From the diary of Captain Charles May, 22nd Manchesters (7th Manchester Pals):
1st July 1916: 5.45am
We marched up last night. The most exciting march imaginable. Guns all around us crashed and roared ’til sometimes it was quite impossible to hear oneself speak. It was however a fine sight and one realised from it what gun power really means. Fritz, of course, strafed back in reply causing us some uneasiness and a few casualties before ever we reached the line.
The night passed noisily and with a few more casualties. The Hun puts a barrage on us every now and then and generally claims one or two victims.
It is a glorious morning and is now broad daylight. We go over in two hours time. It seems a long time to wait and I think, whatever happens, we shall all feel relieved once the line is launched.
No Man’s Land is a tangled desert. Unless one could see it one cannot imagine what a terrible state of disorder it is in. Our gunnery has wrecked that and his front-line trenches all right.
But we do not yet seemed to have stopped his machine guns. These are pooping off all along our parapet as I write. I trust they will not claim too many of our lads before the day is over.
Captain Charles May, 22nd Manchesters (7th Manchester Pals). Died 1st July 1916.
