110 years after the Battle of the Somme, we pay tribute to all those who fought in one of the First World Warโs most defining moments.
We will remember them.
On this day, 1 July 1916, the Battle of the Somme began.
What followed was 141 days of fighting and one of the most devastating battles of the First World War.
On the first day alone, the British Army suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 who lost their lives. By the battleโs end, more than one million men from all sides had been killed, wounded or gone missing.
Today, we remember those who gave their lives, those who returned carrying the physical and emotional impact of war, and the families and communities forever changed by their sacrifice.
As we mark the anniversary of the Somme, we reflect on the cost of conflict and honour the service of those who served.
Photos: Imperial War Museums (Q 3990) โ Public domain (Crown copyright expired); photograph by John Warwick Brooke, July 1916.
Imperial War Museums (Q 4210) โ Public domain (Crown copyright expired); photograph by John Warwick Brooke, 9 September 1916.
Tonight is the eve of the Battle of the Somme.
As darkness fell on 30 June 1916, thousands of British soldiers sat in the trenches.
Some cleaned their rifles.
Some wrote one last letter home.
Some tried to sleep.
Many wondered what tomorrow would bring.
None of them knew that for so many, it would be their last night on Earth.
At dawn on 1 July 1916, they climbed from the trenches and into one of the bloodiest battles in British military history.
Tonight, 110 years later, we remember not just those who fell on the first day, but every soldier who fought at the Somme.
They were sons.
Brothers.
Fathers.
Friends.
Tomorrow, we remember them.
๐บ Lest We Forget.
A familiar Saturday sight at the 'Ukraine Unit' donation centre in #Chorley. Another van load of aid for #Ukraine. Thanks everyone for continuing to donate. Please keep sharing our posts and raising awareness of our appeals.
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On #ArmedForcesDay we say thank you to all in the Armed Forces, past and present, for their service in protecting the Falklands. ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ง
Alongside our Falkland Islands Defence Force, we are hugely grateful to @BFSouthAtlantic and all those who liberated our Islands 44 years ago.