What are the Strengths and Weaknesses of The Newfoundland Park Site in Representing The difficulties the soldiers faced on July 1st 1916.

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Robert Bentham

What are the Strengths and Weaknesses of

The Newfoundland Park Site in Representing

The difficulties the soldiers faced on July 1st 1916

Newfoundland Park gave me a good impression, with evidence of the difficulties that the soldiers faced on the first day of the Somme. At Newfoundland Park there was good evidence of the conditions of no mans land at the time of the battle. The ground has been preserved in the condition that it was after the war, shell holes are still clearly visible and in large numbers. This shows us that soldiers would have had to walk around these, in some places huge, holes. However we do know that the conditions at the time of the battle would have been much worse as it had been raining for two days straight. This heavy amount of rain made the ground extremely soft and muddy.

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        We know that the attacking troops would have had to attack with a weight of 60lbs on their backs, a gruelling task on its own, and a seemingly impossible task with enemy fire and a muddy shell cratered landscape. Despite all this there was one more difficulty evident presented with geographical evidence at Newfoundland Park, the land is undulating. This means that the soldiers would have had to carry these heavy packs down and then up slopes before reaching the enemy’s front line.

        Prior to the battle Haig had ordered a massive artillery bombardment which lasted for five days, ...

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