Newcastle United Hero

32 Division, 1.7.16  16th bt Newcastle Commercials. Gemmel Trench, Thiepval.  Tommy started off the attack by kicking a football into no mans land. A company followed it over.  They were literally mown down by sniper and machine gun fire from the German trench just within the Thiepval Park boundary.  Pinned down, the Germans stood on their parados and jeered at them.  Few bodies were ever recovered.

Pamela Armstrong