MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
LESSON
4.
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Lesson Four takes a particular emphasis on the role and contribution of Irishmen
at the Battle of the Somme and the large sacrifices they made. The lesson will
go on to explore the battle at Guillemont which took place later in 1916 and the
overall death toll recorded from throughout Ireland.
LESSON INTENTIONS
LESSON OUTCOMES
1. B
e able to explain the actions of
the 36th (Ulster) Division and the
16th (Irish) Divisions during the
battle
• Students will be able to recall
the actions of the 36th and 16th
Divisions at their various battles
2. Identify the sacrifices made by men
from across Ireland
• Students will understand how
recruitment methods resulted in
large loss of life in particular areas
3. D
emonstrate objectives 1&2
through digital media
• Employ ICT skills to express an
understanding of the topic
HANDOUTS
AND GUIDES
DIGITAL
SOFTWARE
HARDWARE
• Suggested
Additional
Resources
• Comic
Creation
Software
• Whiteboard
• Lesson 4 Key
Information
• M5L4
Tasksheet
• Comic
Creation
Storyboard
• Audio
Editing
Software
• PCs / Laptops
• Headphones /
Microphone
• Audio Editing
Storyboard
© IW M
(Q 80279)
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: LESSON PLAN
45
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
ACTIVITY
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Starter – Show students some
imagery of trenches from the
Western Front – sourced from the
internet ahead of the lesson. Explain
to students the types of tasks and
activities men would have had to take
part in within the cramped conditions.
On viewing the imagery students will
get an insight into the reality of war
at the front and the types of activities
that men faced on a daily basis.
Using the Key Information, teachers
will have a choice of activities to
engage students.
© I W M ( Q 6 4)
Teachers may choose to split the
class into groups and ask students to
use the discussion points to discuss
some aspects of the Key Information.
Students will then share their
discussions with the rest of the class.
Alternatively, teachers may want to
use the Introductory / Progression
Questions as group discussion
questions or to test individual
knowledge.
The active learning activity will give
students to opportunity to learn and
share information within a group
setting and then communicate their
learning to the rest of the class.
*If possible, allow students to
research the topic on the internet
– suggested additional resources/
search engine.
Plenary – Watch a video interview
with Ulster veterans returning to the
Somme after 60 years (Suggested
Additional Resource 2) and discuss
the thoughts and feelings the men
would have felt on returning to the
battlefield.
46
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: LESSON PLAN
The Key Information is designed to
cover the information within the topic
and meet the learning objectives.
The discussion questions on the Key
Information are designed to meet
the learning objectives through
interaction and Q&A.
The questions on the factsheet
are
designed to meet the learning
objectives through the pupils
understanding and application of the
information.
The various activities should allow the
students to learn while they interact.
The activities will also serve to
reinforce knowledge and encourage
discussion.
The discussion should allow students
to understand the pride Irishmen had
in their actions at the Somme and
why certain groups have been willing
to remember and commemorate
more than others.
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
KEY
INFORMATION
4.
THE IRISH
CONTRIBUTION
TO THE BATTLE
OF THE SOMME
The Battle of the Somme was a huge military engagement that saw over three
million men engaged in battle throughout the summer, autumn and winter of
1916. Although the proportion of Irishmen to this total figure was small, their
impact, especially on the first day of the battle, is remembered significantly.
In particular, the contribution of the 36th (Ulster) Division on 1st July, 1916
is still remembered with pride today, but Irish soldiers in other divisions and
battalions also played a significant role.
GOING OVER THE TOP
© I W M ( Q 6 4)
WHAT WAS A PALS
When the time came to advance at 7.30am on 1st July, it soon became clear
to the men of the 36th (Ulster) Division that their German opposition had not
been as comprehensively battered as they had been led to believe. As the
Ulstermen made their way towards the German lines, shells, grenades and
machine gun fire met them head on. The survivors of the first ‘big push’ on
1st July remember the terrible sights of watching comrades getting stuck in
barbed wire, leaving them as sitting targets for the German machine gunners
while others were killed by grenade blasts and injured by
shrapnel. Communities across Britain and Ireland were
impacted hard because of the way men were recruited
in pals battalions.
