This confident and spikey detailed red dragon on top of a plinth is a memorial for the men of the Welshmen of the 38th Division who died trying to capture it during the first battle of the Somme between the 7th and 12th of July, 1916. Troops had to cross a ridge and take the wood from where the German forces were firing machine guns at them. After a few unsuccessful attempts and a change in commanding officer, a far larger attack was planned, one that would take the whole wood. Moving forward with bayonets the Welsh forces pushed on on July 10th, but German forces only gave when they had no other option. 676 men of the Welsh 14th Battalion went into the attack and by the time they were relieved 400 of them had been killed or wounded. 4,000 were killed or wounded taking the wood. Over grown shell craters and trenches can still be made out around it.

Written by  Toby Bright.

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