Slaughter on the Somme: The Story of the Hobbs Brothers (WW1 Documentary)

At 6:30am on 1st July 1916 across the Somme Battlefields, whistles blew and men rose from their trenches to advance across no-man’s-land. Within seconds hundreds had fallen, and by the end of that first day, over 19,000 lay dead, one man for every 4.4 seconds.
In this video, we’ll follow the fortunes of just one Division and one set of brothers as they attacked the most heavily defended part of the entire battlefield. This is the story of the assault on the Schwaben Redoubt.
Findmypast is a great tool we use for nearly all our videos. If you want to do your family research, you can check it out under the following links:
Start your family tree for free: battleguide.co.uk/findmypast
Sources:
• Find My Past Archives & Newsletter Database
• War Diaries of the Battalions (Naval and Military Press)
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Archive (CWGC)
• US National Archives (NARA)
• Bundesarchiv
• Google Earth Pro & Web Versions
• Memory Maps, Trench Maps of the First World War
• Maptiler Pro (Desktop Version)
Credits:
• Research: Rory Stephens & Dan Hill
• Script & Narration: Dan Hill
• Editing: Simon James
• Thumbnail Design: Linus Klassen
• Music & Sound Effects: Shane Greer

[@BattleGuideVT]

Hi Folks, We want to offer a special thank you to Findmypast. Without their extensive and easily searchable archive, it would have been more difficult for us to tell the stories of the Ulsters in this way. The Findmypast newspaper archive was particularly crucial when researching the Hobbs brothers. Start your family tree for free: battleguide.co.uk/findmypast We can highly recommend Find My Past if you want to start your own research (e.g. of your family members).

[@scottessery100]

you do such a great services to those who served in the great war. my 89 year old mum, is the last link to my 3 great great grandparents who served in the royal navy and died at Gallipoli

[@unluckyzero6530]

I love how you always superimpose the trenches over the modern landscape. Thank you for your high quality work and the work you do in remembering these brave souls.

[@dan-860]

“I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the First of July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world. My pen cannot describe adequately the hundreds of heroic acts I witnessed, the Ulster Volunteer Force, from which the Division was made, has won a name that equals any in history. Their devotion deserves the gratitude of the British empire.” - Wilfred Spender

[@MC-nb6jx]

Brings a tear to the eye, heroes all 😔

[@Free-Bodge79]

Amen to that.💛

[@user-uu3fz2vc8q]

Yet Britain forgets the Brave Men of Ulster who gave their lives in Two World Wars By selling us out to The Republic of Ireland

[@BongoBill]

Ah , the UVF , that murderous gang of thugs who killed Catholics by the hundreds. As for the Brits, whose foolish idea was it to jump up out of a trench straight into the path of machine gun fire. Couldn’t they have gone round? Tut tut.

[@galaxydoeshistory9352]

Finally something about the 36th Ulster Division. I don't see nearly enough people talk about them.

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@scottessery100]

@@BattleGuideVT what happened to the ulster wounded?

[@Liverpool-1892.]

No one seems to care about the ulstermen eh? I’m from Co. Down and never hear anything on the 36th.

[@galaxydoeshistory9352]

@FinbarrOSleibhin Totally agree. Regards of political or religious views, I respect anyone who is brave enough to risk their own life.

[@Liverpool-1892.]

@FinbarrOSleibhin yea I’m from Ballywalter which is slightly loyalist, but even then you only hear about the 36th maybe on July 1st or November 11th every year and that’s about it.

[@ragnarl9130]

My first cousin 3xremoved made it to the German C line, he was 16 years old, his name is, LCPL TOMMY DIVER MM UDC, 10TH BATT ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS. He was a Lewis gunner and was awarded the MILITARY MEDAL for gallantry during this attack, he went on to fight in several more notable battles,, messines, passchendaele,,,, he was killed a month before the end of the war again using his Lewis gun, ERNEST SEAMAN was awarded the VC in the same action, RIP LWF

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks for the comment and sharing your story!

[@royalirishranger1931]

In the video you mention a Private Stewart of 11th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles and he describes the fight through in the Schwaben redoubt , the man he was describing was my Grandfather Private Herron A Coy ,( the leg of a queen Ann stove). I knew Hugh Stewart met him a few times and he told me about the battle. Both he and my Grandfather were Lewis gunners , just before H hour they where both buried alive by a bursting shell, Stewart help to haul my grandfather out and the both went the the Regimental aid post , though both were slightly wounded they returned to front line in time for the attack, and the rest you know. My dad landed on D Day with Ulster Rifles and crossed the Rhine , and I Served 27 years with the Colours with the Irish Rangers and Royal Irish regiment, my great great great grandfather stood with Wellington at Waterloo with the 27th Innskillings.

