The Somme
The Somme is a metaphor for the horrors of war – it’s pointless mass destruction and death. That remains as true for us today as it has been throughout history. And it is usually the foot-soldiers who suffer the most – whether they be Roman slaves fighting for the Romans in the Somme area against the Gauls, or the Tommies/Jerries fighting in World War One. The Somme battle was from 1 July to 18 November 1916. More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. On the first day, the British had 57,470 casualties.