The Vigil Battle of the Somme 100

The weather had been peculiarly piggish for more than a week -

intensely hot and stuffy with no sun and frequent storms...

But on the morrow all would be different.

The battalion is paraded in the streets of the

little crowded village - 700 men who have

been singing all afternoon eager to taste a

For a moment, the endless routine of trench

Now, for the first time, there is an eve of battle

Good evening from the plains of Picardy - in northern France -

for a special programme to commemorate the fateful events

The Thiepval Memorial will be the focus of events tonight

and tomorrow, as we remember the one million men killed,

wounded or captured in the Battle of the Somme -

one of the bloodiest confrontations in history.

The opening words were those of Second Lt William Dyson

of the London Regiment, one of the multitude steeling

On the evening of the 30th June 1916, thousands

of British and French troops were preparing to launch

a colossal offensive against the German army.

They were waiting for Zero Hour - at 0730 the following day,

The confrontation, fought throughout the fields across the Somme,

And so this evening, as we reflect on the events of 100

years ago, there will be vigils held across the United Kingdom -

and they'll be observed through the night until

Stay with us for what promises to be a fitting and moving tribute to the

fallen of the Somme. Those vigils will be

led by Her Majesty the Queen The Vigil at Westminster

Abbey will start Good evening from Westminster Abbey

- where in just under half an hour, a special service will be held

in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen

and the Duke of Edinburgh - a night to remember those

who served, those who fought and those who fell in the Battle

of the Somme. And the Queen, as she has done

so often throughout the decades, will once again lead the nation

in remembrance and reflection. We're also awaiting the arrival

of the Prime Minister and his wife. An occasion perhaps for

David Cameron to leave his concerns over the tumultuous political events

of the past seven days and any concerns over the current

unfolding events at the door and turn his thoughts

to the sacrifices It promises to be a service replete

with symbolism and simplicity - a poignant evening of reflection

and the focus of this evening's service will be the Grave

of the Unknown Warrior - the stone of black marble usually

surrounded by a neat, dense border of scarlet

poppies, this evening In keeping with the intimate nature

of this special event, The Queen and Duke will sit in the Nave

of the Abbey, together The Abbey is capable

of accomodating 2,000 people, but tonight we will witness just 700

or so people gathering, many with the shared bond of remembering

those who fought and those who sacrificed their lives

in what was at the time and indeed remains the bloodiest battle

in the history of the British army. Following the service this evening,

a vigil will be held in the Abbey until we reach the exact moment,

a century ago in Northern France, when battle commenced -

tomorrow morning at We will be back with Kirsty

at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's arrival and the Vigil Service

a little later. Here in France at the Thiepval

Memorial on the Somme, we'll be talking about the battle,

the officers and men who took part and the lasting legacy of one

of history's most I'm joined by Shirley Williams,

Baroness Williams, the former cabinet minister whose mother,

Vera Brittain, described her experience as a nurse in

the Great War in Testament Of Youth, and whose uncle, Edward Brittain,

was awarded the Military Cross on the first day of the Battle

of the Somme. And also with us is the author

and historian Richard van Emden, who in the course of his work has

interviewed no fewer than 270 The concept of a Vigil, with the

silence and the reflection, is so appropriate, because we are talking

about a scale of loss which seems almost incomprehensible today? This

was when Europe destroyed its younger generation. And it is easy

to forget now, 100 years on, what a lasting and disastrous effect it

had. A whole generation of young men wiped out - French, British, German,

because also many from far parts of the then Empire - Australia, New

Zealand, India, all kinds of young men threw themselves in this

terrible war. Some were drowned in the mud. Some watched people die

desperately from gas attacks and shell wounds and the rest of it. It

is almost impossible to conceive the scale of the loss. One other thing

to say, which is also important, and added to the sadness of the war, and

that was the extraordinary distance of much of the older generation, the

parents still living at home. No radio, no television, no instant

newspapers. They were living with firstly, endlessly about their

relative might be killed, and secondly, with no knowledge of what

was going on. It happened in a kind of world of its own, a terrible

world of its own, where throughout the whole of the war, most of the

older generation, and I mean people in their 30s and 40s, did not have

the slightest idea what was happening to their male relatives.

