Doncaster Times Issue 1 - June 2016

The Battle of the Somme
documentary, 1916
Almost 100 years after it began, The Battle
of the Somme remains one of the most
controversial and hotly debated battles of
the First World War. In theory, a preliminary artillery
bombardment had cleared away barbed wire
and killed the German soldiers in their trenches
ready for the beginning of the battle on the 1 July
1916. However, the German dugouts were deeper
and stronger than anticipated and survived the
bombardment. When the British troops advanced
over no-mans-land, the German machine gun fire
began. The losses on 1 July marked the worst day
of losses for the British Army during the war.
There were almost 60,000 casualties, of which
almost 20,000 were killed. Before the Battle began,
it was anticipated that the Somme would be a huge
victory worth documenting. Two cameramen began
filming on 25 June 1916 and created what would
eventually be known as the Battle of the Somme
film. The film was intended to make a record of this
success, show British soldiers as comfortable and
well equipped, encourage civilian support of the
war effort and inspire men who had been
called-up to respond.
Image ©IWM Q 079501
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