100 Years ago today

At exactly 0730hrs the British Army launched the attack on the Somme.

Most believed it would be a decisive action that would lead to deep inroads in the German lines.

Sadly it did not go as planned and 60,000 British troops were casualties.

20,000 died on the 1st day........................many more would follow.

Lest we forget

they were just kids

Respect to every man (and boy) that joined up to help their country defeat the Boschin WWI and went 'over the top' on that fateful day and others

Brave men that earned a right to be remembered eternally for their own and their families sacrifices

I feel the same about the modern men and women (of all services) that have sacrificed their lives for their country in the pursuit of the freedom we so much take for granted

I salute you all

Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. Casualties on the first day as follows: British: 57,470 including 19,240 killed

The whistles blew at 7;30 AM and over 100,000 British troops left their trenches and advanced into no mans land toward what they thought (or they were told) were destroyed German trenches. Prior to this our artillery had pounded them for nearly a week - and it was assumed by our high command that nothing could have survived the bombardment - which at that time was the greatest the world had ever seen. Unfortunately, this couldn't have been further from the truth, the Germans had built well dug in trench systems that were in many parts thirty feet deep, so many of their troops were unscathed and ran to their firing positions. When our troops advanced they opened up with their maxim machine guns and mowed our troops down like a turkey shoot.

Shockingly, the vast majority of our dead 19,240 were killed by 10:30 AM in less than 3 hours!!