The army bands will perform songs connected to the battle, including some written by soldiers in the trenches. The infamous first world war battle, one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare, lasted 141 days, and more than a million people were killed or wounded. The centenary of the Battle of the Somme will be marked by international ceremonies at the Thiepval Memorial in France on 1 July, attended by politicians, descendants of those who fought, and 600 schoolchildren from Britain, Ireland and France. The centenary services are being hosted by the French and British governments, and while the main event is on 1 July, there will be smaller ceremonies marking each day of the battle. There will also be a flypast of replica period aircraft, from the Yorkshire Air Museum and the First World War Aviation Heritage Trust.

Source: The Guardian June 08, 2016 09:11 UTC