The Brickfields (near Albert)
Somme, France
Mentioned: 1916
Somme Sector A staging and billeting area just north of Albert, well documented as a camp site for Allied units throughout the 1916 Somme fighting. Robertson's unit bivvies in the open here September 1, and returns to it as a base on September 13 and 15. No coordinates are given: sources describe it as a general area near a brickworks rather than a single addressable point, and this site avoids guessing rather than risk a wrong pin. A later, unrelated 1917 mention ("getting to look like the brickfields") is a figure of speech, not a place reference, and isn't linked here.
View on the map →Mentioned in the diary · 3 entries
1916
- 1 September 1916… t 7 A.M. Another picnic breakfast. – Detailed for billeting. – Met Capt. Urquhart at Bgde 10 A.M. – Rode over to BRICKFIELD area N. of Albert. – Given space to bivvy in open. – Lunched with Pope & Falq at Y.M. ten …
- 13 September 1916… p, altho things were pretty quiet today. – Pope & Greening came up to take over from #1+2 secs. Who went back to the Brickfields. – Pearston & Cripps wounded while going thro’ ALBERT.
- 15 September 1916… ading trenches + squashing M.G. encampments bodily. – Vacated the dugout to the 4th F.C. 10 A.M. + moved down to the brickfield. – Corps cavalry went up in support. – Gunners ready to move forward. – Went out for a ri …