I know I haven't blogged much lately (I've been very busy - sorry!) but I really wanted to take the chance to commemorate this date.
The Battle lasted from 1st July 1916 to 18th November 1916, and it was truly terrible.
This is something that we shouldn't forget - perhaps not out of a sense of national pride, but instead out of a sense of sorrow for so many lives cut needlessly short.
The memory of those events should not fade - not because the Battle should be emulated, or glorified, but because we should never forget the terrible cost of war, and what happens when games are played with men's lives.
We have a duty to these men and boys to remember them. And I hope we will.
If you want to learn more about the Somme, the CWGC have a dedicated website you can visit, and the BBC has an excellent iWonder page to explore.
