The Vigil

:00:43. > :00:46.The weather had been peculiarly piggish for more than a week -

:00:47. > :00:49.intensely hot and stuffy with no sun and frequent storms...

:00:50. > :00:51.But on the morrow all would be different.

:00:52. > :00:57.The battalion is paraded in the streets of the

:00:58. > :00:59.little crowded village - 700 men who have

:01:00. > :01:01.been singing all afternoon eager to taste a

:01:02. > :01:10.For a moment, the endless routine of trench

:01:11. > :01:15.Now, for the first time, there is an eve of battle

:01:16. > :01:27.Good evening from the plains of Picardy - in northern France -

:01:28. > :01:29.for a special programme to commemorate the fateful events

:01:30. > :01:36.The Thiepval Memorial will be the focus of events tonight

:01:37. > :01:43.and tomorrow, as we remember the one million men killed,

:01:44. > :01:45.wounded or captured in the Battle of the Somme -

:01:46. > :01:47.one of the bloodiest confrontations in history.

:01:48. > :01:50.The opening words were those of Second Lt William Dyson

:01:51. > :01:52.of the London Regiment, one of the multitude steeling

:01:53. > :01:59.On the evening of the 30th June 1916, thousands

:02:00. > :02:01.of British and French troops were preparing to launch

:02:02. > :02:03.a colossal offensive against the German army.

:02:04. > :02:06.They were waiting for Zero Hour - at 0730 the following day,

:02:07. > :02:10.The confrontation, fought throughout the fields across the Somme,

:02:11. > :02:19.And so this evening, as we reflect on the events of 100

:02:20. > :02:21.years ago, there will be vigils held across the United Kingdom -

:02:22. > :02:26.and they'll be observed through the night until

:02:27. > :02:41.Stay with us for what promises to be a fitting and moving tribute to the

:02:42. > :02:44.fallen of the Somme. Those vigils will be

:02:45. > :02:48.led by Her Majesty the Queen The Vigil at Westminster

:02:49. > :02:53.Abbey will start Good evening from Westminster Abbey

:02:54. > :02:59.- where in just under half an hour, a special service will be held

:03:00. > :03:01.in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen

:03:02. > :03:04.and the Duke of Edinburgh - a night to remember those

:03:05. > :03:06.who served, those who fought and those who fell in the Battle

:03:07. > :03:08.of the Somme. And the Queen, as she has done

:03:09. > :03:11.so often throughout the decades, will once again lead the nation

:03:12. > :03:14.in remembrance and reflection. We're also awaiting the arrival

:03:15. > :03:18.of the Prime Minister and his wife. An occasion perhaps for

:03:19. > :03:25.David Cameron to leave his concerns over the tumultuous political events

:03:26. > :03:28.of the past seven days and any concerns over the current

:03:29. > :03:30.unfolding events at the door and turn his thoughts

:03:31. > :03:33.to the sacrifices It promises to be a service replete

:03:34. > :03:40.with symbolism and simplicity - a poignant evening of reflection

:03:41. > :03:43.and the focus of this evening's service will be the Grave

:03:44. > :03:47.of the Unknown Warrior - the stone of black marble usually

:03:48. > :03:51.surrounded by a neat, dense border of scarlet

:03:52. > :03:56.poppies, this evening In keeping with the intimate nature

:03:57. > :04:05.of this special event, The Queen and Duke will sit in the Nave

:04:06. > :04:07.of the Abbey, together The Abbey is capable

:04:08. > :04:16.of accomodating 2,000 people, but tonight we will witness just 700

:04:17. > :04:19.or so people gathering, many with the shared bond of remembering

:04:20. > :04:23.those who fought and those who sacrificed their lives

:04:24. > :04:26.in what was at the time and indeed remains the bloodiest battle

:04:27. > :04:32.in the history of the British army. Following the service this evening,

:04:33. > :04:37.a vigil will be held in the Abbey until we reach the exact moment,

:04:38. > :04:42.a century ago in Northern France, when battle commenced -

:04:43. > :04:44.tomorrow morning at We will be back with Kirsty

:04:45. > :04:51.at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's arrival and the Vigil Service

:04:52. > :04:59.a little later. Here in France at the Thiepval

:05:00. > :05:02.Memorial on the Somme, we'll be talking about the battle,

:05:03. > :05:05.the officers and men who took part and the lasting legacy of one

:05:06. > :05:07.of history's most I'm joined by Shirley Williams,

:05:08. > :05:10.Baroness Williams, the former cabinet minister whose mother,

:05:11. > :05:14.Vera Brittain, described her experience as a nurse in

:05:15. > :05:17.the Great War in Testament Of Youth, and whose uncle, Edward Brittain,

:05:18. > :05:20.was awarded the Military Cross on the first day of the Battle

:05:21. > :05:27.of the Somme. And also with us is the author

:05:28. > :05:30.and historian Richard van Emden, who in the course of his work has

:05:31. > :05:49.interviewed no fewer than 270 The concept of a Vigil, with the

:05:50. > :05:52.silence and the reflection, is so appropriate, because we are talking

:05:53. > :05:56.about a scale of loss which seems almost incomprehensible today? This

:05:57. > :06:03.was when Europe destroyed its younger generation. And it is easy

:06:04. > :06:07.to forget now, 100 years on, what a lasting and disastrous effect it

:06:08. > :06:13.had. A whole generation of young men wiped out - French, British, German,

:06:14. > :06:17.because also many from far parts of the then Empire - Australia, New

:06:18. > :06:21.Zealand, India, all kinds of young men threw themselves in this

:06:22. > :06:28.terrible war. Some were drowned in the mud. Some watched people die

:06:29. > :06:31.desperately from gas attacks and shell wounds and the rest of it. It

:06:32. > :06:35.is almost impossible to conceive the scale of the loss. One other thing

:06:36. > :06:39.to say, which is also important, and added to the sadness of the war, and

:06:40. > :06:44.that was the extraordinary distance of much of the older generation, the

:06:45. > :06:50.parents still living at home. No radio, no television, no instant

:06:51. > :06:53.newspapers. They were living with firstly, endlessly about their

:06:54. > :06:56.relative might be killed, and secondly, with no knowledge of what

:06:57. > :07:00.was going on. It happened in a kind of world of its own, a terrible

:07:01. > :07:05.world of its own, where throughout the whole of the war, most of the

:07:06. > :07:09.older generation, and I mean people in their 30s and 40s, did not have

:07:10. > :07:14.the slightest idea what was happening to their male relatives.

:07:15. > :07:18.Several powerful themes, and we will explore them this evening and in the

:07:19. > :07:22.programmes we have tomorrow. Richard, the numbers - for those

:07:23. > :07:26.viewers coming to this, they have heard of the battle of the Somme,

:07:27. > :07:30.which we are commemorating because it was such a catastrophic

:07:31. > :07:35.encounter, just tell us some more about the numbers? Well, the numbers

:07:36. > :07:39.are often repeated. On the first day, 40,000 men were wounded, 30,000

:07:40. > :07:46.men were killed, on the British side alone. And really, it is very hard

:07:47. > :07:50.to grasp what that really means. You just have to think of something like

:07:51. > :07:54.old Trafford, a full house, and then you get some sense of the number of

:07:55. > :07:58.men who fell that day. And of course, over the course of three

:07:59. > :08:04.months, it was not just a battle over one day, it was 141 days, a

:08:05. > :08:15.further 361,000 casualties. It was truly appalling. I mentioned your

:08:16. > :08:20.relative, surely, and I am just wondering, for you and your family,

:08:21. > :08:25.when you come to this place, the experience is all the more powerful?

:08:26. > :08:31.It is. It is almost hard to live through. But there is this strange

:08:32. > :08:36.irony of nature, that suddenly, the fields are beautiful again, the

:08:37. > :08:40.flowers are out, you can look crossed the fields and feel that

:08:41. > :08:45.nothing or ever happened here. And yet you know which part of mind that

:08:46. > :08:51.underneath these beautiful fields, there are skeletons, skulls and

:08:52. > :08:55.pieces shells, which the workers here still dig up year after year.

:08:56. > :08:59.They have not forgotten. They cannot forget, because it is now part of

:09:00. > :09:03.the living soil of France. Before we discuss different aspects, as we

:09:04. > :09:08.move on towards the commemoration, just a word at this point, Richard,

:09:09. > :09:13.about the significance of the battle, in terms of history. When we

:09:14. > :09:16.look back at the First World War, and all of the confrontations within

:09:17. > :09:24.that conflict, where does the Battle of the Marne stand? For the British

:09:25. > :09:27.public, it is pre-eminent. Actually, ironically, for the soldiers, it may

:09:28. > :09:32.have been another battle. But for the British public, because of the

:09:33. > :09:38.use of kitchen's new Army, one of those volunteer soldiers, one of

:09:39. > :09:42.those boys who joined up from iron foundries, from law firms, churches

:09:43. > :09:46.and schools, this was the key battle, it really was. It changed

:09:47. > :09:51.the way we look and feel about casualties. It is only right and

:09:52. > :09:54.incredible fitting that we hold these vigils, not just to remember

:09:55. > :09:58.the men who suffered and died here and were broken in mind and body,

:09:59. > :10:05.but also those at home who were left to pick up the pieces. We have to

:10:06. > :10:11.remember the French as well. They were reeling out of the Battle of

:10:12. > :10:16.Verdun, which had already been going for 134 days, and then they were

:10:17. > :10:18.sent here. French youngsters had already been fighting day after day

:10:19. > :10:24.to save France, and they were suddenly switched to the Somme, to

:10:25. > :10:27.save themselves again, but also to make a further huge effort to save

:10:28. > :10:32.France. We must remember them as well. Quite rightly, they will be

:10:33. > :10:35.prominently represented tonight. There will be 300 French

:10:36. > :10:40.schoolchildren here tomorrow, with 300 British schoolchildren, taking

:10:41. > :10:45.part in a commemoration. So that French presence is certainly there.