Several powerful themes, and we will explore them this evening and in the

programmes we have tomorrow. Richard, the numbers - for those

viewers coming to this, they have heard of the battle of the Somme,

which we are commemorating because it was such a catastrophic

encounter, just tell us some more about the numbers? Well, the numbers

are often repeated. On the first day, 40,000 men were wounded, 30,000

men were killed, on the British side alone. And really, it is very hard

to grasp what that really means. You just have to think of something like

old Trafford, a full house, and then you get some sense of the number of

men who fell that day. And of course, over the course of three

months, it was not just a battle over one day, it was 141 days, a

further 361,000 casualties. It was truly appalling. I mentioned your

relative, surely, and I am just wondering, for you and your family,

when you come to this place, the experience is all the more powerful?

It is. It is almost hard to live through. But there is this strange

irony of nature, that suddenly, the fields are beautiful again, the

flowers are out, you can look crossed the fields and feel that

nothing or ever happened here. And yet you know which part of mind that

underneath these beautiful fields, there are skeletons, skulls and

pieces shells, which the workers here still dig up year after year.

They have not forgotten. They cannot forget, because it is now part of

the living soil of France. Before we discuss different aspects, as we

move on towards the commemoration, just a word at this point, Richard,

about the significance of the battle, in terms of history. When we

look back at the First World War, and all of the confrontations within

that conflict, where does the Battle of the Marne stand? For the British

public, it is pre-eminent. Actually, ironically, for the soldiers, it may

have been another battle. But for the British public, because of the

use of kitchen's new Army, one of those volunteer soldiers, one of

those boys who joined up from iron foundries, from law firms, churches

and schools, this was the key battle, it really was. It changed

the way we look and feel about casualties. It is only right and

incredible fitting that we hold these vigils, not just to remember

the men who suffered and died here and were broken in mind and body,

but also those at home who were left to pick up the pieces. We have to

remember the French as well. They were reeling out of the Battle of

Verdun, which had already been going for 134 days, and then they were

sent here. French youngsters had already been fighting day after day

to save France, and they were suddenly switched to the Somme, to

save themselves again, but also to make a further huge effort to save

France. We must remember them as well. Quite rightly, they will be

prominently represented tonight. There will be 300 French

schoolchildren here tomorrow, with 300 British schoolchildren, taking

part in a commemoration. So that French presence is certainly there.

Clearly, there are no soldiers of the Great War alive now sadly to

describe the experience of the Somme for but their voices and words are

with us, recorded and published during the course of the

20th-century. They seem to gain power with every passing year.

Tonight and tomorrow, we will be letting the men tell their own

stories. The start with some of those watching and waiting in the

fields of Picardy 100 years ago tonight.

100 years ago today, men from all over the UK

were about to step into battle at the Somme.

For many, this was their first taste of war.

These were ordinarily men - in extraordinary circumstances.

They were everyday people, living their lives much

But when the call came to leave it all behind,

these were the men who sacrificed everything to go to war.

We thought, well, bit of a holiday, maybe.

In about six months - that's what we thought.

And we went to war full of it, you know.

With no knowledge at all of what it would be like -

We all began to learn that the great battle was coming.

We all knew something about it months before it was announced.

It was obvious that there was going to be a great push in the spring,

and this was to be the great moment of our lives.

We were in battle order, a haversack on the back, and a cape -

You could use it as a bivouac or a groundsheet, or it was

eventually a coffin, if you wanted it.

We had been taken down to the front line on the previous day,

We said that we would serve, and we served.

We didn't argue about our wages, we just offered ourselves.

And a man can give no more than that.

And we will be hearing many more voices like that tonight and

tomorrow, veterans of the campaign, lots of them recorded in the 1960s.

And then some others, I know the Welsh guys, they were recorded in

the late 1980s, when they installed that memorial not far from here,

they interviewed all of them then. And thank goodness they did. They

are a treasure trove for us today. Their experiences are so... They are

dignified but powerful in the way that they describe what went on. One

thing stood out, people's expectations, one of the gentleman

said, we had no idea what was ahead. Some of us thought it was going to

be a bit of a holiday. That is to say, a holiday from the very hard

work at home. Absolutely. Another thing which was very important, and

that was that an awful lot of young officers came out of the famous

magician public schools. And they were brought up on King Arthur. They

thought of war as being a Valiant, gallant attack between one night and

another. When they came out here, dropped into the trenches, within

sometimes just a few weeks of having left school, they did not have the

faintest idea what it was about. Not the faintest. I had one friend of

mine, who died aged 106. He said he joined up on the 3rd of September 19

14. He came out here and he said within two days of arriving in

France, said, I was depressed for the next four years because I knew I

could do nothing about it. It's a good moment for you to tell

us, Richard, it is a good question but many people thinking, how did

the Battle of the Somme come about? Why did this battle happen? The

British were here as part of their commitment to the Great War. The

French had taken the bulk of the fighting, and they were desperate

for us to expand our commitment. So we were asked to come here and we

agreed to take over this part of France, north of the Somme

battlefield, north of the Somme River. The French were in the south

it was decided at a meeting in Chantilly in December 1915, that

there was a joint offensive. The French were keen to attack side by

side. No better place clearly than Somme. Even though it was streakally

of little importance but the symbolic nature of the offence that

would prove key. When we talk about the phrase used"

