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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916


ejwalshe

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The Battle of the Somme is one of the most famous military events in British history – synonymous with huge loss of life and costly failure. After months of deadlock on the Western Front, a joint British and French offensive was planned to break through the German lines north of the River Somme in mid-1916. 

Royal Engineer Thomas Dewing: "Frankly the Battle of the Somme was a ghastly mistake. We didn’t realise that at the time but at the first church parade after that we’d an idea what a shambles it had been. We fell in as usual for the church parade and then the infantry came in – a mere handful. In each battalion, a mere handful of people. And the colonels sat in front of what was left of their battalions, sat there sobbing. And we were completely taken aback, didn’t realise it was anything like that."

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Thanks for watching, @stripeyman

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Very grateful. 

 

Great footage. 

Cheers.

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Thanks for posting, great to hear from the men who were there.

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