:10:46. > :10:49.Clearly, there are no soldiers of the Great War alive now sadly to

:10:50. > :10:53.describe the experience of the Somme for but their voices and words are

:10:54. > :10:56.with us, recorded and published during the course of the

:10:57. > :11:00.20th-century. They seem to gain power with every passing year.

:11:01. > :11:03.Tonight and tomorrow, we will be letting the men tell their own

:11:04. > :11:08.stories. The start with some of those watching and waiting in the

:11:09. > :11:25.fields of Picardy 100 years ago tonight.

:11:26. > :11:27.100 years ago today, men from all over the UK

:11:28. > :11:29.were about to step into battle at the Somme.

:11:30. > :11:32.For many, this was their first taste of war.

:11:33. > :11:34.These were ordinarily men - in extraordinary circumstances.

:11:35. > :11:36.They were everyday people, living their lives much

:11:37. > :11:43.But when the call came to leave it all behind,

:11:44. > :11:46.these were the men who sacrificed everything to go to war.

:11:47. > :11:49.We thought, well, bit of a holiday, maybe.

:11:50. > :12:00.In about six months - that's what we thought.

:12:01. > :12:07.And we went to war full of it, you know.

:12:08. > :12:10.With no knowledge at all of what it would be like -

:12:11. > :12:23.We all began to learn that the great battle was coming.

:12:24. > :12:27.We all knew something about it months before it was announced.

:12:28. > :12:31.It was obvious that there was going to be a great push in the spring,

:12:32. > :12:34.and this was to be the great moment of our lives.

:12:35. > :12:38.We were in battle order, a haversack on the back, and a cape -

:12:39. > :12:49.You could use it as a bivouac or a groundsheet, or it was

:12:50. > :12:54.eventually a coffin, if you wanted it.

:12:55. > :12:57.We had been taken down to the front line on the previous day,

:12:58. > :13:12.We said that we would serve, and we served.

:13:13. > :13:17.We didn't argue about our wages, we just offered ourselves.

:13:18. > :13:40.And a man can give no more than that.

:13:41. > :13:46.And we will be hearing many more voices like that tonight and

:13:47. > :13:52.tomorrow, veterans of the campaign, lots of them recorded in the 1960s.

:13:53. > :13:58.And then some others, I know the Welsh guys, they were recorded in

:13:59. > :14:01.the late 1980s, when they installed that memorial not far from here,

:14:02. > :14:07.they interviewed all of them then. And thank goodness they did. They

:14:08. > :14:11.are a treasure trove for us today. Their experiences are so... They are

:14:12. > :14:15.dignified but powerful in the way that they describe what went on. One

:14:16. > :14:18.thing stood out, people's expectations, one of the gentleman

:14:19. > :14:24.said, we had no idea what was ahead. Some of us thought it was going to

:14:25. > :14:27.be a bit of a holiday. That is to say, a holiday from the very hard

:14:28. > :14:32.work at home. Absolutely. Another thing which was very important, and

:14:33. > :14:36.that was that an awful lot of young officers came out of the famous

:14:37. > :14:41.magician public schools. And they were brought up on King Arthur. They

:14:42. > :14:48.thought of war as being a Valiant, gallant attack between one night and

:14:49. > :14:50.another. When they came out here, dropped into the trenches, within

:14:51. > :14:53.sometimes just a few weeks of having left school, they did not have the

:14:54. > :15:01.faintest idea what it was about. Not the faintest. I had one friend of

:15:02. > :15:06.mine, who died aged 106. He said he joined up on the 3rd of September 19

:15:07. > :15:10.14. He came out here and he said within two days of arriving in

:15:11. > :15:12.France, said, I was depressed for the next four years because I knew I

:15:13. > :15:22.could do nothing about it. It's a good moment for you to tell

:15:23. > :15:26.us, Richard, it is a good question but many people thinking, how did

:15:27. > :15:32.the Battle of the Somme come about? Why did this battle happen? The

:15:33. > :15:37.British were here as part of their commitment to the Great War. The

:15:38. > :15:41.French had taken the bulk of the fighting, and they were desperate

:15:42. > :15:46.for us to expand our commitment. So we were asked to come here and we

:15:47. > :15:50.agreed to take over this part of France, north of the Somme

:15:51. > :15:57.battlefield, north of the Somme River. The French were in the south

:15:58. > :16:02.it was decided at a meeting in Chantilly in December 1915, that

:16:03. > :16:07.there was a joint offensive. The French were keen to attack side by

:16:08. > :16:13.side. No better place clearly than Somme. Even though it was streakally

:16:14. > :16:16.of little importance but the symbolic nature of the offence that

:16:17. > :16:22.would prove key. When we talk about the phrase used"

:16:23. > :16:26.the big push" it was conceived because there was deadlock,

:16:27. > :16:33.stalemate. What was the impetus there? Well, snooin 14, 15, had

:16:34. > :16:41.deadlocked. We had the development of the trench system. We had had

:16:42. > :16:46.disastrous attacks in 19-15, the battles at Luche, and so forth. This

:16:47. > :16:52.was the first attempt to say, OK, let's have an alliance here. Let's

:16:53. > :16:59.attack but not just on the Western Front but to co-ordinate an attack

:17:00. > :17:02.by the Russians in the east, so that we could co-ordinate that offensive

:17:03. > :17:09.to put pressure on the German army. That was the idea. To really force

:17:10. > :17:13.the Germans into a position where they could not withstand the

:17:14. > :17:19.attacks. Richard, am I right in thinking it

:17:20. > :17:26.was in part to relieve the growing pressure of the Germans at Verdun?

:17:27. > :17:32.Absolutely. The French were pleading to launch an offence here. The

:17:33. > :17:38.French were being bled white, as the term was at Verdun. It was a joint

:17:39. > :17:42.offensive over a 60-mile front. But the French had to reduce their

:17:43. > :17:49.commitment to the Somme as they had to pour more men into Verdun. So the

:17:50. > :17:53.French were keen to launch this offensivive. Sir Douglas Haig said

:17:54. > :17:57.to launch it later but it was said that there would not be a French

:17:58. > :18:05.army left unless they launched it now. So they launched it as soon as

:18:06. > :18:10.they could on July 16th. A final thought, when you look at the

:18:11. > :18:15.thousands of names on the memorial here and you reflect on background

:18:16. > :18:19.but I'm bound to say when you think of an army of volunteers, which

:18:20. > :18:23.came, they were not schooled in the right way, they were not

:18:24. > :18:26.professionally prepared... They were untrained.

:18:27. > :18:31.They were untrained. That is shocking for lots of people who come

:18:32. > :18:37.to the story. We can see Kitchener with the conscription going on. But

:18:38. > :18:44.the idea of an army of volunteers? And the conscription in Britain

:18:45. > :18:49.started in March 1916. The French had had conscription

:18:50. > :18:55.since 1905. So their soldiers were much better trained and more aware

:18:56. > :19:00.of modern warfare than ours were. Ours were literally pitched to the

:19:01. > :19:04.front with nothing but their courage to sustain them.

:19:05. > :19:10.That is a good moment to pause and reflect on the events in Thiepval.

:19:11. > :19:16.We will take this here a little later. But there is to be a vigil

:19:17. > :19:21.here, the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are

:19:22. > :19:26.taking part. It will be a solemn setting in

:19:27. > :19:30.northern France. And while waiting for that, there is a very important

:19:31. > :19:33.national vigil held at Westminster Abbey, of course the Queen is

:19:34. > :19:37.leading that. With the time approaching 8.00pm

:19:38. > :19:48.let's join Kirsty at Westminster Abbey.

:19:49. > :19:55.Here it will be a solemn commemoration, remembering the

:19:56. > :20:02.courage and sacrifices of those on the eve of the Battle of the Somme.

:20:03. > :20:07.We are to expect readings, prayers and a anthem Watch With Me by Judith

:20:08. > :20:15.Bingham. The passages give a real sense

:20:16. > :20:18.of anticipation but also a note of apprehension

:20:19. > :20:20.on the eve of battle.... 'My soul is very sorrowful,

:20:21. > :20:22.even to death, remain here, and watch with me' -

:20:23. > :20:25.Jesus' words the night The actor Luke Thompson will read

:20:26. > :20:28.an account written by Second Lieutenant Buxton,

:20:29. > :20:30.just one of thousands of soldiers Luke is looking pensive

:20:31. > :20:43.and thoughtful. Aged just 20 Buxton would be killed

:20:44. > :20:46.on the first day of the Somme. His name is on the Thiepval Memorial

:20:47. > :20:49.- where more than 72,000 men killed on the Somme with no

:20:50. > :20:52.known grave are remembered. As the service draws to a close,

:20:53. > :20:55.the first watch of the vigil will silently pay their respects

:20:56. > :20:57.to those soldiers with no Both civilians and service personnel

:20:58. > :21:03.will stand side by side around And as the minutes and hours go by,

:21:04. > :21:09.those taking part will doubtless contemplate the magnitude

:21:10. > :21:14.of the moment when the world, for the first time, understood

:21:15. > :21:17.the horror and impact Among those first taking post

:21:18. > :21:27.will be 90-year-old Patrick Lloyd, Four generations will stand

:21:28. > :21:34.vigil, symbolising the act of remembrance

:21:35. > :21:35.being passed down in A moment of history

:21:36. > :21:42.marked then but tonight will also be a time

:21:43. > :21:45.for those taking part in the vigil to consider the

:21:46. > :21:47.individual stories of The Battle of the Somme -

:21:48. > :21:49.told in the words of those who witnessed

:21:50. > :21:52.its horrors and read tonight by narrators,

:21:53. > :21:54.many of whom are Significant too that the doors

:21:55. > :21:59.of the Abbey will remain open to members of the public throughout