the big push" it was conceived because there was deadlock,

stalemate. What was the impetus there? Well, snooin 14, 15, had

deadlocked. We had the development of the trench system. We had had

disastrous attacks in 19-15, the battles at Luche, and so forth. This

was the first attempt to say, OK, let's have an alliance here. Let's

attack but not just on the Western Front but to co-ordinate an attack

by the Russians in the east, so that we could co-ordinate that offensive

to put pressure on the German army. That was the idea. To really force

the Germans into a position where they could not withstand the

attacks. Richard, am I right in thinking it

was in part to relieve the growing pressure of the Germans at Verdun?

Absolutely. The French were pleading to launch an offence here. The

French were being bled white, as the term was at Verdun. It was a joint

offensive over a 60-mile front. But the French had to reduce their

commitment to the Somme as they had to pour more men into Verdun. So the

French were keen to launch this offensivive. Sir Douglas Haig said

to launch it later but it was said that there would not be a French

army left unless they launched it now. So they launched it as soon as

they could on July 16th. A final thought, when you look at the

thousands of names on the memorial here and you reflect on background

but I'm bound to say when you think of an army of volunteers, which

came, they were not schooled in the right way, they were not

professionally prepared... They were untrained.

They were untrained. That is shocking for lots of people who come

to the story. We can see Kitchener with the conscription going on. But

the idea of an army of volunteers? And the conscription in Britain

started in March 1916. The French had had conscription

since 1905. So their soldiers were much better trained and more aware

of modern warfare than ours were. Ours were literally pitched to the

front with nothing but their courage to sustain them.

That is a good moment to pause and reflect on the events in Thiepval.

We will take this here a little later. But there is to be a vigil

here, the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are

taking part. It will be a solemn setting in

northern France. And while waiting for that, there is a very important

national vigil held at Westminster Abbey, of course the Queen is

leading that. With the time approaching 8.00pm

let's join Kirsty at Westminster Abbey.

Here it will be a solemn commemoration, remembering the

courage and sacrifices of those on the eve of the Battle of the Somme.

