On the 1st July 2016 it will be 100 years since the commencement of The Battle of the Somme, which raged from July 1916 until the 18th November 1916. Fought along the upper reaches of the River Somme, it would become the largest battle of the First World War during which more than one million men were wounded or killed. It was conceived as a combined offensive, with a united Franco-British push planned at the Somme to resolutely and finally break the German defences. The high casualty rate in combination with its length, make it one of the most devastating, bloody and brutal battles in human history. The first day of the Somme remains the worst day in British Army history, resulting in 57,470 casualties.
To mark this momentous anniversary why not plan a trip to the memorials of Northern France? There are 150,000 servicemen of the Commonwealth buried at 250 military and 150 civilian cemeteries in the region. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is planning 141 days of commemorations to mark the anniversary including educational events, memorials, re-enactments and exhibitions.
You can walk the remembrance trail which passes through the site of many major memorials and through the surviving evidence of the battle, such as the Lochnager Crater, a 100 metre wide hole formed by a mine from the opening barrage. The route takes in the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, which bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men who fell during the months of the offensive that have no known grave. It is the largest Commonwealth Memorial in the world. Other nations are remembered at sites such as the German Cemetery of Vermandovillers and the Canadian Memorial at Courcelette. The Somme 1916 Museum is also on route, which includes a 250 metre long tunnel allowing your students to experience the lives of soldiers in the trenches.
If you would like to stay closer to home Cardiff is marking the anniversary of the Battle of Mametz Wood which took place on the 7th-12th July 1916. The 38th Welsh Division led the attack on the German positions at Mametz as part of the Somme Offensive, leading to over 400 casualties. The anniversary is being marked by events at the National Museum and Millennium Centre.
Handsam can support you with your trip to Northern France with our trip planning service and also our key travel trip advice for France. We have subject specific information pages, if you would like to plan a history trip to an alternative WW1 destination and risk assessment guidance to help you be as prepared as possible.