[@purplepinto]

Your great x3 grandfather would have served with my great x4 grandfather at Waterloo. My dad and I travelled all the way from New Zealand last August to visit the stele dedicated to the 27th there. My great x4 grandfather survived and it was one of his sons who emigrated to New Zealand.

[@dan-860]

Thank you for this video. The production value was fantastic. I presume this mightn’t get as many views as your previous others. But as an Ulsterman this video is specifically special to me and I would like to genuinely thank you and the team for this.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks Dan. We have an Ulsterman in our team who enjoyed his part in making this production. :)

[@alanmcdade6640]

A truly remarkable feat of courage and determination by the Ulstermen of the 36th (Ulster) Division on that 1st of July 1916. I proudly remember my Great Grand Father Cpl Thomas McDade, 14th (YCV) Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles, who served from 1914 to 1919 and in France for all of 1917 until he was gassed and evacuated in December 1917.

[@brianduffy4682]

For a very complex and large battle, the narration is easy to follow and use of maps and phase lines essential to keep up. Great work

[@lagancider6153]

Great video, thanks. My grandfather was an ambulance driver with the 109th Field Ambulance, 36th Ulster Division, sadly he died a few months after I was born so I never got to hear of his service firsthand.

[@alex4833]

Excellent video. My heart breaks for the Ulster Division. They fought hard, and as you said, they were very brave. There was so much bloodshed - and so much horror. I know that such descriptors could apply to many battles in WWI and other wars, but it was heartwrenching to hear about the horrors they faced. I was deeply moved by Mrs. Deborah Hobbs' placing newspaper announcements with poetry to commemorate her sons' lives (and how her daughter Agnes did the same). I cannot imagine their pain. Great video once again. Moving video. Great overview of the fighting that took place on 1 July 1916. Good maps and narration. Kudos, Battle Guide team.

[@davymckeown4577]

Thank you, my maternal grandfather was in the 36th at the Somme. He survived. I think Thiepval Tower is a replica of Helen's Tower on the Estate of Lord Dufferin of Clandeboye, some of the Division carried out pre-deployment training on that estate.

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@galaxydoeshistory9352]

Correct. It's a beautiful walk too.

[@mwblackbelt]

@davymckeown4577 i thank you for your family's service and sacrifices

[@10toMidnight]

Ranks as one of the better productions recounting the Somme. The focus on the lads of the regiment really brings the gallantry and sadness to an almost personal level.l Thank you. Calgary, Canada

[@bertwijnhoud3061]

Great story, very impressive, RIP brave Ulster soldiers!

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@moobaz8675]

Brilliant. Such a shame that the break through couldn't be realised. I've visited this section of the battlefield and was very moved by it. The Ulstermen showed incredible bravery and what the achieved was remarkable.

[@rubyrosebuds]

Another well-researched, brilliant video, such a tragedy that should never be forgotten

[@TaskForce_Raccoon]

"And that's how it is for a soldier!" - 1916 Mötorhead

[@tylerfabian6112]

Great video as always! Was wondering where do you get your ww1 footage from? Some of those clips are incredible.

[@chrisvanderveeken]

Absolutely brilliant. Well done!

[@ProfessorM-he9rl]

Thank you for this post. Upsetting but historical.

[@grahamcoulter2610]

Very good video. There's a great sense of pride and sadness for our countrymen.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you for your comment!

[@catholicmilitantUSA]

Oh wow what a documentary! The maps, the superimposition, the personal stories, Findmypast, the narration, the explanation, everything! Well done!

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@MC-nb6jx]

Stunning video and very informative as usual, well done👏🏻

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jessealexander2695]

Great video, Dan and team. Really enjoyed it!

[@marklong930]

My God! What an absolute slaughter. Imagine the "survivor guilt" Herbert Hobbs must have felt. Thanks again Battle Guide team for another well presented episode.

[@LemonHead-sq5ws]

I love the maps makes it easier to realize the scale of so many miles of trenches and the almost endless blood shed

[@user-rs5mw8yv5r]

Superb film. Thank you for sharing. Such a brave generation.

