Thursday 30 June 2022 07:27 PM Horror of the trenches during the Battle of the Somme is brought to life in ... trends now
The brutal horror of the Battle of the Somme is unveiled in colourised photos released ahead of the 106th anniversary of World War One, with July 1st marking the start of the battle.
The battle was one of the most bloody of World War One which saw such figures as JRR Tolkien, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, Otto Frank - the father of Anne Frank - and Adolf Hitler fight in the battle.
Over three million men fought in the battle which saw over a million killed or injured, scarring the earth in one of the deadliest battles in human history.
On the first day of the Somme, the German 2nd Army suffered a severe defeat. It was the first World War One battle to see tanks brought to the battlefield.
Despite a decisive victory, 57,470 casualties were confirmed by the British, including 19,240 deaths - marking the largest loss of life suffered by the British Army in one day.
Hitler would ultimately receive a leg wound, while Tolkien developed trench fever and had to be taken to a military hospital.
By the end of the battle, the British and French had gained 10 kilometres of German-occupied territory, the largest gain since the First Battle of the Marne in 1914, revealing the slow and excruciatingly slow pace of the bloody war.
Troops are pictured moving through a muddy forest. The brutal horror of the Battle of the Somme is unveiled in colourised photos released ahead of the 106th anniversary of World War One, with July 1st marking the start of the battle
Troops awaiting an attack order during the Battle of the Somme. Advancing British troops found that the German defences had not been destroyed as expected and many units suffered very high casualties with little progress
The Western front of the battle in colour. By the end of the first day on 1 July 1916, British forces had suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 deaths, the largest loss of life suffered by the British Army in a single day
Canadians troops making an attack. Over three million men fought in the battle which saw over a million killed or injured, scarring the earth in one of the deadliest battles in human history
A colourised photo of a Canadian Battalion going over the top. The battle was one of the most bloody of World War One which saw such figures as JRR Tolkien, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, Otto Frank - the father of Anne Frank - and Adolf Hitler fight in the battle
The first day of the tanks going into action. The battle became known for the importance of air power and the first use of tanks, the new technology appearing in September 1916
The mud rises to the knees of the horses. Operations on the River Ancre continued with some gains on the British side, but in deteriorating weather