100th Anniversary of The Somme

[Dave Homewood]

Today marks 100 years since the first day of The Battle of the Somme, which was a 144 day battle that began on the 1st of July 1914, and proved to be the worst battle in history. On the first day alone the British suffered 57,470 casualties in that first day (19,240 of them killed), and the French an estimated 7000 casualties while the Germans took around 8000 casualties all on that first day. That's like a city's worth of people killed or wounded in battle on the first day!

The New Zealand Division joined the Battle of the Somme in September 1916.

If you'd like to learn more about the Battle of the Somme, Dan Snow has released some great podcast interviews this week in his History Hit series, here:
historyhitpodcast.com/

Also the Imperial War Museum site and Facebook page has a lot of information released this week too.

[Dave Homewood]

This is a good documentary from 20 years ago

[30sqnatc]

I went to the Ottawa service for the Somme which is arranged by the New Foundland Regt who were wiped out on the first day of Somme at Beaumont Hamel. A real tragic story. When the roll call was taken the next day only 68 men were present. Of the rest of the Regiment 324 were killed, or missing and presumed dead, and 386 were wounded. Most were killed trying to make there way from the reserve trenches over the top to the front line trench.

I was very well received as a member of the NZDF as NZ and Newfoundland share Gallipoli as a common battle honour.

Paul

[Dave Homewood]

[nuuumannn]

The New Zealand Somme memorial at Longueval.

Great War Tour 38