[@StevenKeery]

Their's not to reason why, their's but to do or die...RIP Brave lads. We are proud of your memory.

[@Doug3575]

Well produced and informative video. Nice job!

[@thetimetraveller6550]

Am a member of, cwg common wealth graves & the long trail and the information I have on my one relative is astounding thank you to all that make these KZbin videos on the great war . This is without doubt the best 👍💯ever channel on the net.

[@TheVeganarchism]

It’s amazing to see the “battlefield” superimposed on a literal field. This is a great way to present the maps. So bizarre to see it all playing out in Ukraine in 2024 again, just with higher definition video.

[@ulsterrmp]

Absolutely sublime!!! The best presentation on the 36th on the Somme I've ever seen

[@jamesross1799]

Poor Mrs hobbs. I feel for her ongoing crippling pain and grief.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Heartbreaking.

[@billyshane3804]

Great doco. Really moving stuff. Thanks for posting.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@simonphillips3329]

Very interesting, thanks. Maintains your high standard

[@SpartansAndHeroes]

This was so well done

[@martinjf467]

Bloody hell! WELL DONE! Awesome analysis and history. Thank you. An incredibly moving and tragic story. My Great Uncle Fred isn't too far from there. He fell in the first ten minutes over at what is now Newfoundland Park, and was left on the wire until the November. Such a futile waste of the young men of that time.

[@julianbennett3772]

My daugher's great-great uncle died with the Inniskillings on the 1st - only just out of OTC by all accounts. So thanks for something to think about in remembrance. One hears so much about the Schwaben redoubt. Amazing to see how nothng is left there on the surface.

[@StevenKeery]

JulianBennett: Daughter's*

[@thebadgerimpaler]

Absolutely incredible documentary

[@jamesross1799]

I've read about this with them wearing an orange sash for the attack.

[@sugarkane4830]

Indeed they did. And those members of the orange order held lodge meetings the night before.

[@stephenmorse342]

Excellent documentary. Thanks.

[@Harperslj]

Fantastic video - thoroughly enjoyed. Would love to hear about the capture and the hold of the Schwaben Redoubt in October by the Cambs :)

[@standard_gauge]

The 36th were from my tribe. In those days if a death occured the blind was pulled down to cover the front window. My mother told me about her mother seeing blind after blind going down as the news arrived

[@rogerhawthorne885]

My great grandfather Thomas Hawthorne and his seven brothers were there on the 1st July, he was killed after going over the top in the second wave.

[@1882mick]

The song Bloody Road to the Somme really captures the mood before and after this day 🇬🇧

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️💪🤗🏆🙏 Thank you for sharing this

[@BattleGuideVT]

You are so welcome

[@scottessery100]

@@BattleGuideVT such sad history

[@troyelliott1063]

Great video guys! Have you ever considered making a video exploring the stories behind famous combat footage and photos from the war?

[@BattleGuideVT]

You should check out our video on the Cologne Tank Battle!

[@LemonHead-sq5ws]

No 😗

[@christophermccormick2714]

Thank you for a wonderful video about a most tragic day.

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@scottessery100]

@@BattleGuideVT really really sad

[@BattleGuideVT]

Indeed it was.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Informative introduction

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@biologicalengineoflove6851]

Greatly enjoyed this amazing video. The Lt. Barker quote, that shot from the Thiepval memorial, and the Hobbs family poetry were especially touching. I did get confused though, at 00:00 and in the video description it says the whistles blew at 6:30 am, while at 10:15 in the video it says they blew 15 minutes after 7:15.

[@majorbloodnok6659]

Thank you

[@heridfel]

Excellent video. Let me correct one detail: the German troops confronting the brave Ulstermen were not Bavarian, but Württembergers, the 26th Württemberg Reserve Division commanded by the very able Gen. Franz von Soden. Apart from Württemberg regiments the division also contained the 99th regiment which had been recruited in Alsace. Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony still had their own armies, but they were integrated into the imperial army at the level above divisions. Many observers, including Ludendorff and Fritz von Lossberg, considered the Württemberg troops to be among the very best formations of the German army. The 26th had been in the Somme sector for more than a year, and hence had built excellent fortifications; Württembergers, also known as Schwaben (hence Schwaben redoubt), have a reputation of being excellent builders and craftsmen. Attacking a position they had carefully constructed over more than a year was therefore an even more daunting proposition. A few years ago I came across a video that looked at the German fortifications at the Somme, it's worth watching.

