Description
1914-15 trio – 6th battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Died of Wounds 1st day of the battle of the Somme 1st July 1916.
1914-15 Star, 12725 Pte S.J. Webber, R. Berks.R.; British War and Victory medals, 12725 Pte S.J. Webber. R. Berks.R.
Stephen John Webber was born in Islington, Middlesex.
His MIC shows he landed in France on the 25th July 1915
He was serving in the 6th battalion when he was wounded in action and died on the 1st July 1916 (1st day of the battle of the Somme.)
It is not know if Webber was wounded and died on the 1st July, or if he was wounded during some of the preparatory actins on the preceding days.
Condition – NEF
The 6th Royal Berkshire Regiment: Prelude and the First Day of the Somme
For the men of the 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, June 1916 was not merely a period of waiting; it was a month of exhausting labor that would ultimately determine their survival. Part of the 53rd Brigade in the 18th (Eastern) Division, the battalion was stationed in the Carnoy sector on the southern flank of the British line. While history remembers the 1st of July for its tragic failures, the 6th Royal Berks would participate in one of the day’s few tactical successes, albeit at a terrible price.
The Buildup: June 1st – June 30th
Throughout June, the battalion was heavily engaged in the intense preparations for the “Big Push.” The 18th Division was commanded by Major-General Ivor Maxse, a meticulous planner who believed that battles were won before the first shot was fired. Under his direction, the men spent the month digging.
They constructed “Russian Saps”—shallow tunnels dug out into No Man’s Land—which were opened up at the last minute to form jump-off trenches. This ingenious tactic reduced the distance to the German lines from 200 yards to just 50 yards in some places, a factor that would prove critical on the day of the assault.
By late June, the preliminary bombardment had begun. The noise was incessant. The battalion moved into their assembly trenches in the Carnoy sector, enduring days of tension, wet weather, and the psychological strain of the impending attack.The original attack date of June 29th was postponed to July 1st due to rain, extending their wait in the muddy, overcrowded trenches.
Zero Hour: July 1st, 1916
At 7:28 AM, two minutes before Zero Hour, a massive mine exploded under the German strongpoint at Casino Point, just to the battalion’s left. The debris was so immense that it rained down on the Royal Berkshires’ assembly trenches, causing the first casualties of the day before the whistle even blew.
At 7:30 AM, the 6th Royal Berks went “over the top.” Thanks to the Russian Saps, they were on top of the enemy quickly. Advancing alongside the 8th Norfolks and 10th Essex, they stormed the German front lines near Carnoy. Their objectives included the formidable “Mine Trench” and pushing forward to “Montauban Alley.”
Unlike their comrades in the north who were cut down by untouched machine guns, the 18th Division found that their artillery and the mine had done their work. The 6th Royal Berks fought their way through the German trench system, suppressing snipers and clearing dugouts. By the afternoon, they had achieved their final objectives near Montauban—a rare feat on that disastrous day.
Victory, however, was relative. The battalion suffered heavily, with over 350 casualties (killed, wounded, or missing)—nearly half their attacking strength. Officers like Captain Raymond Litten were killed leading their men