:22:00. > :22:02.the night for anyone to come and listen and pay their respects

:22:03. > :22:14.and be part of the commemoration. This evening's event

:22:15. > :22:16.at Westminster Abbey will conclude with

:22:17. > :22:18.a wreath laid by the Queen at the Grave of

:22:19. > :22:20.the Unknown Warrior, which is as we've said,

:22:21. > :22:22.the focus of tonight's The idea of a grave for a universal

:22:23. > :22:26."unknown warrior" was conceived It came from a padre serving

:22:27. > :22:33.on the front line, Reverend David Railton,

:22:34. > :22:36.who won a Military Cross for his actions at

:22:37. > :22:47.High Wood at the Somme. His time there was recorded

:22:48. > :22:49.in the letters he sent They are voiced in this film

:22:50. > :22:53.by his grandson. Some of them were just crying this

:22:54. > :23:02.morning and yet when you say, keep up your heart, old lad,

:23:03. > :23:05.they pull themselves together and say, you may

:23:06. > :23:07.be sure of that, Sir. Padres like Railton

:23:08. > :23:09.were there to offer support Life in the trenches was brutal

:23:10. > :23:16.and death was a constant companion In September 1916, Railton

:23:17. > :23:22.was posted with London 47th They were to attack the German

:23:23. > :23:31.stronghold of High Wood. Just beside High Wood is an area

:23:32. > :23:48.known as Crucifix Corner. It was near here that Railton

:23:49. > :23:51.would tend to wounded soldiers. The battalions I'm with lost

:23:52. > :23:56.ten out of 14 officers. Many men who have stood it

:23:57. > :23:58.all cannot stand this In one attack, a Captain Clark,

:23:59. > :24:07.whom Railton knew to have a young family at home, was killed

:24:08. > :24:13.right beside him. I should mourn the death of a man

:24:14. > :24:18.like Clark if he were single and I should loathe the treacherous

:24:19. > :24:23.devil who shot him. But I mourn in 50 fold agony

:24:24. > :24:27.and loathe with a thousandfold ferocity when I think of Mrs Clark

:24:28. > :24:33.and those three tiny ones. Railton's experience during the war

:24:34. > :24:40.affected him deeply. What can I do to ease

:24:41. > :24:44.the pain of father, mother, brother, sister, sweetheart,

:24:45. > :24:52.wife and friend? It was the grave of an anonymous

:24:53. > :24:56.British soldier that inspired Railton's idea of the Tomb

:24:57. > :25:00.of the Unknown Warrior. He wanted there to be a place

:25:01. > :25:07.where anyone could grieve And in 1920, the Unknown Warrior

:25:08. > :25:14.was brought to his final resting On that morning of 11th

:25:15. > :25:27.November 96 years ago, the funeral took place

:25:28. > :25:42.for the Unknown Warrior. Chosen to represent anyone from the

:25:43. > :25:44.Armed Services and from the Commonwealth.

:25:45. > :25:48.The Union flag that was used to cover the coffin on that day,

:25:49. > :25:51.was the same flag that had been used as an altar cloth for

:25:52. > :25:53.Reverend Railton's make-shift communions behind the lines

:25:54. > :25:57.He would also have draped that self same flag over the bodies of those

:25:58. > :26:00.who had been killed in action at the Somme.

:26:01. > :26:03.The Padre's Flag or Ypres Flag, as its known, now hangs

:26:04. > :26:11.The flag was with Railton at High Wood, where some units

:26:12. > :26:15.suffered 80% casualties, and where he said he was burying

:26:16. > :26:19.bodies for "the best part of three days".

:26:20. > :26:24.Later, in an article he wrote in 1931, he described

:26:25. > :26:26.in his own words the significance of that single flag:

:26:27. > :26:30.'It was the covering - often the only covering -

:26:31. > :26:33.of the slain, as their bodies were laid to rest.

:26:34. > :26:40.It is not a new bit of bunting bought for the occasion,

:26:41. > :26:47.but a real symbol of every Briton's like.

:26:48. > :26:58.Indeed, it is literally tinged with the life-blood of fellow

:26:59. > :27:08.The Prime Minister and his wife Samantha Cameron have

:27:09. > :27:25.You can also see the leader of Her Majesty's opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

:27:26. > :27:31.He is sitting next to the secretary of state for defence.

:27:32. > :27:36.Now, the arrival of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness, the

:27:37. > :27:41.Duke of Edinburgh. To be greeted by the Dean of

:27:42. > :27:52.Westminster at the Westminster Abbey.

:27:53. > :27:57.Later this evening, Her Majesty is to lay a wreath on the Grave of the

:27:58. > :28:08.Unknown Warrior. This evening, the wreath will be

:28:09. > :28:29.made of roses and of bay leaves. Earlier this week in County Antrim,

:28:30. > :28:38.Her Majesty unveiled a statue of Sergeant Quigg who won a Victoria

:28:39. > :28:43.Cross for bravery. Given the highest military award for valour, after

:28:44. > :28:49.going out in the line of fire to search for his Commanding Officer.

:28:50. > :28:53.He spent a total of seven hours searching, each time to return with

:28:54. > :29:06.a wounded soldier but not his Commanding Officer.

:29:07. > :29:13.At the end of the service, The Last Post is to be played by Stuart Laine

:29:14. > :29:19.of the Welsh Guards. Using an unstreamed from the First

:29:20. > :29:26.World War. .En instrument played on The Somme. An instrument that

:29:27. > :29:37.carries a few dents, each with its own tale to tell.

:29:38. > :29:40.Each one no doubt tells a story and Stuart mentioned to me earlier

:29:41. > :29:44.today that as proud as he is to play the last post at tonight's service -

:29:45. > :29:47.those bumps and bashes inevitably, slightly affect the tone and pitch

:29:48. > :31:52.The Battle of the Somme was an offensive by the British

:31:53. > :31:53.and French against the forces of Germany.

:31:54. > :31:56.The battle lasted almost five months.

:31:57. > :31:57.No more than six miles of German-held territory

:31:58. > :32:05.On all sides there were a million casualties, killed or wounded.

:32:06. > :32:10.This evening, we seek to recall the experience of those

:32:11. > :32:20.This whole night will be a time of vigil; a watch will be maintained

:32:21. > :32:23.at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, changing every quarter of an hour,

:32:24. > :32:32.and representing all the forces involved in the Battle.

:32:33. > :32:37.The watch will conclude at 7.30am when, a hundred years ago,

:32:38. > :32:42.whistles were blown to signal the moment of advance.

:32:43. > :32:50.Tonight we shall remember the courage and the sacrifice

:32:51. > :32:52.of those preparing to face their enemy, and we shall pray

:32:53. > :32:56.that we may continue to learn the lessons of history

:32:57. > :33:06.And now Luke Thompson reads from an acount

:33:07. > :33:25.From here, I could see the maze of lines extending to both sides,

:33:26. > :33:32.following the rise and fall of the downs.

:33:33. > :33:41.On the left, the opposing trenches bent back and then rose up

:33:42. > :33:45.to a crest and disappeared, and on the right I could follow the line

:33:46. > :33:52.which went in a vague sweep right down to the Somme at Bray.

:33:53. > :33:57.But it was a hazy evening, and I was only able to trace out

:33:58. > :34:03.the lines by the thick murky smoke which everywhere spurted up

:34:04. > :34:10.in spouts of yellow or grey or brown, according to the light

:34:11. > :34:16.or the explosive, and then spread away into wide smudges.

:34:17. > :34:21.All the while, at different points, the air above was spattered

:34:22. > :34:27.with multitudinous white wisps of shrapnel.

:34:28. > :34:34.It was indeed an immense and terrible sight, and it seemed

:34:35. > :34:39.especially so when I turned around to see the beautiful

:34:40. > :34:51.Long, green ridges, thick with cornfields along their lower

:34:52. > :34:59.slopes, with, here and there, bright splashes of colour-the gold

:35:00. > :35:03.of mustard, the bright scarlet of the poppy.

:35:04. > :35:09.And all these gentle hills, which were bright blue

:35:10. > :35:17.at the horizon towards which the sun was hastening, enfolded lovely

:35:18. > :35:27.wooded valleys and pretty villages set in the more secluded folds.

:35:28. > :35:35.This was a view far more wonderful and dear in its beauty and peace,

:35:36. > :35:41.and it seemed that, with all that wilful crashing and panting of guns,

:35:42. > :35:48.it would remain for long a veiled vision to us,

:35:49. > :35:53.in its full meaning and message of smiling peace, because it was all

:35:54. > :35:58.so insecure while the passions and ambitions of men continued

:35:59. > :36:15.The words of Jocelyn Buxton, killed in action leading his guns forward

:36:16. > :36:30.Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the

:36:31. > :36:34.most High: shall abide under the shadow of

:36:35. > :36:43.I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope,

:36:44. > :36:47.my God, in him will I trust.

:36:48. > :36:52.For he shall deliver thee from the snare of

:36:53. > :37:02.the hunter: and from the noisome pestilence.

:37:03. > :37:11.He shall defend thee under his wings, and

:37:12. > :37:15.thou shalt be safe under his feathers: his

:37:16. > :37:20.shall be thy shield and buckler.

:37:21. > :37:22.Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by

:37:23. > :37:31.night: nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

:37:32. > :37:37.for the pestilence that walketh in darkness:

:37:38. > :37:41.nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the

:37:42. > :37:54.A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten

:37:55. > :38:01.thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not

:38:02. > :38:07.For he shall give his angels charge over thee

:38:08. > :38:25.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and

:38:26. > :38:31.to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever

:38:32. > :38:58.And now a reading from Brigadier Timothy Hodgetts.

