^* The French had had to leave behind them on the Somme and Arras fronts sixty-eight guns in permanent positions when they handed over to the British. Gen. Joflfre asked the British for 2,000 soldiers and 1,000 labourers to be attached to his army in exchange. Papa Joffre was disappointed – Haig gave him neither.

^† History of the 65th Infantry Brigade, author unknown.

^* The Germans sometimes flew an observation or ‘sausage’ balloon at the head of the valley south of La Boisselle so the British soldiers christened it ‘Sausage Valley’. Logically, to them, the other valley became ‘Mash’. The sector in between, where No Man’s Land was so narrow, became the ‘Glory Hole’ on account of its high casualty rate.

^*From The Old Front Line, page 13.