Historical Information (Wikipedia)

This position marks the point where on the 1st July 1916 the British and French army fronts met.  That morning as the Battle of the Somme commenced Lt Colonel Bryan Fairfax commanding the 17th Bn King’s Liverpool Regiment and Commandant Lepetit commanding the 3rd Bn 153e RI advanced together across no man’s land, during the second wave of the offensive, as an act of friendship and co-operation between the two armies.

Born in 1873 Bryan Fairfax had already served in China during the Boxer Uprising and in South Africa. In 1914 he was recalled from the reserve and after a short period with the fledgling Royal Flying Corps was appointed to the command of the 17th Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment (1st City); one of the Pals battalions.  Following the opening day of the Somme he and his battalion continued to advance towards Guillemont. On the 29th July 1916 he was gassed near Trones Wood and invalided home. He returned to France in July 1917 and was responsible for setting up the HQ of the Chinese Labour Corps at Noyelles sur Mer.