Lives of the First World War

Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, Somme, France, is on the east side of Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, commemorating more than 1,200 officers and men of the New Zealand Division who died in the Battles of the Somme in 1916, and whose graves are not known. The New Zealand infantry entered the Battles of the Somme on 11 September, when their Division took over the line between Delville Wood and High Wood. They were to take part in the Fourth Army attack of 15 September, which was to penetrate North and East towards Bapaume. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, as this engagement is named, lasted from the 15 to 22 September. On the first day the New Zealand and 41st Divisions captured the village of Flers, and progress was made on the following days. The attack was renewed on 25 September (Battle of Morval), and the New Zealand Division captured Factory Corner, on the road between Gueudecourt and Eaucourt-l'Abbaye. By 1 October, they had taken Gird Trench, Circus Trench and Gird Support, to the North of that road. They returned from the battle on 4 October, and went North on 10 and 11, but their Artillery remained on the Somme for the rest of the month. In the Battles of the Somme, 1916, the New Zealand Division had fought for 23 consecutive days. They advanced more than two miles and captured five miles of enemy front line. They took nearly 1,000 prisoners and many machine guns; but they brought back all their machine and Lewis guns, and lost under twenty prisoners. Their casualties were 7,000, and of these 1,560 were killed in action or died of wounds.

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