BATTALION?
PALS BATTALIONS were made up of men
who enlisted together from a particular area
or workplace. As a result, they were given
the guarantee that they could train and stay
together and fight alongside each other. This
could result in an entire generation being
wiped out by the battle. This was particularly
prevalent in Belfast where entire areas of the
city lost large numbers of young men.
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
The 36th (Ulster) Division was the only division of the
British Army to reach the German second lines but
without the support of other divisions to hold their
position, their efforts made little impact to the overall
course of the attack. As the dust settled on the first
days of battle, 5,500 members of the 36th (Ulster)
Division were killed, injured or missing (half of its total
numbers and almost 10% of total British casualties).
The Division was later moved away from the Somme,
further north along the Western Front.
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
47
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
1.))) DISCUSSION
Why might men have
been willing to join a ‘pals
battalion’?
500,000
423,500
Death toll
at The Somme
British (Including Irish)
German
French
200,000
ONE OF THOSE
WHO RECEIVED
THE VICTORIA
CROSS WAS
20 YEAR OLD
WILLIAM
MCFADZEAN
(MCFADDEN)
William McFadzean
(McFadden) is
commemorated on
murals today. On
the morning of July
1st, McFadden was
preparing to go over
the top when a box
of hand grenades fell
into a trench. Sensing
the worst, he jumped
on the box to cover
it and sacrificed his
life. His father was
presented with his
medal at a ceremony in
Buckingham Palace the
following year.
48
With men having fought in many different parts of the army it is difficult to
reach an exact figure for the total number of Irish casualties. The 36th (Ulster)
Division saw almost 2,000 of its members killed on the first day of fighting,
an event which continues to resonate in communities today. The bravery of
the 36th (Ulster) Division was recognised during the war by the awarding of
nine Victoria Crosses to its members. Their bravery is also remembered today
through memorials, murals and commemorations. Irish battalions at the Battle
of the Somme suffered great losses but went on to fight at many other battles
during the rest of the war including at Messines and Ypres in 1917 and 1918.
OTHER DIVISIONS WHO FOUGHT
Many other Irishmen fought in the Battle of the Somme that were not a part
of the 36th (Ulster) Division. During the devastating first day of fighting on 1st
July, Irish soldiers in various other divisions of the army took up their positions.
The Northumberland Fusiliers, better known as the “Tyneside Irish Brigade”,
was similar to the 36th (Ulster) Division in that it was one of the ‘pals’ units
where members mostly knew each other before the war began. The brigade
had a similar experience to its Ulster counterparts and suffered severe losses
during the first day of fighting. The majority of Irishmen who fought during
what remained of the Battle of the Somme were members of the 16th (Irish)
Division. This division was almost a mirror image of the 36th, since it was
recruited mainly from the ranks of the Irish Volunteers. The 16th (Irish) Division
was not involved in the first day of the battle but its members are remembered
for their involvement in the battles for Guillemont and Ginchy between 3rd
and 9th September, 1916. The Division played a significant role in capturing
the towns but suffered a large number of casualties. Between 1st and 10th
September, the division lost 4,090 men and 224 officers.
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
TOTAL IRISH DEATH TOLL DURING WAR
2.))) DISCUSSION
In total, eight volumes of Irish war records contain the names of just under
50,000 individuals who died over the course of the First World War. Of those,
over 30,000 declared Ireland as their country of birth with a further 11,000
made up of men and women from across Britain who considered themselves
Irish, of Irish heritage or who fought with an Irish Regiment. A remainder of
over 7,000 had no place of birth recorded. The map below lists the individual
counties of the 30,986 casualties who declared Ireland as their home.
Why has it been
important for
communities in Northern
Ireland to celebrate and
commemorate the actions
of men who fought at the
Somme and in the war?
