“Of all the battles that the Newfoundland Regiment fought during the First World War, none was as devastating or as defining as the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The Regiment’s tragic advance at Beaumont Hamel on the morning of July 1, 1916 became an enduring symbol of its valour and of its terrible wartime sacrifices. The events of that day were forever seared into the cultural memory of the Newfoundland and Labrador people.” – heritage.nf.ca 
NQ spoke with Tony Turco, author of the forthcoming The First Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel 1-6 July: A Reassessment.

How did you become interested in Royal Newfoundland Regiment World War 1 history?
As a former Infantry Officer, I have always been interested in military history. However, a number of years ago, my wife, Eileen, mentioned that she had ancestors who had served with the Regiment during WW1; one, who has no known grave, and his name is listed on the bronze tablets at Beaumont-Hamel. That piqued my interest and, as a “CFA” who adores Newfoundland and Labrador, I wanted to learn more about the Regiment and its First World War experiences.
Later, while working for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), I was on assignment with the Commemoration Division, where I supported the activities of the staff in Europe. After several visits to Beaumont-Hamel, and having viewed the terrain first hand, I was interested in learning about the battle and the events that took place there. While at VAC, I was also involved in the early stages of the repatriation of the unknown First World War Newfoundland Regiment soldier, an experience that had a profound impact for me. The more I read, the more I noticed that the maps and information about the attack varied from author to author and I wanted to understand more.

What has your most recent research uncovered?
In trying to understand the events and effects of the battle, as previously mentioned, I found some of it quite confusing – some included casualties from late June to mid-July 1916, others listed highest rank achieved which was different than on 1^st July.
As I began to assemble my own lists, I decided to develop as detailed a picture as possible on each man – what Company they were in, what rank were they on 1^st July, where were the wounded evacuated to, where were the fallen buried? Every question resulted in more questions for which an answer was sought.
I noticed a number of files which noted that individuals had joined the Battalion in the field on 30 June (Draft 6), and that caught my attention. I was curious about these men; what must it have been like to arrive on the 30^th and be thrust into battle the next day? I wanted to know about them and, during this process, I was fortunate enough to meet some of their descendants, like Mr Eugene Castella, whose father, Reuben, was one of the men of Draft 6.
I was able to find 57 files annotated as such, but could not locate the last nine names. Fortunately, Frank Gogos, the Regimental Historian, provided me a copy of the nominal roll of the men of Draft 6, which I reviewed and compared against my list. That’s when my research found that only 57 men arrived on 30 June. Eight of the men on the list were admitted to hospital upon arrival in Rouen; the ninth appears to be similar, however, his file is clear that he did not arrive until 11 July as part of Draft 7.
Additionally, many works refer to a Newfoundland soldier who crawled out of No Man’s Land on the fifth day (5 July); but none provide a name. The only information is that he was a member of Draft 6. In my research, I found that there was only one man who was evacuated on the 5^th and was part of Draft 6 – 1814 Pte Kenneth Carter.

Have you found that there is a prevailing myth or misunderstanding around July 1^st, 1916, the Regiment, and Beaumont-Hamel?
It seems to me, and this is my personal view, that Beaumont-Hamel and indeed the Newfoundland Regiment’s contributions seem to almost completely stop at 10:00am on 1^st July, when Col Hadow reports that the attack has failed.
Many gloss over the period from when the attack failed until the morning of 6 July, when the Regiment is taken out of the line. I have learned that the chaos didn’t end at 10:00am. The Regiment had to evacuate some 471 wounded (of which 33 died of wounds), many of whom were trapped in No Man’s Land. Additionally, during that period, the Regiment buried somewhere between 68 to 78 of their own.
I also believe that the decision to go overground was not solely due to the fact that the communication trenches were blocked or that time was of the essence in order to maintain any perceived momentum of the attack.
My research shows that that Col Hadow considered two pieces of information in his preparations for the attack as originally planned. First, he knew that he was in dead ground from St John’s Road to the area of Fethard St (the area surrounding the present-day memorial) and, as such, he would not have been exposed to direct fire from the enemy. Secondly, he expressed the possibility to his Company Commanders, that, in the original plan, they might go over open ground from the beginning, that is to say, St John’s Road.
Although the initial plan had fallen apart, I believe that the seeds were already planted in his mind and, finding the communication trenches completely blocked with the dead and dying, it confirmed to him, that going over open ground was the best course of action, at least initially.