:38:59. > :39:00.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

:39:01. > :39:04.Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

:39:05. > :39:14."For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted

:39:15. > :39:29.we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

:39:30. > :39:36.For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,

:39:37. > :39:43.nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

:39:44. > :39:48.nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

:39:49. > :39:52.shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

:39:53. > :40:15.The Bishop of London now gives The Address.

:40:16. > :40:22.The crosses in every village and town, and the cemeteries in France

:40:23. > :40:27.bear witness to the heartbreak and disruption caused by the Great War.

:40:28. > :40:33.The 20th century had begun in a spirit of optimism. The ruling

:40:34. > :40:38.families of Europe were related to one another. There had been a growth

:40:39. > :40:44.of international trade, of institutions to regulate

:40:45. > :40:49.transnational problems, and huge improvements in communications. It

:40:50. > :40:56.was a hopeful picture, glitter by massive failures of statesmanship.

:40:57. > :41:03.And as a result, the British Army crossed over to the continent in

:41:04. > :41:07.1914 to prevent our Belgian and French allies being overwhelmed. At

:41:08. > :41:12.the halfway point of the war, the Battle of the Somme was an attempt

:41:13. > :41:21.to relieve the pressure on the French defenders of Verdun and to

:41:22. > :41:25.break the deadlock which had existed since the winter of 1914. A

:41:26. > :41:31.continuous line of trenches stretched from the Belgian coast to

:41:32. > :41:41.the Swiss border, creating a war of attrition amidst mod, wire and

:41:42. > :41:45.trenches. The balance in warfare had shifted decisively in favour of

:41:46. > :41:50.defence. Hard, dry, chalky soil had enabled the Germans to construct a

:41:51. > :41:58.superb labyrinth of deep trenches and buried communications cables,

:41:59. > :42:04.defended by miles of barbed wire. The British and imperial forces who

:42:05. > :42:10.faced them in June 1916, preparing for the big push, comprised a

:42:11. > :42:17.handful of the old, regular formations - some territorials and

:42:18. > :42:24.men of the kitchen Army, citizen volunteers, organised around pals'

:42:25. > :42:29.battalions, for whom the Somme would be their first battle. There were

:42:30. > :42:36.contingents from every part of the United Kingdom, and from all the

:42:37. > :42:42.dominions. There was an Indian cavalry division, ready for the

:42:43. > :42:49.expected breakthrough. An enormous bombardment reseeding the attack

:42:50. > :42:56.began on the 24th of June. The noise could be heard on the south coast.

:42:57. > :43:08.And one can only guests at the effects on men in the front line of

:43:09. > :43:12.enduring 150 hours of bombardment. The 30th of June 1916, after the

:43:13. > :43:18.rain clouds had cleared, was a beautiful summer evening. The

:43:19. > :43:26.commander-in-chief made up his journal that night, and Sir Douglas

:43:27. > :43:29.Haig wrote, the men are in splendid spirits, The Wire has never been so

:43:30. > :43:35.well cut, nor the artillery preparation so thorough. At seven

:43:36. > :43:41.o'clock in the morning on the 1st of July, the artillery bombardment

:43:42. > :43:47.reached a staggering crescendo. Over the next hour, a quarter of a

:43:48. > :43:52.million shells were fired. Over the whole 14 mile front, 17 massive

:43:53. > :43:59.minds were detonated under the German positions. So confident was

:44:00. > :44:03.Sir Douglas Haig and his generals of the effects of the bombardment that

:44:04. > :44:10.they decided that the inexperienced infantry should advance not by the

:44:11. > :44:15.tested method of fire and movement, with some lying down to cover the

:44:16. > :44:21.movement of their comrades with rifle volleys, but to keep upright

:44:22. > :44:32.and moving forward together, in successive lines. The cemeteries in

:44:33. > :44:36.sight of which the ceremonies tomorrow will be held are a map of

:44:37. > :44:46.what happened. The citizen volunteers going into action for the

:44:47. > :44:52.first time rose from their trenches, and we shall recall this moment here

:44:53. > :44:57.at 7.30, when the whistles blew. The men advanced in steady formation, to

:44:58. > :45:05.the astonishment of the Germans, and were almost everywhere checked by

:45:06. > :45:13.uncut barbed wire and were shot down. Corporal wood of the West

:45:14. > :45:22.Yorkshire Regiment recalled the moment of going over the top.

:45:23. > :45:30.He wrote: The pals were the finest soldiers you had ever seen. We were

:45:31. > :45:36.all friends. About ten minutes after climbing out of the trench, we are

:45:37. > :45:40.issued a strong rum out of a stone bottle. We were told that the wire

:45:41. > :45:43.had been cut in front of our front line, that there would be no

:45:44. > :45:51.difficulty at all for us to get through, That there would not be a

:45:52. > :46:02.German within miles. The Accrington pals lost 234, killed

:46:03. > :46:07.on the first day. 360 were wounded, leaving only 135 survivors. . It

:46:08. > :46:12.will be for others to chart the subsequent course of the battle,

:46:13. > :46:17.which lasted until November. As we keep our vigil by the

:46:18. > :46:23.graveside of the unknown warrior, who represents all those who

:46:24. > :46:30.perished in the Great War, it is for us to remember the fearful beginning

:46:31. > :46:37.of the Battle of the Somme and to salute the courage and the sacrifice

:46:38. > :46:42.of those who went over the top. Among the hundreds of thousands of

:46:43. > :46:47.killed and wounded from so many parts of the world, were men from

:46:48. > :46:58.both parts of Ireland, north and south. One of those killed on the

:46:59. > :47:05.Somme was the poet and patriot, Tom Kettle. He died among his fellow

:47:06. > :47:11.Dubliners and left these words about his own homeland: Use with the

:47:12. > :47:24.wisdom that is sewn in tears and blood. This tragedy of Europe, maybe

:47:25. > :47:31.and must be the pro-log to the two reckon sillations of the two

:47:32. > :47:35.statesmen dream, the reconsellation of Ulster and Ireland and Ireland

:47:36. > :47:41.with Great Britain. Our prayer must be even wider. Our prayer must be

:47:42. > :47:49.that with the wisdom sewn in blood and tears we may be agents of the

:47:50. > :47:54.reconciliation which is God's will. Reconciliation wherever we live, or

:47:55. > :48:03.from wherever we come. Rejecting those who would stir up hatred and

:48:04. > :48:11.division. And instead, working for the reconciliation that will ensure

:48:12. > :48:15.that our children will never have to endure what the men of the Somme so

:48:16. > :49:08.bravely endured. Then Jesus went with them

:49:09. > :49:18.to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples,

:49:19. > :49:29."Sit here, while I go yonder Our brains ache, in

:49:30. > :50:02.the merciless iced east winds Wearied we keep awake

:50:03. > :50:35.because the night is silent... Low drooping flares confuse our

:50:36. > :50:50.memory of the salient... sentries whisper, curious, nervous,

:50:51. > :51:20.but nothing happens. And taking with him Peter

:51:21. > :51:32.and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful

:51:33. > :51:46.and troubled. Then he said to them,

:51:47. > :51:54."My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here,

:51:55. > :52:19.and watch with me." Watching, we hear the mad gusts

:52:20. > :52:27.tugging on the wire, Like twitching agonies

:52:28. > :52:35.of men among its brambles. Northward, incessantly,

:52:36. > :52:49.the flickering gunnery rumbles, far off, like a dull

:52:50. > :52:52.rumour of some other war. And going a little farther he fell

:52:53. > :53:31.on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be possible,

:53:32. > :53:45.let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will,

:53:46. > :54:09.but as thou wilt." The anthem Watch With Me, specially

:54:10. > :54:15.composed by Judith Bingham. O Lord of the nations,

:54:16. > :54:19.giver of joy in every generation and faithful

:54:20. > :54:24.companion to all who call upon thee: accept,

:54:25. > :54:27.we beseech thee, our prayers through the

:54:28. > :54:31.hours of darkness; hallow our remembrance

:54:32. > :54:33.of those who, a century ago, gathered

:54:34. > :54:36.on the Somme; bless all who keep vigil this

:54:37. > :54:38.night, across this nation and in other

:54:39. > :54:40.lands; and grant thy people comfort in time

:54:41. > :54:44.of trial; for the sake of Almighty God, King of kings and Lord

:54:45. > :55:08.of lords, hear us as we pray to thee for this nation: guide with thy

:55:09. > :55:11.eternal wisdom Elizabeth our Queen and Her Majesty's counsellors; make

:55:12. > :55:14.us strong in faith and righteousness and in the love of freedom;

:55:15. > :55:17.and grant that we may always fulfil our duty in leading

:55:18. > :55:19.the nations of the world into the paths of peace;

:55:20. > :55:22.for the honour of Jesus Christ our for this nation: guide with thy

:55:23. > :55:30.eternal wisdom Elizabeth our Queen and Her Majesty's counsellors; make

:55:31. > :55:33.us strong in faith and righteousness and in the love of freedom;

:55:34. > :55:36.and grant that we may always fulfil our duty in leading

:55:37. > :55:38.the nations of the world into the paths of peace;

:55:39. > :55:41.for the honour of Jesus Christ our O God, who art the author of peace

:55:42. > :55:46.and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,

:55:47. > :55:49.whose service is perfect freedom: defend us thy humble servants

:55:50. > :55:52.in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy

:55:53. > :55:54.defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries,

:55:55. > :55:56.through the might of Let us unite our prayers in

:55:57. > :56:10.the words our Saviour Jesus Christ Our Father, who art

:56:11. > :56:19.in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be

:56:20. > :56:22.done; on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our trespasses,

:56:23. > :56:28.as we forgive those And lead us not into temptation;

:56:29. > :56:35.but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,

:56:36. > :56:39.the power, and the glory, The hymn Lead Kindly Light,

:56:40. > :56:51.which was also sung at the burial service

:56:52. > :57:06.of the Unknown Warrior in 1920. # Lead, kindly light,

:57:07. > :57:16.amid the encircling gloom # The night is dark, and I am far

:57:17. > :57:29.from home # Keep thou my feet, I do not ask

:57:30. > :57:51.to see the distant scene # Nor prayed that thou

:57:52. > :58:14.should'st lead me on # I loved to choose

:58:15. > :58:21.and see my path # I loved the garish day,

:58:22. > :58:38.and, spite of fears, # Pride ruled my will,

:58:39. > :58:51.remember not past years # So long thy power hath blest me,

:58:52. > :58:58.sure it still will lead me # On o'er moor and fen,

:58:59. > :59:14.o'er crag and torrent # And with the morn

:59:15. > :59:33.those angel faces smile # Which I have loved long

:59:34. > :00:53.since, and lost awhile. The First Watch now taking their

:00:54. > :01:32.position in silent testimony to the Unknown Warrior.

