What Happened
On July 1, 1916?

Between 1 July and 18 November 1916 Britain's new volunteer army took the leading role in a battle on the Western Front for the first time. The first day of the battle, July 1, 1916, saw the British Army suffering the worst single day casualties in its history, 58,000 killed and wounded.

The Somme offensive was intended to achieve a decisive victory for the British and French Allies over the Germans on the Western Front after 18 months of trench deadlock.

Although the Germans were weakened, the Allies failed to achieve all of their objectives and the war was to continue for another two years. Over a million men became casualties in the long and bitter struggle on the Somme. The offensive cost Britain and the Empire 419,654 casualties, 125,000 of them dead. In Britain the impact of the losses was severe, particularly in the north of England where many of the Pals battalions had been recruited. French casualties numbered 204,253. Estimates of German casualties vary widely between 437,000 and 680,000. A German staff officer described the Somme as "the muddy grave of the German field army."

A Vision of the First Day on the Somme,
Actually a Reenactment