Bugle Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 66
SOUTH WEST
“The Devonshires held this trench.
The Devonshires hold it still.”
A visit to the Devonshire Cemetery on the
Somme by Neville Holmes.
The Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916 is
seared into our national psyche and remains
the bloodiest single day in the history of the
British Army with over 19,000 killed and a
further 40,000 wounded, missing, or taken
prisoner, including many from West County
Regiments.
The 8th Devons suffered devastating
losses attacking near Mametz, while the 9th
Devons fought with equal courage across the
shattered ground of the Somme battlefield. The
Devonshire cemetery holds 163 Commonwealth
war graves, including 10 unidentified soldiers.
Almost all are men of the 8th and 9th Battalions
of the Devonshire Regiment.
66 RIFLES The Bugle
In May, I was with a group from Wessex
Reserve Forces and Cadets Association who
visited the cemetery. To those who have not
been, it is a small, unimaginably poignant,
beautifully maintained place set amongst
a small copse of trees and on a still spring
morning, it carried an extraordinary sense of
peace and tranquillity.
The famous inscription “The Devonshires
held this trench. The Devonshires hold it still” is
carved on a memorial stone at the entrance to
the cemetery. I personally think those simple
words capture both the sacrifice and enduring
spirit of our Regiment better than any lengthy
epitaph ever could.
The mixed group of veterans and
others discussed and reflected upon the
with over
19,000
killed and
a further
40,000
wounded
determination, sacrifice and comradeship
which became part of the enduring story
of our Regiment. As my first visit, I found it
profoundly moving so it was a singular honour
to lay wreath on behalf of the Regiment in
remembrance of those who fell there over a
century ago.
Following a minute’s silence, Nick Cull, CEO
of Devon (Rifles) ACF, read the famous poem
‘Before Action’ prophetically written before the
attack by the Platoon Commander, William
Noel Hodgson MC, whose grave sits alongside
his comrades; may they all rest in peace.