:01:33. > :04:28.And so, a simple, meaningful, mooning service. -- moving service.

:04:29. > :04:32.As the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh depart,

:04:33. > :04:37.the First Watch continues the vigil at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

:04:38. > :04:43.Four soldiers from across the nation facing outwards and four civilians

:04:44. > :04:49.facing inwards with heads bowed - to commemorate those lost on the eve

:04:50. > :04:53.of that truly terrible day 100 years ago.

:04:54. > :04:57.And the civilians lost in thought - from the young to the very old -

:04:58. > :05:00.ensuring that the baton of remembrance is passed on from one

:05:01. > :05:08.They all stand vigil to remember not only the great sacrifice,

:05:09. > :05:16.but the bravery and courage of those who served us a century ago.

:05:17. > :05:19.At Westminster Abbey the Vigil will end early tomorrow morning

:05:20. > :05:47.and the nation will mark a two minute silence.

:05:48. > :05:53.So, the national Vigil at Westminster Abbey has been started

:05:54. > :06:04.by Her Majesty the Queen. And the Vigil here will start very shortly.

:06:05. > :06:10.To remember the events of 100 years ago, and to think about all of those

:06:11. > :06:13.men, 100 years ago tonight, on the Eve of the Battle of the Somme,

:06:14. > :06:21.which would go on, as we now know, to claim 1 million victims. Just a

:06:22. > :06:26.sense, you can see that majestic Memorial behind us, which was

:06:27. > :06:31.dedicated in 1932. There are 72,000 names on it - British and South

:06:32. > :06:36.African servicepeople. And here is the crucial point, those are the

:06:37. > :06:41.missing, those with no known grave. It is for them that the Thiepval

:06:42. > :06:49.Memorial was inaugurated. Earlier this evening, the Duke and Duchess

:06:50. > :06:57.of Cambridge and Prince Harry arrived. They were given a guided

:06:58. > :06:59.tour, in the very safe hands of the doctor from the Commonwealth War

:07:00. > :07:07.Graves Commission, who knows everything there is to know about

:07:08. > :07:11.the memorial and the cemeteries surrounding it. Giving them expire

:07:12. > :07:15.guidance on what to look out for in the countryside around. I have to

:07:16. > :07:23.say, it is a magnificent view from this high Ridge at Thiepval. Just a

:07:24. > :07:28.reflection at this point before our Vigil in Thiepval starts. Shirley

:07:29. > :07:33.Williams, the thing about Westminster Abbey was the

:07:34. > :07:35.overwhelming message of asking today's people, especially today's

:07:36. > :07:42.younger generation, to pause and think about what was happening here

:07:43. > :07:46.100 years ago? I would like to quote two lines from Rupert Brooke, who

:07:47. > :07:51.was the most famous of the early war poets. A man who was caught up with

:07:52. > :07:58.patriotism, romance, and this is what he had to say about this kind

:07:59. > :08:04.of war. He said - these lay the world away, pour out the red, sweet

:08:05. > :08:12.wine of youth, gave up the years to be of work and joy. It is a very

:08:13. > :08:16.wonderful epitaph, I think. It is. And it leads us to another question,

:08:17. > :08:21.rigid, very much in the spirit of that, and what those young men were

:08:22. > :08:23.facing 100 years ago now, on this night - what were they doing,

:08:24. > :08:29.marching to the front, writing letters? All that. There were men

:08:30. > :08:32.already in the trenches, preparing for the morning. Others were pushing

:08:33. > :08:37.their way up through communication trenches. Those who were already

:08:38. > :08:43.there were understandably fidgety, nervous. They would look at each

:08:44. > :08:47.other. One factor and that I knew said, I would look and go, are you

:08:48. > :08:54.going to be alive tomorrow? Am I going to be alive tomorrow? Huge

:08:55. > :08:59.tension. However, they were also drawn together by that great sense

:09:00. > :09:05.of comradeship and an enormous sense of duty. I always remember veterans

:09:06. > :09:08.saying to me, in particular, one of them saying to me, duty. And he

:09:09. > :09:15.spelt it out. There was not any choice. We were going to stand by

:09:16. > :09:19.each other and do our level best. Every year, hundreds of thousands of

:09:20. > :09:24.people from all over the globe, up to 400,000 people, come here to

:09:25. > :09:27.Thiepval. There is a major commemoration on the 1st of July

:09:28. > :09:32.every year, including many descendants of those who took part

:09:33. > :09:38.in the Battle of the Somme. My colleague Dan Snow is with some

:09:39. > :09:41.special guests now. Few short, it is an incredibly special feeling down

:09:42. > :09:44.here, on the brink of one of the most important centenary is in

:09:45. > :09:49.British history, the Battle of the Somme. If I was standing here 100

:09:50. > :09:53.years ago now, it would have been the most dangerous place on earth.

:09:54. > :09:56.British guns were pounding the German positions, which were beneath

:09:57. > :10:00.my feet, in anticipation of the attack which would begin the

:10:01. > :10:05.following day. Many of those shells failed to go off, and we are still

:10:06. > :10:12.reaping the iron harvest of the Somme, with the unexploded bombs and

:10:13. > :10:16.shells, still today. Fusiliers, including Newcastle footballers,

:10:17. > :10:23.attacked up this slope, and were slaughtered by machine-gun fire. I

:10:24. > :10:27.am a descendant of that battle. My great-grandfather was not one of

:10:28. > :10:30.these men who attacked up the slope, he was one of the generals who

:10:31. > :10:34.served further up the line. I have to live with the fact when I come

:10:35. > :10:38.here that there are names of people on that memorial, who are there

:10:39. > :10:42.because of decisions made by my great-grandfather. This is always a

:10:43. > :10:47.poignant and important place to visit. Thank you very much. We will

:10:48. > :10:52.be speaking to Dan Snow later on as well, and we will be speaking to

:10:53. > :10:57.some other descendants. As the Vigil continues in London, other events

:10:58. > :11:02.are being held throughout the UK - England, Wales, Scotland and

:11:03. > :11:06.Northern Ireland. Let's take a look. This is the Somme heritage centre in

:11:07. > :11:14.County Down in Northern Ireland. The group meets standing silent. Very

:11:15. > :11:22.much joining a network of UK-wide events on this Eve of the Battle of

:11:23. > :11:26.the Somme. So, the people of Northern Ireland observing the

:11:27. > :11:31.Vigil. Let's go to Edinburgh. This is the Scottish National War

:11:32. > :11:38.Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. And there we have two soldiers observing

:11:39. > :11:50.that Vigil on behalf of the people of Scotland. And over to

:11:51. > :11:54.Staffordshire. Beautiful sight, this is the National Memorial Arboretum.

:11:55. > :11:59.We have representatives there as well who have gathered to observe

:12:00. > :12:04.the Vigil which has been started by the Queen at Westminster Abbey.

:12:05. > :12:12.They, too, will be observing the Vigil overnight. Down in south

:12:13. > :12:19.Wales, this is the war memorial in Cardiff. The Welsh dragon and the

:12:20. > :12:24.Union flag draped over the memorial. That Vigil also under way. Just to

:12:25. > :12:30.give you a sense of the events not just here in northern France, where

:12:31. > :12:35.we are, but also at Westminster Abbey and across the UK as well. I

:12:36. > :12:38.would like to ask you, Richard, and Shirley Williams as well, about the

:12:39. > :12:48.nature of the cross-section of society that was representative.

:12:49. > :12:53.When we think about the men who were about to go over the top, the

:12:54. > :12:56.cross-section of society? Well, the majority of the battalions which

:12:57. > :13:02.would attack in the morning were from Kitchener corner civilian Army.

:13:03. > :13:07.That Army that everybody remembers - your country needs you. They had

:13:08. > :13:10.joined up in a spirit of adventure, really. So many of them working to

:13:11. > :13:17.go. They had come from industry, coal mining families, right up two

:13:18. > :13:22.sons of barristers and doctors. They joined together, and many of them

:13:23. > :13:26.joined these so-called Pals battalions, units formed mainly in

:13:27. > :13:32.the north, in places like Manchester and Liverpool and Hull, and further

:13:33. > :13:36.north in Glasgow, these Pals battalions, friends who worked

:13:37. > :13:39.together, lived together, played football together, attended church

:13:40. > :13:44.together. And they wanted to serve together. It was a great way of

:13:45. > :13:48.getting people to end list in the British Army at that time. And so

:13:49. > :13:52.they came here, and of course the great tragedy was that if your

:13:53. > :13:56.battalion is badly hit on the 1st of July, your town, your local village,

:13:57. > :14:03.is going to be decimated. That is the thing, isn't it, when we think

:14:04. > :14:08.about the reach of what happened here, and the fact that it touched

:14:09. > :14:16.not just individuals, but entire communities, Shirley Williams?

