Hénencourt then and now

This photograph of British troops passing through the Somme village of Hénencourt was taken by Second Leiutenant David McLellan on 26 March 1918, during the retreat in the face of the German offensive operation “Michael”.

On the same spot today, thanks to Google Maps. It can be matched to the 1918 photo by the tall house on the left with the  distinctive bands of lighter material, and the chateau at the end of the road.

The Château d’Hénencourt had been built in the 17th Century. It had been occupied during the Great War by the headquarters of several British Corps. Its wing (on the left of this image) was destroyed by bombing during the March 1918 offensive and was never rebuilt.

Links

First Battles of the Somme, 1918

V Corps

Gazetteer of the Western Front