he was the "leading man" in the battle of the somme, and made all of the decisions about it. It took place near the Somme River in France and lasted from July 1 to November 18 in 1916. The Battle of the Somme saw the first involvement in battle of many men who had volunteered for Army service in 1914 and 1915. Sent to the Flanders region to gain front-line experience, they spent the next three months guarding a ‘quiet’ or ‘nursery’ sector of the line at Armentières before moving south to the Somme battlefields and their first large-scale action on the Western Front. It is very difficult to give an accurate count of the total number of soldiers who were involved in the Battle of the Somme as soldiers were constantly coming and replacing and reinforcing the one who had died or got injured during the course of the war. Following the Gallipoli withdrawal, the newly formed New Zealand Division left for France in early April 1916. The great courage and accomplishments of Canadian soldiers there helped confirm their growing reputation as first-rate front line troops who could capture enemy positions in the face of heavy fire. The battle took place between July 1 and Nov. 18, 1916, on both sides of the River Somme in France. On July 1, 1916, brave British troops advanced but more than 400,000 died and 1.3 million we… he was the "leading man" in the battle of the somme, and made all of the decisions about it. It took place near the Somme River in France and lasted from July 1 to November 18 in 1916. The Battle of the Somme was in many ways a watershed event in the First World War. In German and French writing, the first day of the Battle of the Somme has been little more than a footnote to the mass losses of 1914–1915 and the Battle of Verdun. This included men who had joined Pals battalions – infantry units that were made up of friends, relatives and workmates from the same communities. Following the start of the Battle of Verdun, the Allies looked to further weaken German forces. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, we have chosen to feature the stories of two of the thousands of Scots soldiers who perished on 1 July 1916, the first day of the battle. 1. More than 1 million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The Franco-British offensive gained 12 kilometers of ground, and the offensive was called off … so many birtish died in the battle of the somme because of general haig. Made up primarily of a volunteer army, the Battle of the Somme was the largest military offensive that the British Army had launched in 1916. At the end you will find links to other features about men involved in the battle. Here are some of the key numbers from the battle of the Somme, which began 100 years ago on July 1: ... People & culture videos ... 72,000 - number of British and Commonwealth soldiers who died … How Many People Died in the Battle of the Somme? 1. It's been over a century since the Battle of the Somme, one of the deadliest and most notorious engagements of the First World War.