:14:17. > :14:21.Absolutely. I saw a card addressed to children, saying - has your daddy

:14:22. > :14:25.signed on? These were people born 100 years ago. The other thing I

:14:26. > :14:30.think it is important to mention is that here, you are aware of the

:14:31. > :14:36.extraordinary range, from the UK itself. The other part of it was the

:14:37. > :14:40.incredible loyalty of the Empire. You suddenly got people from

:14:41. > :14:43.Newfoundland - they were almost wiped out, as we know. You got

:14:44. > :14:49.people from New Zealand. You got people from Canada. You got people

:14:50. > :14:53.from India, turbaned cavalrymen who suddenly appeared on the fields of

:14:54. > :14:57.Picardy. They had never been anywhere near Picardy. Thousands

:14:58. > :15:01.upon thousands of people from all over the world, drawn by the concept

:15:02. > :15:04.of the Empire, to lay down their lives, in a country they did not

:15:05. > :15:10.know, for a country they didn't know. That's extraordinary loyalty.

:15:11. > :15:13.It is a very important point. You mentioned Newfoundland. In our

:15:14. > :15:18.coverage tomorrow, we do have a film about the contribution of the

:15:19. > :15:23.Newfoundland men who came over. It is a very moving film. We will be

:15:24. > :15:26.playing that tomorrow. By the way, for those of you wanting to find out

:15:27. > :15:39.more about what is going on, there's live updates on the BBC website...

:15:40. > :15:44.That website address takes you to the live page.

:15:45. > :15:50.Have a look. We are here in northern France. The guests are preparing to

:15:51. > :15:56.take part in the vigil. Lots of people gathering. Hundreds

:15:57. > :16:00.of people here. Looking ahead to this vigil in Picardy. It is tonight

:16:01. > :16:03.that those men, thousands and thousands of them, British and

:16:04. > :16:09.French troops were preparing to go over the top. Let's join Dan again.

:16:10. > :16:15.I am here with Staff Sergeant Delaney. What are you up to tonight?

:16:16. > :16:18.I am here with the visual party. I'm attending the memorial throughout

:16:19. > :16:22.the night and doing a reading from one of the lads from the 18th

:16:23. > :16:27.Battalion, the Manchester regiments that went over the top on the 1st of

:16:28. > :16:30.July, 1916. You know a lot about the

:16:31. > :16:38.battlefield, you have spent time underneath it? I have. I had the

:16:39. > :16:43.honour of working with a group of individuals, a study group, involved

:16:44. > :16:48.in preserving and excavating a unique part of the battlefield.

:16:49. > :16:56.They are the tunnels dug under the battlefield. What did you find? Were

:16:57. > :17:02.a lot of pit props, used to hold up, shore up the tunnels, themselves.

:17:03. > :17:05.Also a great deal of tools that were discarded, bully beef tins from when

:17:06. > :17:09.the men had been eating. Tools and stuff like that.

:17:10. > :17:14.So, a lot of personal stuff. You felt like you had a connection to

:17:15. > :17:18.the guys 100 years ago? Absolutely. When you are down there, you come

:17:19. > :17:24.across a bit of clothing or a boot here. But one of the most amazing

:17:25. > :17:27.things you would see there were the working parties and the miners

:17:28. > :17:32.themselves would leave graffiti on the walls. It could be a service

:17:33. > :17:37.number, that could allow the researchers to trace a soldier, to

:17:38. > :17:42.see if he survived or where he went later in his career. And some of the

:17:43. > :17:47.poetry was really beautiful. And what will you be thinking about

:17:48. > :17:51.tonight? I will be thinking of those who went over the top and those

:17:52. > :17:56.tunnellers and the working parties with them working away down there in

:17:57. > :18:01.preparation for the by attack on July the 1st.

:18:02. > :18:08.Thank you, Del, all the best. As we draw closer to the vigil here

:18:09. > :18:12.at Thiepval, let's return again to the powerful voices of the men, the

:18:13. > :18:17.men here 100 years ago and listen to the veterans recall their memories

:18:18. > :18:20.of the thoughts, indeed of fears that they had waiting behind the

:18:21. > :18:34.lines in the fields here 100 years ago.

:18:35. > :18:36.The previous night at about 12pm, each dugout had

:18:37. > :18:53.And I thought to myself, this looks to me like a sacrifice.

:18:54. > :18:57.I'm sure it was that night, there was a terrific big red moon.

:18:58. > :19:00.And it was, it struck me as, I can't explain.

:19:01. > :19:15.They were putting new men in all the time and training them

:19:16. > :19:23.I think that everybody was a bit dubious about it, you know.

:19:24. > :19:27.Before the attack, you couldn't move in those trenches,

:19:28. > :19:32.They were grumbling and grouching and some trying to be

:19:33. > :19:41.And then it goes quiet and it's time to go.

:19:42. > :20:16.Powerful voices from the Imperial War Museum. A rich source of the

:20:17. > :20:18.powerful, direct, testimony of those gearing themselves up, getting

:20:19. > :20:24.prepared for the battle that lay ahead. Lots of people watching that,

:20:25. > :20:29.will have remarked on the fact that men prepared in different ways. Some

:20:30. > :20:33.of them, clearly, needed a bit of Dutch courage as well? If you could

:20:34. > :20:37.get hold of it. If you could get hold of it. It was not spread around

:20:38. > :20:42.the trenches. It was mentioned there? It was

:20:43. > :20:48.mentioned, yes. Men had to find their own way of dealing with what

:20:49. > :20:53.they were about to face. It was an incredibly terrifying experience.

:20:54. > :20:58.You could see the uncut barbed wire ahead of you. You knew almost

:20:59. > :21:03.certainly that the Germans were not all dead. You realised that probably

:21:04. > :21:10.in the next 12 hours you may well be dead. As a 21-year-old man or a

:21:11. > :21:13.19-year-old man, the idea that your life was now going to be

:21:14. > :21:20.distinguished, it must have been so hard. A moment that no-one else...

:21:21. > :21:23.We cannot begin to fathom. You raise an interesting point, in

:21:24. > :21:27.some of the testimony that one reads, after the long bombardment

:21:28. > :21:32.that had happened, you read in some places that people assume that the

:21:33. > :21:38.Germans had taken a battering, that they would not be offering any kind

:21:39. > :21:43.of resistance, and yet there must have been that doubt there. And they

:21:44. > :21:48.surely could see in some instances that had not achieved its aim? Well,

:21:49. > :21:55.the artillery it looked spectacular but it was the wrong sort of

:21:56. > :22:00.artillery. It was shrapnel shells explosives. It made a mess of the

:22:01. > :22:05.trenches but did not deal with the men dug 30, to 40 feet below ground.

:22:06. > :22:09.The Germans had been here 18 months. They had so much time to prepare for

:22:10. > :22:15.the battle. And they had brilliant, a lot of the

:22:16. > :22:20.German dug-outs, as Richard implies, they were so much deeper than the

:22:21. > :22:25.British trenches. They would put their head up and there they were,

:22:26. > :22:30.the head in line with snipers. And the Germans, I think I am saying,

:22:31. > :22:34.they had brilliant works inside, places to stay and sleep in, feel

:22:35. > :22:40.safe in. The British were always exposed. What merges clearly from

:22:41. > :22:44.the whole story is that we were the most amateur, the least prepared,

:22:45. > :22:50.the least trained, the least aware of the intelligence, that could have

:22:51. > :22:53.helped us. It was an amazing sight of courage and gallantry. It had

:22:54. > :22:57.little to do with professional military experience.

:22:58. > :23:02.Is that a harsh judgment? I think it possibly is. I would not go that

:23:03. > :23:10.far. You have to remember that the ethos of the Allies was that we were

:23:11. > :23:14.going to move. Why dig a 40-foot dug-out if you were half a mile down

:23:15. > :23:19.the road the next day. For the Germans this was the Western border

:23:20. > :23:25.of the nation state. As far as they were concerned they were staying

:23:26. > :23:29.here. They would not go anywhere. So they were fortified, to ensure we

:23:30. > :23:34.would not break in. This is the key, where we are sitting now is the key

:23:35. > :23:40.to the bat battlefield, the Germans knew it. The British were in shallow

:23:41. > :23:44.trenches, I grant you that but they assumed that they would be here by

:23:45. > :23:50.8.00am, 9.00am, 10.00am in the morning.

:23:51. > :23:54.Hopeless optimism. The tragedy was that the artillery ranged against

:23:55. > :23:59.the German defences was simply not the sort that was going to kill the

:24:00. > :24:04.Germans alone. Am I right that the Germans were

:24:05. > :24:12.more advanced with their machine guns? There was a colossal loss of

:24:13. > :24:20.life from the machine guns? Yes but it is also about tactics. Where to

:24:21. > :24:26.site theman agains -- site the machine guns. It is so much more

:24:27. > :24:32.about the tactics, where you site the guns as to how you use them

:24:33. > :24:37.in... But the Germans they were here for such a long time, as I said.

:24:38. > :24:44.They could prepare. They knew it was going to happen. It was not like the

:24:45. > :24:48.Somme Offensive was unknown. Everyone in Britain knew, there,

:24:49. > :24:54.that this was about to happen. They got a little more information.

:24:55. > :24:59.I point out a point that Vera makes that they knew something was going

:25:00. > :25:05.to happen. They were expecting it. And they said over and over again,

:25:06. > :25:12.that this was almost there, then a postcard would appear on my mother's

:25:13. > :25:16.tray of mail post, that the celery is now ripe and what she knew that

:25:17. > :25:22.meant was, that tomorrow the great offensive would start. Amazing

:25:23. > :25:27.warnings that were flown to and fro. Let's have a look at the memorial

:25:28. > :25:33.itself. I can see that there are a few people gathering. Isn't that a

:25:34. > :25:39.great sight? This wonderful memorial at Thiepval.

