme saw the Tynesiders attack up through Mash Valley towards the Glory Hole at La Boiselle. Starting from the Tara-Usna Line from behind the British front line they had to cross 1 mile of open ground before coming upon no man’s land. About 50 men managed to survive across this terrain and into Sausage Valley located south of La Boiselle and very near to Contalmaison. This was the furthest advance of the day, but for these men, they would spend the rest of their Great War as prisoners of war.
The 102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade suffered the worst losses of any brigade on this black day of the British Army. The day was bleak the British army suffering 57,470 casualties of which 19,240 were fatal.
20th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (1st Tyneside Scottish)
584 casualties – 320 killed
21st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (2nd Tyneside Scottish)
Total casualties unknown – 131 killed
22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Tyneside Scottish)
537 casualties – 162 killed
23rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (4th Tyneside Scottish)
23rd Battalion 629 casualties – 240 killed

Looking across the battlefields towards the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
(P. Ferguson image, October 2009)
The Tyneside Battalion Pipers
List of Pipers compiled from Seton and Grant Pipes of War. I have provided amendments to this record. In addition, several service numbers are given in Pipes of War only as partial numbers. Many are not included in this listing.
1st Tyneside Scottish
Pipe Major John Wilson.
Awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field.
Lance Corporal Garnet Wolsley Fyfe (Killed) 20/237
Shown in Commonwealth War Graves Commission as 23rd Battalion [4th Tyneside Scottish].
Buried at Ovillers Military Cemetery, France.
Piper Alex Boyd (Wounded)
Piper Ernest Arthur Boyce (Missing) 20/223
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Piper E. Scott (Wounded)
Piper Stephens (Wounded)
Piper John William Fellows (Missing) 20/1585
No. 1 Company. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Piper James Downie (Missing) 20/154
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Piper Charles McLean (Wounded)
Piper Robert Davidson (Missing) 20/1594
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Piper William Inglis (Wounded)
Recorded as Wounded as well as Killed in Pipes of War. Not traced in Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.
Piper George Taylor MM. Awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field.
2nd Tyneside Scottish
Piper Munro Strachan
Piper John Strachan (Wounded)
Piper Alex Scott
Piper William Alexander Scott (Missing) 21/1230
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Lance Corporal W. Clark
Piper G.C. Griffiths
Piper James Phillips (Killed) 21/1151
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Piper J.M. Phillips MM 1225
Piper James Phillips Mentioned in Despatches 1525
After his pipes were shattered he began bombing the enemy trenches.
Piper James Carnegie
3rd Tyneside Scottish*
Piper A. Boyd (Wounded)
Piper J. Stephens (Wounded)
Piper J. Steele (Killed)
A Joseph Steele is recorded as killed 1 July 1916 with the 2nd Tyneside Scottish. No other details traced.
Piper E. Finley (Killed)
Piper R. Greaves (Died of Wounds)
Not traced in Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.
Piper T. Wilson (Killed)
Not traced in Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.
* (Service numbers not published in Pipes of War)
4th Tyneside Scottish
Pipers’ names not recorded in Pipes of War.
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