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This whole area was very near where we were staying. The Ulster Tower is a memorial to the 36th (Ulster) Division who were largely made up of men from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a group formed in 1912 to protect the union with Britain. The modern day UVF claim to be the same organisation, but there is no direct link and the pre-war organisation was largely destroyed during the war. Many of the survivors joined the notorious B-Specials after the war, but the organisation lapsed soon after. The men who rushed to join up wished to fight with their friends and special permission was granted for the formation of the 36th (Ulster) Division. The division fought extremely bravely and suffered horrendous casualties in the Ancre Valley. The tower stands on the ground where so many men lost their lives. Later in the war the remnants of the division were all but wiped out in the German Spring Offensive of 1918. |
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