Battlefield tours of the Somme, France

THE SOMME

"A defensive policy involves the

loss of the initiative, with all the

consequent disadvantages to the

defender."

Haig

1st of July 1916 saw the British Army suffer the worst day in its history, with nearly 60,000 casualties. The Somme was one of the largest battles of the Great War. By November 1916 the forces involved had suffered more than 1 million casualties and the Allies had taken 125 square miles. However, a German staff officer described it as "the muddy grave of the German Army". This paradox is worthy of closer examination.

The legacy of these moving events over 100 years ago is ever present in the rolling landscape of the Somme which has hardly changed since then.

This Battlefield Tour visits many of the locations whose names spring from that epoch - Mametz, Delville Wood, Thiepval, Serre, Contalmaison, Guillemont and so many more. The emotion is palpable.