Combles: A short history
The village was established in the centre of a prosperous farming community, situated between Albert and Peronne, and it sits in a steep sided valley which is almost invisible to the casual onlooker, only the church spire giving any indication of its location. Mainly planted with arable crops and large orchards supplying apples, pears and plums to the rural market, the many local woods were also managed to provide timber as well as refuges for deer, wild boar and game birds.
“Had the best weekend of relaxing and chilling out”
“Martin and Kate are excellent hosts. Our battlefield tour was superb – Martin’s knowledge brought the battles to life.”
On the outbreak of war the village promptly fell into German hands, and from 1914 to 1916 it was gradually fortified with a series of tunnels, linked cellars and machine gun positions. A good description of life here just prior to and during the Somme offensive can be found in Ernst Junger’s autobiography, `Storm of Steel`. Even when the campaign was well underway, Combles escaped the worst excesses of shelling, remaining fairly intact until the Allied forces had fought their way across the open farmland and up onto the overlooking ridge on which the trees of Leuze and Bouleaux woods lay. The woods had provided the defenders with a near impregnable defence line and they were heavily defended with reinforced concrete machine gun positions and deep trenches.
“Another great visit. Always a pleasure”
Having finally captured the woods in September 1916, the British were provided with a commanding view over Combles and were able to shell anything that moved. It was quite impossible for the Germans to move from their shelters in daylight, so reinforcements and re-supply had to be undertaken at night, in total darkness. The village was now at the centre of a pincer movement, with the British to the north and west, and the French advancing from the south and east. As a result, the German commander decided to withdraw his men, leaving behind a caretaking group of machine gunners and snipers, who took a heavy toll on the attackers. The village was finally taken on 26th September. It was to fall again to the Germans in the March offensive of 1918, and by the time it was recaptured, nearly all trace of the original village had been obliterated.
“Thank you so much for a lovely stay in your interesting home. Nothing was too much trouble for you both.”
“Another shrapnel ball? Fantastic!”
Today the village is once again a peaceful farming community, and shows little signs of it former past. However, the ground behind the war memorial houses the entrance to extensive and deep cellars and tunnels, used by the Germans and British as an HQ and field hospital. Their dangerous condition means they are now inaccessible, but field walking locally will produces relics dating from 1914 to 1918 and the woods still bear traces of the trenches and shellholes that once interlinked them. A rare survivor is a concrete observation post on the edge of Leuze wood, which still stares sightlessly across the ground over which the 56th London division had to advance. Many houses in the village still have German concrete shelters in their cellars, which provided an excellent foundation for their rebuilding in the 1920s, as well as the perfect environment for keeping wine!
“An absolutely first class base for touring the Somme battlefields. Many thanks indeed for the warmth of your welcome. We were also blessed with the weather.”
“A great end to our French bike tour. Thank you for your warmth and kindness and for the wealth of information which has awakened a curiosity to know more!”