[@robertharper3754]

Really fantastic!!!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@scottessery100]

@@BattleGuideVT what bravery

[@andilucas6926]

I really like this very focused and localised approach, and especially the use of personal stories! That being said, I'm afraid the German unit IDs at 04:28 are not quite right. The line assaulted by 36th (Ulster) Division was held by: III. Bataillon (comprising 9., 10., 11. & 12. Kompagnie) / Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 99 1. & 4. Kompagnie / Bayerisches (Bavarian) Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 8 So a total of one and a half battalions with a total of around 1,200 all ranks. British 32nd Division was simultaneously attacking the other two adjoining battalion sectors of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment 99 (the 'Reserve-' part is very important, IR 99 and RIR 99 were two completely separate regiments which existed simultaneously with two different divisions).correct

[@johnadan2725]

You can see the murals about Somme along Lisburn Road in Belfast. They get updated from time to time.

[@barbaraallen435]

I have visited WW1 battle fields and heard a talk by a retired major about this Ulster company i walked the trench where they were .

[@engineere2865]

Ive been binging on the Not so quite on the western front podcast. Really gd stuff. Though i didnt appreciate the dig at Tottenham in one of them ha.

[@BattleGuideVT]

HAHAHA... Big Ange will see you right.

[@alanadair4893]

My grandfathers brothers were possibly killed in this battle. He was in the horse artillery

[@CanOfRabbitHoles]

where was material of this quality when I was in school!?!?!

[@scottessery100]

rawlinson did make mistakes and took deserved criticism but he did learn and i feel should get some respect for developing combined operations in 1918

[@SenzoTanaka]

Video opens with the popularly staged OTT footage. Some brilliant research and battle map graphics on this video, great work. How is it - only one division was allowed to use initiative and crawl forward before zero hour?! Investment bonds!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Yes iconic footage even if it was staged. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jamiemoody5697]

Could you do a video on neuve chapelle , were my uncle met is death

[@pogues1]

Should that not be Helen's tower not Clare's tower? seen both , I'm an Englishman living in Belfast 16 years? if you need photos/video of Whitespots /Helens tower happy to oblige. No critisiscm, just thanks, for your skill at keeping me wanting to discover more.

[@mwblackbelt]

I'm still stuck on Billy McFadden's dad having to receive the Victoria Cross from King George. Sure Billy's dad was proud of his son, but how devastating it had to be as well

[@balders2030]

Where do you get your trench maps?

[@BattleGuideVT]

Archives and a lot of searching. :)

[@dpeasehead]

One wonders if the Clare Tower will stand as long as that ancient Roman road has.

[@user-zv5bq5me4n]

It's like a game thought up by politicians

[@a13bkd62]

A total and utter waste of life. The generals who came up with such a plan were clearly not worthy of the men who died.

[@luked.4131]

Did it say General Franz Von Sonz was 26 years old???

[@wuffothewonderdog]

Would this disastrous battle have been fought at all if Haig and not Smith-Dorrien had been sent home n 1915? Haig had never commanded infantry in action whereas Smith-Dorrien had saved the BEF at Le Cateau in August 1914.

[@liammccay7468]

What about Givenchy?

[@user-ne2uw8ji7h]

Horrifying. I thought that they didn't send brothers to war together or is that just in film's.☘️✌️

[@BrownEyePinch]

Worst battle tatics in WW1.

[@daviddixon9458]

No, it was not. It is the most misrepresented battle off WWI. I've tried to give a more extensive explanation, but I keep getting prevented each time. I studied this battle as an Army Officer. It has been claimed that what the British learnt led them to winning the war.

[@skeetstaruk9460]

The worst day of casualties was suffered by the French in 14, some 23,000. The nivelle offensive was worse than the Somme, so bad that it had to be called off after just a few days, and it broke the French armies will to fight. Sad fact is that British politicians were get involved in working with the French to set out 0lans for cooperation in tge rent of German hostility, they were willing to commit to a large scale land war in Europe, but they were not willing to provide the size of army, the heavy artillery etc that such a war needed.

[@suffern63]

How we missed the best of the best later in the history of Northern Ireland.A tragic loss of life wasted for what?

