[Retlaw]

Midnight July 4/5th1916, the Pals are relieved by the 6th Gloucesters.
They then formed up & marched back to Louvencourt, on the way passing other units who were moving up to take their places, silent sympathy was passed to the remnants of the 11th, who were still marching as proud soldiers, not a man out of step.
Dazed, blood stained, & weary, uniforms torn, they finally arrived at their billet for the rest of the night. To tired to eat, they just lay down where ever they could, and were blessed by sleep and forgetfulness.
The images of the past few days would remain with them forever. In 1975 I visited the Somme Battlefields, with some of the survivors, even thought 59 years had passed, they all had tears in their eyes as they stood before the graves & monuments of their former comrades, memories of those fateful days still vivid in their minds.
Many stories were told during that tour of the battlefields, where they were, and what had happened during their time in France.

None of their families ever knew of the horrors they had suffered, during the Great War, little would they understand the horror, and best if they never knew.

Now 95 years later, very few people can imagine the suffering those brave men went through.
Heroes All.

Retlaw.