They Called It Mametz

World War I

The Battle of the Somme, 1916

When the 9th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, is ordered to cross No-Mans-Land one soldier questions the plan. Why send their best and brightest into the path of the enemy’s dreaded machine gun when it’s certain to lead his men to their deaths? Assured that the enemy’s weapon has been destroyed and the regiment will prevail, Simpson follows orders, but not before taking his men aside for one final meeting. The soldiers, young and brave, place their trust in Simpson, though Simpson is far from certain of the outcome. And once they go ‘over the top’ and enter No-Mans-Land the Devonshire Regiment discovers that their superiors were wrong – and they will suffer the consequences.

They Called It Mametz is historical fiction drawn from the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Editorial note –

Few stories reach out and call to be remembered. Even fewer tales are told in such a way that they linger in the mind of the reader. They Called It Mametz by Edward Fraser accomplishes both such feats. Travel back to that deadly battle during World War I – the Battle of the Somme – and witness the heroism of a those ‘plucky lads from Devonshire’. This story is inspired by those brave soldiers, their valour, and their sacrifice.

They Called It Mametz is a 22 page short story in The Tribute Series published by Chamberton Publishing. It is a depiction of the Devonshire Regiment on the eve of the Battle of the Somme.