[@joeyarsoen8989]

are some of the photos ai generated? maybe specify if they are

[@johnadan2725]

The Ulster men were professional cattle rustler, with excellent field craft. They crawled top to the German lines just before the attack, jumped into German trenches, took over the Wurtemberg Regiment positions. There was no follow up., flanks were exposed, they had to turn back. The other troops waited for the signal, took 15 minutes to reach the enemy trenches, giving the Germans time to man the machine guns and move down the other British. Next day, instead of adopting the Ulster tactics, the High Command ordered the Ulster Rifles to march across the open field into the German machine guns in broad daylight, a stupid waste of life and slaughter. Ulster remembers that to this day.

[@jamesrodgers3132]

Cattle rustlers? A bunch of thieves? And on what do you base that accusation?

[@StevenKeery]

JohnAdan: I have no idea where you got the impression that the men of the 36th Ulster Division, were Cattle Rustlers. I find your comment rather bizarre, as I am sure will others.

[@2serveand2protect]

...Ulstermen, huh??...

[@Haltzo]

There's often talked about the battle of the Somme as the biggest battle of WW1 but it's not. Native English people call it the biggest battle because the British lost the most soldiers in this battle, but for other nations there are other bigger battles besides this one.

[@BattleGuideVT]

I dont believe we referred to the Somme as the biggest battle of WW1?

[@mito88]

it was 'somme' battle...

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

An excellent account of the actions that day. Unfortunately many attachs were like that. They would take the German trenches, but would be beaten back to their own lines several hours later.

[@BattleGuideVT]

We are glad you enjoyed the video!

[@dougclem7711]

You never attack anything at its strongest point. Being pulling saplings out of the garden or the Gettysburg charge into the strong point of the Union line. And WWI they didn't learn either.

[@rhysnichols8608]

Shameful that by mid 1916 the British were still largely using waves of infantry in open order. The germans, french, Russians and even Austrohungsrians had developed far better tactical methods of assaulting trenches. Rather than wait 10 mins after the barrage had ended followed by a slow walk across open areas, the idea was to have advanced raiding parties and assault troops, out in no man’s land as close to the enemy as possible, as SOON as the barrage lifts, the assault troops spam grenades into the enemy trench and penetrate it at multiple points, hopefully making the few yards dash before the defenders have even left their dug outs. Then while this is going on the main waves follow the attack. In the Brusilov offensive the Russians faked the ending of the bombardment 5 times, they’d pause, observe, the defenders would rush out expecting an attack, then they’d be caught in the open when the artillery resumed. Eventually enemy troops were too apprehensive to emerge from their dug outs and Russian troops were so close to their lines that they took the front line before the Austrians could even leave their dug outs. This type of infiltration was used a lot in most armies, the British did this too, but on the Somme, the majority of units did no such tactics. I still don’t understand why. By all means send conscripts in mass waves if they have poor training, but we had enough veterans to at least spear head the attack

[@sirgregoir]

What were they thinking. Charging a trench was suicide, gaining what, 3 inches of ground...complete idiocy.

[@martylindsay2849]

Going out early and charging would most certainly explain why the 36th reached their objectives surely?If the 29th and 32nd Division's did the same,perhaps things would've panned out differently.

[@normancameron6165]

Ulster one of the best fighting people ever, even in America they were the hill billys nobody mest with them they were known as the scots irish

[@scottessery100]

30th june- the royal ulsters are a fine body of men- a day later... fine bodies of men oh black adder :(

[@irishseven100]

Ulster is part of Northern Ireland, but it is not part of The Republic of Ireland.

[@mito88]

yet....

[@jamesrodgers3132]

Correction: Northern Ireland is part of Ulster (the six most populous counties out of the nine). The other three are now (obviously) in the RoI.

[@irishseven100]

@@jamesrodgers3132 In 1920, the Unionists would have actually preferred full integration into the UK, but the best that the British government offered them was the devolved Stormont regime, so they had to make do with Northern Ireland. In order to make their Protestant statelet viable, i.e. in possession of a Protestant majority, however, they were forced to jettison the three majority-Catholic counties of Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan, but naturally continued to think of their patch of Ireland as Ulster, while nationalists became politically correct in refusing to use the term to refer to Northern Ireland.

[@LemonHead-sq5ws]

Does missing mean blown to smithereens ? I always wondered…

[@3waystopcock]

Gone. Unidentifiable

[@alanadair4893]

Mygrabdfarthers bothers

[@StevenKeery]

AlanAdair: My Grandfather's Brothers.*