Lieutenant Theodore Frank Cyril Downman took part in the attack on Gommecourt with 1/5th Sherwood Foresters and was one of the few men from the 46th Division that managed to get across No Man’s Land safely and occupy German front line positions. During the attack he sustained a gunshot wound to his arm and was taken prisoner.
In a series of notes made in June 1918 and attached to the Regimental War Diary of the period, Lieutenant Downman eloquently summed up his thoughts on the reasons for failure at Gommecourt thus:
The attack failed through various causes of which the following are the chief:
The absurdly inadequate strength of some of the attacking units; my own battalion went over between 500 and 600 strong. My own platoon consisted of 15.
Lack of knowledge on the part of the higher commands of the conditions prevailing in the trenches and of what was likely to take place in an attack on trenches from trenches.
The absurd distribution of equipment; those in 1st waves who got into German lines having to wait for 4th waves who never got there.
Overloading of all attackers, especially ‘carriers’.
Very bad management regarding cutting of German barbed wire; this was absolutely uncut on a 2-battalion front, letting down our right flank and the 56th Division’s left flank. The wire on my own front was sufficiently cut owing to the energies of Lt. Lilley who had taken patrols out to do this work, the artillery not being sufficiently competent to do it properly.
Half-heartedness in regard to the attack by Divisional General (46th Division). Only 4 battalions went into attack at 7.30am. They were not supported, and no reinforcements were sent. I understood that subsequent attacks by the rest of the division took place during the day, none of which reached the German lines. If these troops had all attacked between 7.30 and 8am we should have gained our objectives and held them, presuming that the wire was cut.
It is difficult to argue against any of his points.
Words taken from the War diary of 1/5 Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment); The National Archives WO 95/2695/1. Image from Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War
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