The Queen and senior royals will lead Britain in remembrance to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. Events across the UK and in France will tomorrow commemorate the start of the battle in 1916, a day that became the bloodiest in British military history with almost 20,000 dead. The first day of the Battle of the Somme became the bloodiest in British military history with more than 57,000 casualties recorded - of these 19,240 were fatalities. There is to be a military vigil and a meeting with representatives of nations involved in the battle. Beginning on July 1, 1916, the Battle of the Somme was intended to achieve a decisive victory for the British and French against Germany's forces.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 30, 2016 02:48 UTC