Derry
1,356 Antrim
5,221
Donegal
700
Tyrone
1,059
Fermanagh
Armagh Down
2,048
498
1,117
Sligo
Leitrim
Monaghan
250
250
Mayo
Cavan 343
720
421
Roscommon
Louth
333 Longford
449
210
Meath
Westmeath 341
416
Dublin
Galway
4,918
Kildare
Offaly
754
580
435
Clare
362
Limerick
820
© IW M Q 44 15
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
Kerry
437
Cork
2,244
Tipperary
1,050
Laois
368
Wicklow
444
Carlow
324
Kilkenny
Wexford
469
529
Waterford
634
*A further 741 people
did not specify which
county they were from
and listed only Ireland
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
49
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
PERSPECTIVES
2. “16th Irish Division members died
not as cowards died, but as soldiers
of freedom, with their faces toward
the fire, and in the belief that
their life-blood was poured out in
defence of liberty for the world.
Unfortunately the close of the war
brought to Ireland no peace and
freedom, but strife and repression.”
1. “I saw Irishmen of the north and south
forget their age-long differences and
fight side by side, giving their lives freely
for the common cause.”
Joe Devlin, MP for West Belfast paid
tribute to fallen soldiers from the
area in 1919
Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Supreme
Commander of the Allied Forces,
November 1928
3. “The most gigantic, tenacious, grim, futile
and bloody fight ever waged in the history
of war.”
Prime Minister David Lloyd George
reflecting on the Battle of the Somme
50
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
QUESTIONS
was
2. What
name
given
to groups
1.
Approximately
how many men
were engaged
in fighting at
the Battle of
the Somme?
?
of men who
enlisted and fought
together?
?
Provide three different ways members of the
36th (Ulster) Division were awarded or have
been remembered for their bravery.
EXTENSION ACTIVITY 2:
Complete the following table based on
information provided in the death toll map
above.
Number of dead
recorded during
the First World War
Ulster
Munster
Leinster
Connaught
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
many
3.How
members of the
36th (Ulster)
Division were
killed on the
first day of
battle?
+
+
EXTENSION ACTIVITY 1:
many
5.How
soldiers and
medal
4. Which
awarded
was
to
officers of the
16th (Irish)
Division were
killed from 1st –
10th September,
1916?
nine members
of the 36th
(Ulster) Division
for bravery?
TASK 1
Although many countries were involved
at the Battle of the Somme, and on the
Western Front, the Irish contribution to
the war is particularly well documented.
Research the actions of the 36th (Ulster)
Division, the 10th (Irish) Division and the
16th (Irish) Division throughout the rest of
the war. What other battles did they take
part in? What other achievements did the
divisions make?
Design a one page flyer/poster based on
your findings including images, diagrams
and text to document your results. Also look
at notable people from throughout Ireland
including those who might have been awared
medals or who led their Division into battle.
TASK 2
Research eyewitness accounts of battle from
people involved at the Battle of the Somme
including their personal experiences of
what it was like to go over the top and the
images they would have witnessed.
Find three different personal accounts from
Irish soliders that portray various aspects of
life in the war.
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
51
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
ALTERNATE TASK
Students will use research a number of Irishmen involved
in the Battle of the Somme and other battles of the First
World War.
Students will use the M5L4 Tasksheet to complete as
much information on each person as they can find,
including: what battle they were a part of; what awards
or medals did thy receive, if any; did they die during the
war, if so where; how are the men remembered today, if
at all; and other information applicable to
their character.
SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
1) ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpCUFw-EnNw - Video
h
footage from before and after the battle
2) http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1011-ireland-and-thegreat-war/1017-aftermath/315391-ulster-veterans-leave-forcommemoration/ - Ulster veterans make their way to Somme
after 60 years
3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s9d4d - Story of
Derry~Londonderry band who carried drum to the battle
4) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022v09v Remembering Irish soldiers who fought in the war
5) http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/sacrificeof-irishmen-who-died-in-first-world-war-marked-bypresident-1.1891612 - Ireland remembers First World War
fallen
6) http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/news/local-news/lisburn-warhero-remembered-1-6224200 - Remembering one of Lisburn’s
war heroes
7) http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/
northern-ireland/first-world-war-centenary-vc-heromcfadzeans-death-penny-brought-back-to-somme-30481311.
html - Commemorating Billy McFadden’s role at the Somme
8) http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/band-ofbrothers-one-family-s-story-of-the-first-world-war-1.1885281
- Story of an Irish family who went to war
52
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: KEY INFORMATION
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
Person:
Robert Quigg
Description
Person:
Tom Kettle
Description
Person:
Willie Redmond
Description
Person:
William McFadzean
Description
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: M5L4 TASKSHEET
PRINT
ME!
