12th Bn GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
(BRISTOL CITY BATTALION)

MEMORIAL, LONGUEVAL

The 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment (Bristol City) was raised at Bristol by the Citizen's Recruiting Committee on 30th August 1914. In June 1915 it moved to Wensley Dale, joining 95th Brigade, 32nd Division. It was taken over by the War Office on 23rd June 1915, and moved to Salisbury Plain in August. The battalion landed in France on 21st November 1915, and was posted to the 5th Division in December. With them it served on the Somme front and at Arras, before returning to the Somme in time for the battle.

In July 1916 the battalion arrived on the Somme at Canada, some miles behind the front, on 14th July. From here it moved up to the front, taking over trenches at Longueval on the 21st. Two companies made an attack near Duke Street, close to Delville Wood, on the 29th before returning to billets at Dernancourt. On 3rd September, the battalion attacked Guillemont, and reached a position from Wedge Wood to the south-eastern edge of Guillemont village, in the ground below Falfemont Farm. During this fighting it suffered 328 casualties. During the fighting of 25th September, the battalion once again was in the advance, and attacked Morval with 2nd KOSB. A line of strong points south of the village were occupied, before it was relieved the next day. From here it entrained for the Bethune front on 1st October.

In the 1920s, the 12th Gloucesters Old Comrades Association erected a memorial to the battalion close to Longueval village. By the 1980s this was found to have disappeared, and members of the Western Front Association replaced the old memorial with a new wooden cross. This was again renovated in early 2003.

The memorial is located west of Longueval, on the road to Contalmaison and at the junction with the road to Martinpuich.