Mametz Wood and the nearby village of Fricourt represented a second phase of the British offensive on the Somme in 1916. British troops were assigned to attack a heavily fortified quadrangle just to the west of the Wood. The attack was a costly failure but, for once the commanding generals of the divisions involved were relieved. Today the site contains much of interest, both to the visitor and the general reader. Markers and preserved emplacements illustrate the many attacks launched in the area, as well as the long periods of trench warfare. Men from the industrial North of England fought here with the 17th (Northern) Division and their monuments are particularly evocative of the era. Among the most dramatic reminders of the past are the sites associated with the 38th (Welsh) Division. Siegfried Bassoon and Robert Graves both served with the division and actions in this sector are particularly well-recorded in English literature. A section of the field is dominated by the division's Red Dragon statue, a recent addition but already popular with tourists. The French regarded the Welsh ("Galois" in French) as long-lost relatives, and the division's moments have been particularly well kept-up.
