CWGC marks first day of the Battle of the Somme

01 July 2017

Today marks the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme – a battle that left a deep mark on millions of families across the Commonwealth.

Fought between July and November 1916, the battle was one of the defining events of the First World War.

It is often remembered for the huge losses on the first day, but the Somme offensive continued for a total of 141 days.

An estimated 3.5 million men took part in the battle in 1916. By its end, well over one million had become casualties.

Some 150,000 Commonwealth servicemen lie buried in 250 military and 150 civilian cemeteries on the Somme. Six memorials to the missing

commemorate by name more than 100,000 whose graves are not known.

The cemeteries and memorials built and cared for by the CWGC across the Somme, including Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery, Thiepval Memorial, Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, and Serre Road Cemetery No.2, stand as a lasting reminder of the human cost of the fighting in this region throughout the First World War.

Find out more about the Battle of the Somme here.

Latest News

20 February 2019

Appeal for Relatives - February 2019

An appeal for relatives is a search to locate the next of kin for soldiers who fell in war. Could you be connected to any of these individuals?

18 February 2019

Lest We Forget Plymouth Roadshow

Do you have any items related to the First World War? Would you like to share and preserve these objects and stories for future generations?

15 February 2019

Rare First World War artefacts added to Digital Archive

Scores of Hampshire residents rifled through their attics to bring along family heirlooms that reveal the stories of those who fought and died in the First World War.