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Atlas Obscura - Latest • Jan. 12, 2026, 2:51 a.m.
The Somme Cross in England
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This large wooden cross is a memorial to the men of the 1st Division of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), who died amidst the brutal battle at High Wood during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. Standing approximately nine feet tall, the cross is not only a memorial to those lost but a witness to the devastation of war itself, for it is formed from timbers salvaged from the ruined village of Bazentin.
What makes this unique cross especially remarkable is its journey and survival. The 1st Division, among the first of the British army to join the First World War, in August 1914, was made up of men sent from Aldershot, straight to the front line.
Having fought in the Battle of Mons, the Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres, and the battles of Aubers Ridge, Loos and the Hohenzollern Redoubt, by 1916, the division had already suffered catastrophic losses.
What makes this unique cross especially remarkable is its journey and survival. The 1st Division, among the first of the British army to join the First World War, in August 1914, was made up of men sent from Aldershot, straight to the front line.
Having fought in the Battle of Mons, the Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres, and the battles of Aubers Ridge, Loos and the Hohenzollern Redoubt, by 1916, the division had already suffered catastrophic losses.
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