:25:40. > :25:44.Gnawing rated in 1932. It dominates the countryside for miles and miles

:25:45. > :25:49.around. So approaching from the towns dotted around the plains of

:25:50. > :25:54.Picardy. You can see it from miles away. And that is the point. It is a

:25:55. > :25:58.powerful signal and symbol of what took place in this part of France

:25:59. > :26:04.100 years ago. There you have on the, as you are

:26:05. > :26:18.looking at the picture there, on the left-hand side, those are the French

:26:19. > :26:25.gravestones, and then for the British on the right.

:26:26. > :26:31.And tomorrow, 600 children, 300 on each side, placing floors on each of

:26:32. > :26:35.the gravestones. And when we think of the memorial itself, that is the

:26:36. > :26:39.view of the countryside from the top of the memorial but looking at the

:26:40. > :26:47.memorial itself, it is very elegantly done. 72,000 names on huge

:26:48. > :26:52.panels... All around the pillars of the memorial itself.

:26:53. > :26:59.So the vigil is starting in a few minutes' time. It will be held in

:27:00. > :27:03.the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and

:27:04. > :27:11.other distinguished guests too. Including the President of the Irish

:27:12. > :27:18.Republic and the French minister for veterans. Representatives of the

:27:19. > :27:28.Commonwealth War Graves' Commission and the French military and Armed

:27:29. > :27:32.Forces charities too. John Whittingdale there, the

:27:33. > :27:38.Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from the UK

:27:39. > :27:45.Government. And Vice Admiral Sir Timothy

:27:46. > :27:49.Lawrence, the Deputy Chair. Recently appointed of the Commonwealth War

:27:50. > :28:03.Graves' Commission. He is taking part in the vigil itself.

:28:04. > :28:08.So, Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry who enjoyed the guided

:28:09. > :28:14.tour a while ago. When we saw them at the top of the memorial itself,

:28:15. > :28:18.being able to survey the countryside and to understand the shape of the

:28:19. > :28:24.battle as it raged in the area. Trying to explain the strategy in

:28:25. > :28:29.terms of gains and of course to underline the fact that for all of

:28:30. > :28:36.the lives lost, the territorial gains were modest. The battle that

:28:37. > :28:42.started on the 1st of July, 1916, to go on to the 18th of November that

:28:43. > :28:48.year, with 1 million victims, 1 million men died, or badly injured.

:28:49. > :28:52.Many of them, as we say, they were simply missing. Their bodies were

:28:53. > :28:57.never found in the brutal circumstances of the Battle of the

:28:58. > :29:03.Somme. But they are named, all of them, the missing of the Somme are

:29:04. > :29:18.named here at Thiepval on the panels of this memorial.

:29:19. > :29:29.A real sense of the peace and tranquil setting here. The cemetery

:29:30. > :29:44.on one side, the elegant gardens on the other leading to the memorial

:29:45. > :29:49.seethes. -- memorial itself. And there are wonderful readings

:29:50. > :29:55.that will start very soon with music with the band of the Royal Irish

:29:56. > :30:03.Regiment tonight. Samuel Boden is to start the vigil,

:30:04. > :30:32.singing: The Lads In Their Hundreds. THE LADS in their hundreds to Ludlow

:30:33. > :30:38.come in for the fair, # There's men from the barn and

:30:39. > :30:42.the forge and the mill and the fold # The lads for the girls and

:30:43. > :30:45.the lads for the liquor are there # And there with the rest

:30:46. > :30:49.are the lads that will never be old # There's chaps from

:30:50. > :30:53.the town and the field And many to count are the stalwart,

:30:54. > :30:57.and many the brave And many the handsome of face

:30:58. > :31:00.and the handsome of heart # And few that will carry their

:31:01. > :31:11.looks or their truth to the grave # The fortunate fellows that now

:31:12. > :31:18.you can never discern # And then one could

:31:19. > :31:20.talk with them friendly # And watch them depart on the way

:31:21. > :31:29.that they will not return # But now you may stare as you like

:31:30. > :31:34.and there's nothing to scan # And brushing your elbow

:31:35. > :31:39.unguessed-at and not to be told # They carry back bright to

:31:40. > :31:45.the coiner the mintage of man # The lads that will

:31:46. > :31:51.die in their glory 100 years ago tomorrow, at first

:31:52. > :32:47.light, the British Army launched It was known as the big push. It was

:32:48. > :32:52.intended to put unbearable pressure on the German Army. Most of those

:32:53. > :33:03.who went over the top that day were wartime volunteers. Some, as young

:33:04. > :33:08.as 16. Some had already seen action, but for others, the Somme was their

:33:09. > :33:13.first experience of battle. By the end of the 1st of July, the British

:33:14. > :33:18.Army had sustained almost 60,000 casualties, of whom nearly one third

:33:19. > :33:26.had died. We lost the flower of a generation. In the years to come, it

:33:27. > :33:28.sometimes seems that with them, a sense of vital optimism had

:33:29. > :33:42.disappeared forever from British life. It was in many ways the

:33:43. > :33:45.saddest day in the long story of our nation. Tonight, we think of them as

:33:46. > :33:49.they know themselves for what lay ahead. We at knowledge the failures

:33:50. > :33:55.of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe

:33:56. > :34:01.of a world war. We offer our humblest respects to each man who

:34:02. > :34:03.fought in the Battle of the Somme, from every corner of the British

:34:04. > :34:11.Isles, and from across the Commonwealth. We honour those whose

:34:12. > :34:16.names are recorded on this memorial - more than 72,002 have no known

:34:17. > :34:24.grave, and to those who lie buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries. And

:34:25. > :34:32.tonight, we stand here with a promise to those men. We will

:34:33. > :34:37.remember you. The gift you gave your country is treasured by everyone of

:34:38. > :35:01.us this day. The sacrifice you made will never, ever be forgotten.

:35:02. > :35:03.Second Lieutenant Eric Rupert Heaton, 16th Battalion,

:35:04. > :35:08.My darling Mother and Father, Tomorrow we go to the attack

:35:09. > :35:12.in the greatest battle the British Army has ever fought.

:35:13. > :35:16.I cannot quite express my feelings on this night, and I cannot tell

:35:17. > :35:20.you if it's God's will that I shall come through,

:35:21. > :35:23.but if I fall in battle, then I have no regrets, save for my

:35:24. > :35:31.It is a great cause, and I came out willingly

:35:32. > :35:39.My greatest concern is that I may have the courage and determination

:35:40. > :35:54.Private Pat Kennedy, 18th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

:35:55. > :35:57.We were told by our officer that we were to take part

:35:58. > :36:01.in the attack, and the men were excited.

:36:02. > :36:06.Everybody thought it would be a walkover.

:36:07. > :36:13.The bombardment was so heavy, and the men were in excellent spirits.

:36:14. > :36:16.They were all volunteers, and they were looking

:36:17. > :36:20.to beating the Germans, and finishing the war quickly.

:36:21. > :36:23.No one believed there could be a defeat.

:36:24. > :36:34.Everyone was eager, and anxious to go forward.

:36:35. > :36:37.Private Albert Atkins, 7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.

:36:38. > :36:41.Imagine yourself, standing in a trench with water

:36:42. > :36:44.well over your knees, crouching against the side

:36:45. > :36:46.of the muddy trench, while thousands of unseen shells

:36:47. > :36:53.There is a very slight pause - then...

:36:54. > :36:56.it bursts with a tearing, rumbling blinding crash,

:36:57. > :37:00.sending tonnes of earth into the air to fall back on the inmates

:37:01. > :37:05.of the trench, and hurling thousands of red-hot splinters

:37:06. > :37:08.in all directions, killing or maiming all they happen to strike.

:37:09. > :37:11.And all around are men moaning in agony or lying

:37:12. > :37:21.Captain Charles May, 22nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

:37:22. > :37:25.I must not allow myself to dwell on the personal - there is no room

:37:26. > :37:39.If it be that I am to go, I am ready.

:37:40. > :37:45.But the thought that I may never see you or our darling baby again

:37:46. > :37:57.My one consolation is the happiness that has been ours.

:37:58. > :37:59.Second Lieutenant Jack Engall, 1/16th Battalion Queen's

:38:00. > :38:06.I'm very proud of my section, because it is the only section

:38:07. > :38:10.in the whole of the machine gun company that is going over the top.

:38:11. > :38:12.And my two particular guns have been given the most advanced,

:38:13. > :38:15.and therefore most important, positions of all - an honour

:38:16. > :38:20.So you can see that I have cause to be proud.

:38:21. > :38:24.I have a strong feeling that I shall come through this safely.

:38:25. > :38:27.But nevertheless, should it be God's holy will to call me away,

:38:28. > :38:34.And I could not wish for a finer death.

:38:35. > :38:38.And my dear Mother and Dad will know that I died

:38:39. > :38:48.doing my duty to my God, my country, and my King.

:38:49. > :38:50.Lieutenant Thomas Barrett, Seventh Battalion,

:38:51. > :38:54.Remember me in your prayers and look on the bright side of things

:38:55. > :39:01.Now don't worry because I shall write as soon as I can.

:39:02. > :39:04.I have arranged for all my money and things should anything happen

:39:05. > :39:13.I think this is all so will conclude with heaps of love.

:39:14. > :39:16.Remember always, I am only doing my duty and this should make

:39:17. > :39:36.Second Lieutenant Eric Rupert Heaton.

:39:37. > :39:43.My great aim has been to win their respect,

:39:44. > :39:46.which I trust I have accomplished and hope that,

:39:47. > :39:50.when the time comes, I shall not fail them.

:39:51. > :39:55.If I fall, do not let things be black for you.

:39:56. > :40:00.Be cheerful, and you will be living then always to my memory.

