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The Battle Of The Somme - 100 Years Later

The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest of World War One.

The devastating conflict, which raged for five months in northern France, began on 1 July 1916, a hundred years ago.

More than a million people were killed and injured as the French and English allied troops attempted to break through the German lines.

The first day saw the most appalling losses. At 7.30am in morning a whistle sounded, and 100,000 allied soldiers were sent over the top of the trenches.

They were mown down by machine gun and artillery fire as they attempted to cross No Man’s Land. 19,240 British soldiers were killed.

These pictures show the scene of the battle, the devastation it caused, and men who fought and died at The Somme.