We are to expect readings, prayers and a anthem Watch With Me by Judith

Bingham. The passages give a real sense

of anticipation but also a note of apprehension

on the eve of battle.... 'My soul is very sorrowful,

even to death, remain here, and watch with me' -

Jesus' words the night The actor Luke Thompson will read

an account written by Second Lieutenant Buxton,

just one of thousands of soldiers Luke is looking pensive

and thoughtful. Aged just 20 Buxton would be killed

on the first day of the Somme. His name is on the Thiepval Memorial

- where more than 72,000 men killed on the Somme with no

known grave are remembered. As the service draws to a close,

the first watch of the vigil will silently pay their respects

to those soldiers with no Both civilians and service personnel

will stand side by side around And as the minutes and hours go by,

those taking part will doubtless contemplate the magnitude

of the moment when the world, for the first time, understood

the horror and impact Among those first taking post

will be 90-year-old Patrick Lloyd, Four generations will stand

vigil, symbolising the act of remembrance

being passed down in A moment of history

marked then but tonight will also be a time

for those taking part in the vigil to consider the

individual stories of The Battle of the Somme -

told in the words of those who witnessed

its horrors and read tonight by narrators,

many of whom are Significant too that the doors

of the Abbey will remain open to members of the public throughout

the night for anyone to come and listen and pay their respects

and be part of the commemoration. This evening's event

at Westminster Abbey will conclude with

a wreath laid by the Queen at the Grave of

the Unknown Warrior, which is as we've said,

the focus of tonight's The idea of a grave for a universal

"unknown warrior" was conceived It came from a padre serving

on the front line, Reverend David Railton,

who won a Military Cross for his actions at

High Wood at the Somme. His time there was recorded

in the letters he sent They are voiced in this film

by his grandson. Some of them were just crying this

morning and yet when you say, keep up your heart, old lad,

they pull themselves together and say, you may

be sure of that, Sir. Padres like Railton

were there to offer support Life in the trenches was brutal

and death was a constant companion In September 1916, Railton

was posted with London 47th They were to attack the German

stronghold of High Wood. Just beside High Wood is an area

known as Crucifix Corner. It was near here that Railton

would tend to wounded soldiers. The battalions I'm with lost

ten out of 14 officers. Many men who have stood it

all cannot stand this In one attack, a Captain Clark,

whom Railton knew to have a young family at home, was killed

right beside him. I should mourn the death of a man

like Clark if he were single and I should loathe the treacherous

devil who shot him. But I mourn in 50 fold agony

and loathe with a thousandfold ferocity when I think of Mrs Clark

and those three tiny ones. Railton's experience during the war

affected him deeply. What can I do to ease

the pain of father, mother, brother, sister, sweetheart,

wife and friend? It was the grave of an anonymous

British soldier that inspired Railton's idea of the Tomb

of the Unknown Warrior. He wanted there to be a place

where anyone could grieve And in 1920, the Unknown Warrior

was brought to his final resting On that morning of 11th

November 96 years ago, the funeral took place

for the Unknown Warrior. Chosen to represent anyone from the

Armed Services and from the Commonwealth.

The Union flag that was used to cover the coffin on that day,

was the same flag that had been used as an altar cloth for

Reverend Railton's make-shift communions behind the lines

He would also have draped that self same flag over the bodies of those

who had been killed in action at the Somme.

The Padre's Flag or Ypres Flag, as its known, now hangs

The flag was with Railton at High Wood, where some units

suffered 80% casualties, and where he said he was burying

bodies for "the best part of three days".

Later, in an article he wrote in 1931, he described

in his own words the significance of that single flag:

'It was the covering - often the only covering -

of the slain, as their bodies were laid to rest.

It is not a new bit of bunting bought for the occasion,

but a real symbol of every Briton's like.

Indeed, it is literally tinged with the life-blood of fellow

The Prime Minister and his wife Samantha Cameron have

You can also see the leader of Her Majesty's opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.

He is sitting next to the secretary of state for defence.

Now, the arrival of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness, the

Duke of Edinburgh. To be greeted by the Dean of

Westminster at the Westminster Abbey.

Later this evening, Her Majesty is to lay a wreath on the Grave of the

Unknown Warrior. This evening, the wreath will be

made of roses and of bay leaves. Earlier this week in County Antrim,

Her Majesty unveiled a statue of Sergeant Quigg who won a Victoria

Cross for bravery. Given the highest military award for valour, after

going out in the line of fire to search for his Commanding Officer.

He spent a total of seven hours searching, each time to return with

a wounded soldier but not his Commanding Officer.

At the end of the service, The Last Post is to be played by Stuart Laine

of the Welsh Guards. Using an unstreamed from the First

World War. .En instrument played on The Somme. An instrument that

carries a few dents, each with its own tale to tell.

Each one no doubt tells a story and Stuart mentioned to me earlier

today that as proud as he is to play the last post at tonight's service -

those bumps and bashes inevitably, slightly affect the tone and pitch

The Battle of the Somme was an offensive by the British

and French against the forces of Germany.

The battle lasted almost five months.

No more than six miles of German-held territory

On all sides there were a million casualties, killed or wounded.

This evening, we seek to recall the experience of those

This whole night will be a time of vigil; a watch will be maintained

at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, changing every quarter of an hour,

and representing all the forces involved in the Battle.

The watch will conclude at 7.30am when, a hundred years ago,

whistles were blown to signal the moment of advance.

Tonight we shall remember the courage and the sacrifice

of those preparing to face their enemy, and we shall pray

that we may continue to learn the lessons of history

And now Luke Thompson reads from an acount

From here, I could see the maze of lines extending to both sides,

following the rise and fall of the downs.

On the left, the opposing trenches bent back and then rose up

to a crest and disappeared, and on the right I could follow the line

which went in a vague sweep right down to the Somme at Bray.

But it was a hazy evening, and I was only able to trace out

the lines by the thick murky smoke which everywhere spurted up

in spouts of yellow or grey or brown, according to the light

or the explosive, and then spread away into wide smudges.

All the while, at different points, the air above was spattered

with multitudinous white wisps of shrapnel.

It was indeed an immense and terrible sight, and it seemed

especially so when I turned around to see the beautiful

Long, green ridges, thick with cornfields along their lower

slopes, with, here and there, bright splashes of colour-the gold

of mustard, the bright scarlet of the poppy.