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
DIGITAL TASKS
COMIC LIFE
COMIC
CREATION
TASK DESCRIPTION
TASK
Students will use comic creation software (e.g. Comic Life) to create a one
page comic focussing on the events of the Somme. Choose to focus on
the actions of the 36th (Ulster) Division or the 16th (Irish) Division and research
images and information from the internet which will be used to tell the story
in your comic. (Alternatively, images and information may be sourced by the
teacher prior to the lesson)
PLAN
Images and information will be sourced from the internet and designed
in the form of a storyboard.
•
Students will be supplied with search terms by the teacher and source
appropriate images and text from the internet – ask students to consider the
reliability and objectivity of the information they find.
•
Students will identify and select images/text to use and save them appropriately
in a dedicated folder with a meaningful filename.
•
Students will keep an account of the sites they have visited in a saved
document.
•
Students will use the images and information they have sourced and design
their comic on a storyboard.
DO
Students will use images and speech bubbles/caption boxes to describe
the actions of one of the Divisions and what happened. Students will
use at least 3 images that they have sourced. Some students may give a
reason as to how the events of either Division helped other elements of
the war. Students will complete their piece of work by exporting it in a
suitable file format (e.g. JPEG).
•
Encourage students to consider the size and style of fonts, the size and cropping
of images, the colours used and the tools available to them within the software
package.
•
Remind students to save their work in a dedicated folder with an appropriate
filename.
REVIEW
Give students the opportunity to view each other’s work. This may be done
by displaying the best work on the whiteboard or students may circulate the
room viewing the work of others.
Taking other students' feedback into account, ask students to justify their choices
and decisions, including any difficulties they encountered in the creation of their
audio file. This may be completed in the form of a saved document.
54
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: DIGITAL TASKS
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
4: THE IRISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
DIGITAL TASKS
AUDIO
EDITING
TASK
AUDACITY
TASK DESCRIPTION
Students will work in pairs to script, record and edit an interview with a
Victoria Cross winner from Ireland, such as Robert Quigg, to help explain
the situation solders faced. The script will detail the type of scenario the
winner was involved in and how his actions showed bravery. Research the
topic by looking at news reports, videos, eye witness accounts, etc., The pair
will then write a script based on the information they have researched and
write a script for a radio interview between a reporter and a medal winner. The
recording will be at least 1 minute long.
PLAN
Information will be sourced from the internet and used to help write a script.
•
Students will be supplied with search terms by the teacher and source
appropriate images, videos, and news articles from the internet – ask students
to consider the reliability and objectivity of the information they find.
•
Students will identify and select information to use and save it appropriately
in a dedicated folder with a meaningful filename (this may be images or
quotes that helped them to write their script).
•
Students will keep an account of the sites they have visited in a saved
document.
DO
Students will use the record function on the audio editing software (e.g.
Audacity) to record their script and use the various editing tools to edit their
recording (e.g. selection tool, time shift tool, trim, silence, etc...). When the
recording has been edited, the pair will complete the audio file by exporting it
in a suitable file format (WAV / MP3).
•
Encourage students to consider the feelings of the broadcaster involved
and the validity of the information communicated in the broadcast. Students
may experiment with the effects of the software but must consider whether
these effects are necessary and appropriate.
•
Remind students to save their work in a dedicated folder with an
appropriate filename.
REVIEW
Give students the opportunity to view each other’s work. This may be done
by playing back the best work or students may circulate the room listening
to the work of others.
Taking other students' feedback into account, ask students to justify their
choices and decisions, including any difficulties they encountered in the creation
of their audio file. This may be completed in the form of a saved document.
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories
MODULE 5: LESSON 4: DIGITAL TASKS
55
www.nervecentre.org/teachingdividedhistories