What most surprises people to learn about the Regiment? What do you think is the most overlooked or underappreciated aspect of its history?
Speaking of only Beaumont-Hamel, I believe that the men of Draft 6 deserve to have their names known. Imagine yourself as one of these 57 men (plus Sgt Eaton and Pte Woodford who were discharged from hospital and arrived with the men of Draft 6), arriving on the eve of battle, and thrust into the attack less than 24 hours later, where 75% of them would become casualties – 16 killed and 27 wounded. Out of the 66 who were on the original nominal roll, only 39 (59%) survived the war.
I also believe that it’s important for people to understand what they endured during those five miserable days and the massive casualty evacuation chain that quickly got the wounded to treatment and evacuation to hospitals in the South and then over to the UK. The sheer size of the machine, the people behind the scenes who contributed to the casualties’ survival, and that this was all done with pencil and paper, typewriters, and rudimentary communications systems is remarkable.
Add to this, the burials of the fallen that occurred over a fifteen-year period following the events of 1^st July.

Where will your next interest in this take you?
With this project, my focus is on the period between 10:00am on the 1^st July until the morning of 6 July, when they were brought out of the line. The working title is The First Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel 1 to 6 July 1916: A Reassessment.
This includes:
1 30 June to 1 July: Background on the attack itself, including how they were laid out in the FUP, routes to the firing line;
2 1 July: The move to St James Street in the afternoon evening of the 1^st as well as the burials of the first 24 Newfoundland Regiment dead and the evacuation of the first wounded. Firsthand accounts from those who made their way out of No Man’s Land on the 1^st and into the 2nd;
3 2 July: Regrouping: The First Move
– Move to St James St evening of 1st Jul
– Burials and casualties evacuated 2nd July
4 3 July: Regrouping: The Second Move
– Move to Fethard St morning of 3 Jul
– Torrential Rains
– Burials and casualties evacuated 3rd July
5 4 to 6 July: Rebuilding the trenches
–  Burials and casualties evacuated 3 to 6 July
6 Evacuating the Wounded: From Firing line to the UK
– Casualty Evacuation Chain
– Situation on the ground
– Motor Ambulance Convoys and Voluntary Aid Detachments
– Casualty Clearing Stations
– Ambulance Trains (Schedules and Routes)
– Hospitals, Convalescent Homes in France and Hospital Ships
– Hospitals and Convalescent Homes in the UK
– Methodology: Spreadsheet showing evacuation dates, location, transport, wounds,                   disposition, including DOW
7 Clearing the Dead: The Regiment Buries Its Own
–  Burial Timeline
– Spreadsheet showing methodology and details regarding burials
 – Methodology: Proving that individuals were buried by the Regiment
–  Map plotting of the Fallen
 – Methodology: Proving that some individuals designated as MIA were buried by the  Regiment
8 Mass Burial: 51^st Highland Division and the burials of 1st Newfoundland Regiment Fallen from 1^st July
9 The Numbers: Determining who and where everyone was 30 Jun/1 Jul
– Ghosts of the Regiment: The Men of Draft 6
– Reconciliation of Numbers: Battalion Strength,
– Complete Nominal Roll 1 Jul showing highest rank attained, rank on 1 Jul, Company and location (ie Company, detached to TMB, MGC, other unit etc) and disposition, ie KIA, MIS, DOW, WIA, With Battalion etc.
In order to develop as full a picture as possible, I would like to add that, if anyone has ancestors who were at Beaumont-Hamel on 1^st July 1916, I would be interested in any stories or documentation regarding their experiences, whether trapped in No Man’s Land or their evacuation.
I may be reached at: tonyonoturco@gmail.com

Tony Turco joined the Canadian Forces in 1983; upon completion of his Infantry Officer training in 1986 and his undergraduate degree in 1987, he was posted to the 1^st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in Calgary, AB. Over a career that spanned 34 years, his Regimental Duty included postings to 2PPCLI (Winnipeg, MB) and the Regimental Depot (Wainwright, AB).  During this period, he was deployed to both Croatia and Bosnia (Oct 93-Oct 94) and Jan to Jul 97 with the 2PPCLI Battle Group.
Following his last tour, he worked in Canadian Forces Recruiting and in the Directorate Military Training and Cooperation (NDHQ Ottawa) where, as part of Canada’s Defence diplomacy, he worked with International Peacekeeping Centres around the world to develop, design, and deliver United Nations (UN) mandated pre-deployment training for staff officers assigned to work in UN Peacekeeping Mission HQs.
His final posting was with the Director General Space (NDHQ Ottawa) where, as a staff officer in NAVWAR (Navigation Warfare), he worked in programs to ensure that commanders and operational forces maintain reliable access to Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) data – which largely relies on space-based satellite assets – even in hostile, jammed, or conflicted environments. Following retirement, he worked for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) as a Veterans Services Team Manager (VSTM) as well as a 3 ½ year assignment with the International Operations Directorate (Commemoration Division).
His current work, also his first piece about the Regiment is  The First Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel 1-6 July: A Reassessment covers the events from 10:00am 1^st July to the morning of the 6^th July, when the Regiment was taken out of the line. The primary focus is the evacuation and treatment of Newfoundland Regiment wounded from the firing line to hospitals in the UK, as well as the burials of the Regiment’s fallen.