And all these gentle hills, which were bright blue

at the horizon towards which the sun was hastening, enfolded lovely

wooded valleys and pretty villages set in the more secluded folds.

This was a view far more wonderful and dear in its beauty and peace,

and it seemed that, with all that wilful crashing and panting of guns,

it would remain for long a veiled vision to us,

in its full meaning and message of smiling peace, because it was all

so insecure while the passions and ambitions of men continued

The words of Jocelyn Buxton, killed in action leading his guns forward

Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the

most High: shall abide under the shadow of

I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope,

my God, in him will I trust.

For he shall deliver thee from the snare of

the hunter: and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall defend thee under his wings, and

thou shalt be safe under his feathers: his

shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by

night: nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

for the pestilence that walketh in darkness:

nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the

A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten

thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not

For he shall give his angels charge over thee

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and

to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever

And now a reading from Brigadier Timothy Hodgetts.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

"For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted

we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,

shall be able to separate us from the love of God,

The Bishop of London now gives The Address.

The crosses in every village and town, and the cemeteries in France

bear witness to the heartbreak and disruption caused by the Great War.

The 20th century had begun in a spirit of optimism. The ruling

families of Europe were related to one another. There had been a growth

of international trade, of institutions to regulate

transnational problems, and huge improvements in communications. It

was a hopeful picture, glitter by massive failures of statesmanship.

And as a result, the British Army crossed over to the continent in

1914 to prevent our Belgian and French allies being overwhelmed. At

the halfway point of the war, the Battle of the Somme was an attempt

to relieve the pressure on the French defenders of Verdun and to

break the deadlock which had existed since the winter of 1914. A

continuous line of trenches stretched from the Belgian coast to

the Swiss border, creating a war of attrition amidst mod, wire and

trenches. The balance in warfare had shifted decisively in favour of

defence. Hard, dry, chalky soil had enabled the Germans to construct a

superb labyrinth of deep trenches and buried communications cables,

defended by miles of barbed wire. The British and imperial forces who

faced them in June 1916, preparing for the big push, comprised a

handful of the old, regular formations - some territorials and

men of the kitchen Army, citizen volunteers, organised around pals'

battalions, for whom the Somme would be their first battle. There were

contingents from every part of the United Kingdom, and from all the

dominions. There was an Indian cavalry division, ready for the

expected breakthrough. An enormous bombardment reseeding the attack

began on the 24th of June. The noise could be heard on the south coast.

And one can only guests at the effects on men in the front line of

enduring 150 hours of bombardment. The 30th of June 1916, after the

rain clouds had cleared, was a beautiful summer evening. The

commander-in-chief made up his journal that night, and Sir Douglas

Haig wrote, the men are in splendid spirits, The Wire has never been so

well cut, nor the artillery preparation so thorough. At seven

o'clock in the morning on the 1st of July, the artillery bombardment

reached a staggering crescendo. Over the next hour, a quarter of a

million shells were fired. Over the whole 14 mile front, 17 massive

minds were detonated under the German positions. So confident was

Sir Douglas Haig and his generals of the effects of the bombardment that

they decided that the inexperienced infantry should advance not by the

tested method of fire and movement, with some lying down to cover the

movement of their comrades with rifle volleys, but to keep upright

and moving forward together, in successive lines. The cemeteries in

sight of which the ceremonies tomorrow will be held are a map of

what happened. The citizen volunteers going into action for the

first time rose from their trenches, and we shall recall this moment here

at 7.30, when the whistles blew. The men advanced in steady formation, to

the astonishment of the Germans, and were almost everywhere checked by

uncut barbed wire and were shot down. Corporal wood of the West

Yorkshire Regiment recalled the moment of going over the top.

