On Saturday the 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the British Army sustained 57,000 casualties, still the bloodiest day in British military history.
In just under five months, The Somme would claim 300,000 British troops and an estimated 1 million casualties on all sides.
John Ellis has identified the presence of a number of Black British troops at the Somme, just putting ‘somme’ into the website’s search box brings up many articles:
https://www.historycalroots.com/?s=somme
But perhaps today of all days should just be a day of quiet reflection on the ultimate sacrifice made by so many men of all races, nationalities and creeds.
Lest We Forget
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