Battle of the Somme centenary: How is it being commemorated and why was it so important?
by Daniel Dunford, Emily Allen and Laurence Dodds, Telegraph:
What was the Battle of the Somme?
Fought between July and November 1916, the Battle of the Somme was one of the defining events of the First World War and the largest battle on the western front.
It saw over one million wounded, killed or missing on both sides of the battlefield – affecting the lives of millions more back home.
The first day of the 141-day campaign, July 1 1916, was and still is the deadliest day in the history of the British Army. Almost 20,000 British Empire soldiers lost their lives in just 24 hours.
As well as being the deadliest battle of the 1914-1918 conflict, it was also one of the bloodiest battles in human history. Only the German clashes with Russia during the Second World War caused more deaths.
How is it being commemorated?
Today, a commemorative service will take place at the Thiepval Memorial To The Missing which towers over the rolling Picardy fields in northern France where so many fell.
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, will join Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande and other leaders for a service of remembrance in front of an audience of 10,000.
The memorial is the largest Commonwealth war memorial in the world. Sir Edwin Lutyens imposing masterpiece carries the names of more than 72,000 officers and men from the UK and South Africa killed on the nearby front and have no known grave.
When 19,000 British troops died in a single day by Michael Cook, MercatorNet
Centenary of the Battle of the Somme: yesterday’s youth died so that today’s youth might be free by Archbishop Cranmer
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