:40:01. > :40:03.I thank God for my brother and sisters who have all been very

:40:04. > :40:13.You are all in my thoughts as I enter this first battle.

:40:14. > :40:33.Eric Rupert Heaton, Charles May and Jack Engall did not

:40:34. > :40:37.survive the first day of the battle.

:40:38. > :40:44.Thomas Barrett was killed on the 4th of July.

:40:45. > :40:56.Only Pat Kennedy and Albert Atkins survived the war.

:40:57. > :41:04.So, as we prepare for our moment of reflection, our to minute's silence,

:41:05. > :41:11.we will have the first of tonight's 28 Vigils, being mounted by five

:41:12. > :41:18.military personnel, three from the UK and two from France. Four of them

:41:19. > :41:26.will be standing Vigil at the Stone Of Remembrance, supervised by one

:41:27. > :41:34.conducting officer. The event is being followed carefully by Prince

:41:35. > :41:37.Harry and by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Warrant Officer James

:41:38. > :41:43.Grantham of the royal Horse Artillery, whose great uncle George

:41:44. > :41:50.Henry Grantham served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, and died

:41:51. > :41:51.at the age of 18 on the first day of the battle. His body was never

:41:52. > :42:12.found. All servicemen representing parts of

:42:13. > :42:15.the amped forces who served in the battle. We also have representatives

:42:16. > :43:00.of the French Armed Forces. By all the glories of the day

:43:01. > :43:07.And the cool evening's benison By that last sunset touch that lay

:43:08. > :43:11.Upon the hills when day was done By beauty lavishly outpoured

:43:12. > :43:16.And blessings carelessly received By all the days that I have

:43:17. > :43:22.lived Make me a solider, By all of all man's hopes

:43:23. > :43:29.and fears And all the wonders poets

:43:30. > :43:33.sing By the romantic ages

:43:34. > :43:39.stored With high endeavour

:43:40. > :43:41.that was his By all his mad

:43:42. > :43:47.catastrophes Make me a man,

:43:48. > :43:49.O Lord I, that on my familiar hill

:43:50. > :43:52.Saw with uncomprehending eyes A hundred of thy sunsets

:43:53. > :43:58.spill Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice Ere the sun

:43:59. > :44:58.swings his noonday sword On the eve of battle, there is

:44:59. > :45:05.sometimes quite reflection, and for some, prayer. During the war, the

:45:06. > :45:10.soldiers' prayer, written by the chaplain general, was issued to the

:45:11. > :45:16.troops. 100 years ago, the words of this prayer would no doubt have been

:45:17. > :45:22.a comfort to some of the men sat in the trenches, contemplating what was

:45:23. > :45:31.to come. They would have been seeking inner strength. In the words

:45:32. > :45:40.of the prayer, to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely,

:45:41. > :45:47.to act kindly, to live purely, to be blessed in body and insole, and to

:45:48. > :45:56.be a blessing to their comrades. Even in the face of the fury of war.

:45:57. > :46:01.As we keep our own Vigil this night, as we remember with sorrow such

:46:02. > :46:09.great national and personal loss, we offer our thanks for their courage,

:46:10. > :46:13.and we pledge ourselves anew to live lives worthy of their sacrifice. Let

:46:14. > :46:27.us pray. Ever, living God, as we remember

:46:28. > :46:32.those of you have gathered into the storm of war, into the peace of your

:46:33. > :46:37.presence, hear our prayers for all who strive for peace and all who

:46:38. > :46:44.yearn for justice in our world. Help us who today remember the cost of

:46:45. > :46:50.war, to work for a better tomorrow, and as we commend to you lives lost

:46:51. > :46:59.in terror and conflict, bring us all in the end to the peace of your

:47:00. > :49:18.presence through Christ our Lord, Amen.

:49:19. > :49:27.Faithful God, you hear those who call on you in trust and you comfort

:49:28. > :49:34.those who mourn. Hear us, as we remember those who

:49:35. > :49:37.fell in the roar of battle, and died in the mire and clay of the

:49:38. > :49:42.trenches. Hear us as we remember those who

:49:43. > :49:48.survived the battle but returned wounded in mind and body.

:49:49. > :49:57.Hear us as we remember those who mourned the dead and the loss of

:49:58. > :50:02.homes and communities. May the nations united today in

:50:03. > :50:10.sorrow, find a single voice to sing a new song of peace, hope and

:50:11. > :50:16.freedom, for the sake of Your world and the advancement of Your kingdom.

:50:17. > :51:04.In crisis Christ, Our Lord. Amen. The band of the Royal Irish #k7

:51:05. > :51:12.regiment. -- Royal Irish Regiment.

:51:13. > :51:35.The band master is Officer Douglas. So the royal guests are leaving.

:51:36. > :51:41.The vigil was relatively brief in duration. Tonight was to set the

:51:42. > :51:46.scene in this solemn moment for people in the UK and here in France

:51:47. > :51:51.and then to think about tomorrow. The events of tomorrow, they will

:51:52. > :51:58.be, of course, the end of the vigil in the morning. These vigils will

:51:59. > :52:05.carry on overnight. No fewer than 28 changes overnight here in Thiepval.

:52:06. > :52:09.The vigils will end at Zero Hour, 0730.

:52:10. > :52:14.That will come to an end at Westminster Abbey. We are covering

:52:15. > :52:18.that in the morning. Then later in the morning, the major

:52:19. > :52:21.commemoration, the formal event attended by heads of state and

:52:22. > :52:24.Government and thousands of guests, from all parts of the world. It will

:52:25. > :53:02.take place here tomorrow. Events starting at 10.15am in local

:53:03. > :53:08.time, 09. .15am here in the UK. The scene here in Picardy at the

:53:09. > :53:14.memorial to the missing of the Somme.

:53:15. > :53:19.The band of the Royal Irish Regiment.

:53:20. > :53:25.The band entertaining the people here while the main guests leave.

:53:26. > :53:28.Let me explain that the vigil is to be maintained by troops, part of the

:53:29. > :53:37.regiments that fought in the Battle of the Somme. Representing them.

:53:38. > :53:42.Come priced of the British try service contingent, personnel from

:53:43. > :53:46.the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and indeed

:53:47. > :53:52.France and lots of the Commonwealth countries. Here we have the first of

:53:53. > :54:01.the vigil changes taking place. This is the turn of the Australian

:54:02. > :54:05.Federation Guard. Underlining the fact that three

:54:06. > :54:11.Australian divisions fought in the Somme.

:54:12. > :54:16.Over 45 days, the Australians undertook 19 separate attacks and

:54:17. > :54:29.suffered heavy casualties, more than 23,000.

:54:30. > :54:34.So the Australians, Major Scott Owen Stevens and colleagues. They are now

:54:35. > :54:40.in place for the second rotation, the second round, if you like, of

:54:41. > :54:43.the vigil here at Thiepval. There will be a further 27 before

:54:44. > :55:05.0730. And a glorious light here in the

:55:06. > :55:10.evening at Thiepval, I I have to say. We have had heavy rain in the

:55:11. > :55:16.day. There were lots of fingers crossed for a dry evening. We have

:55:17. > :55:20.been relatively lucky. If you had seen the rain earlier, you would

:55:21. > :55:26.have thought it was pretty bad. It has been a lovely evening. Shirley

:55:27. > :55:31.and Richard here with me as we look ahead to tomorrow at the end of this

:55:32. > :55:34.broadcast. Some of the strongest contributions were the letters

:55:35. > :55:39.written home. Richard, you have spoken to many of the veterans. Just

:55:40. > :55:44.to underline for us again the kind of emotions that were racing not

:55:45. > :55:51.just here in Picardy, 100 years ago but in all kinds of homes back in

:55:52. > :55:55.the UK too? Well the men who were here were clearly stealing

:55:56. > :55:58.themselves for tonight for what would be an extremely traumatic day.

:55:59. > :56:02.They knew that, most of them. At home, of course, the British public

:56:03. > :56:07.were aware an offensive was about to begin. Their hearts went out to

:56:08. > :56:12.their loved ones. There was nothing that they could do, only wait and

:56:13. > :56:14.pray that they would not get the buff-coloured envelope to say that

:56:15. > :56:20.their loved one was killed or wounded. So the expectation for the

:56:21. > :56:24.battle was so enormous amongst the British population. They really

:56:25. > :56:29.wanted it to be the battle that would break the front open and lead

:56:30. > :56:34.to a relatively quick victory. Sadly, it was not to be. The

:56:35. > :56:40.devastation it caused across the United Kingdom was immense.

:56:41. > :56:44.Shirley, looking ahead to the major commemoration tomorrow, involving

:56:45. > :56:48.heads of state and Government and hundreds of descendents of people

:56:49. > :56:52.that fought, I am wondering your thoughts tonight as we look forward

:56:53. > :56:56.to the events tomorrow? I think my thought is that I hope to God we

:56:57. > :57:00.have learned a lesson. That the memory of what those men went

:57:01. > :57:06.through, what their families went through, will make us as far as we

:57:07. > :57:11.possibly can, never do this again. You will be with us tomorrow? Yes.

:57:12. > :57:16.Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your company. The vigils

:57:17. > :57:22.here in France, and across the UK have started we remember what lay

:57:23. > :57:26.ahead for the troops on the eve of the Somme. The scale of the

:57:27. > :57:31.duration, it was beyond comprehension. We are back tomorrow

:57:32. > :57:38.morning to mark the time. Zero Hour. 0730. 0830 here in France when the

:57:39. > :57:44.British and the French forces went over the top for the Battle of the

:57:45. > :57:48.Somme. A battle that would last four months and claim hundreds of

:57:49. > :57:55.thousands of lives. We end with the images of some of those troops

:57:56. > :58:06.marching to the battle 100 years ago tonight. Good night.