This is the story of the first day of the Somme Offensive, 1 July 1916 - the single bloodiest day in British military history. 57,000 British soldiers became casualties, most within a few hours of the initial attack. The offensive was part of a doomed attempt to break the deadlock of trench warfare. But behind the myths lies the story of an elaborately-planned battle, fought against a determined and experienced German enemy, and a struggle that was seen at the time as both unavoidable and necess

🌺 “Unforgettable Images from the Battle of the Somme — 1916” 🌺 In the summer of 1916, on the rolling fields of northern France, an offensive began that would come to define a generation. The plan was simple in theory — break the deadlock of trench warfare, relieve pressure on the French at Verdun, and force a breakthrough on the Western Front. On 1 July 1916, the whistles blew. Men climbed from their trenches and began to walk forward. They had marched to the front in long columns — packs heav