He wrote: The pals were the finest soldiers you had ever seen. We were

all friends. About ten minutes after climbing out of the trench, we are

issued a strong rum out of a stone bottle. We were told that the wire

had been cut in front of our front line, that there would be no

difficulty at all for us to get through, That there would not be a

German within miles. The Accrington pals lost 234, killed

on the first day. 360 were wounded, leaving only 135 survivors. . It

will be for others to chart the subsequent course of the battle,

which lasted until November. As we keep our vigil by the

graveside of the unknown warrior, who represents all those who

perished in the Great War, it is for us to remember the fearful beginning

of the Battle of the Somme and to salute the courage and the sacrifice

of those who went over the top. Among the hundreds of thousands of

killed and wounded from so many parts of the world, were men from

both parts of Ireland, north and south. One of those killed on the

Somme was the poet and patriot, Tom Kettle. He died among his fellow

Dubliners and left these words about his own homeland: Use with the

wisdom that is sewn in tears and blood. This tragedy of Europe, maybe

and must be the pro-log to the two reckon sillations of the two

statesmen dream, the reconsellation of Ulster and Ireland and Ireland

with Great Britain. Our prayer must be even wider. Our prayer must be

that with the wisdom sewn in blood and tears we may be agents of the

reconciliation which is God's will. Reconciliation wherever we live, or

from wherever we come. Rejecting those who would stir up hatred and

division. And instead, working for the reconciliation that will ensure

that our children will never have to endure what the men of the Somme so

bravely endured. Then Jesus went with them

to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples,

"Sit here, while I go yonder Our brains ache, in

the merciless iced east winds Wearied we keep awake

because the night is silent... Low drooping flares confuse our

memory of the salient... sentries whisper, curious, nervous,

but nothing happens. And taking with him Peter

and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful

and troubled. Then he said to them,

"My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here,

and watch with me." Watching, we hear the mad gusts

tugging on the wire, Like twitching agonies

of men among its brambles. Northward, incessantly,

the flickering gunnery rumbles, far off, like a dull

rumour of some other war. And going a little farther he fell

on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be possible,

let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will,

but as thou wilt." The anthem Watch With Me, specially

composed by Judith Bingham. O Lord of the nations,

giver of joy in every generation and faithful

companion to all who call upon thee: accept,

we beseech thee, our prayers through the

hours of darkness; hallow our remembrance

of those who, a century ago, gathered

on the Somme; bless all who keep vigil this

night, across this nation and in other

lands; and grant thy people comfort in time

of trial; for the sake of Almighty God, King of kings and Lord

of lords, hear us as we pray to thee for this nation: guide with thy

eternal wisdom Elizabeth our Queen and Her Majesty's counsellors; make

us strong in faith and righteousness and in the love of freedom;

and grant that we may always fulfil our duty in leading

the nations of the world into the paths of peace;

for the honour of Jesus Christ our for this nation: guide with thy

eternal wisdom Elizabeth our Queen and Her Majesty's counsellors; make

us strong in faith and righteousness and in the love of freedom;

and grant that we may always fulfil our duty in leading

the nations of the world into the paths of peace;

for the honour of Jesus Christ our O God, who art the author of peace

and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,

whose service is perfect freedom: defend us thy humble servants

in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy

defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries,

through the might of Let us unite our prayers in

the words our Saviour Jesus Christ Our Father, who art

in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be

done; on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory, The hymn Lead Kindly Light,

which was also sung at the burial service

of the Unknown Warrior in 1920. # Lead, kindly light,

amid the encircling gloom # The night is dark, and I am far

from home # Keep thou my feet, I do not ask

to see the distant scene # Nor prayed that thou

should'st lead me on # I loved to choose

and see my path # I loved the garish day,

and, spite of fears, # Pride ruled my will,

remember not past years # So long thy power hath blest me,

sure it still will lead me # On o'er moor and fen,

o'er crag and torrent # And with the morn

those angel faces smile # Which I have loved long

since, and lost awhile. The First Watch now taking their

position in silent testimony to the Unknown Warrior.

And so, a simple, meaningful, mooning service. -- moving service.

As the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh depart,

the First Watch continues the vigil at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

Four soldiers from across the nation facing outwards and four civilians

facing inwards with heads bowed - to commemorate those lost on the eve

of that truly terrible day 100 years ago.

And the civilians lost in thought - from the young to the very old -

ensuring that the baton of remembrance is passed on from one

They all stand vigil to remember not only the great sacrifice,

but the bravery and courage of those who served us a century ago.

At Westminster Abbey the Vigil will end early tomorrow morning

and the nation will mark a two minute silence.

So, the national Vigil at Westminster Abbey has been started

by Her Majesty the Queen. And the Vigil here will start very shortly.

To remember the events of 100 years ago, and to think about all of those

men, 100 years ago tonight, on the Eve of the Battle of the Somme,

which would go on, as we now know, to claim 1 million victims. Just a

sense, you can see that majestic Memorial behind us, which was

dedicated in 1932. There are 72,000 names on it - British and South

African servicepeople. And here is the crucial point, those are the

missing, those with no known grave. It is for them that the Thiepval

Memorial was inaugurated. Earlier this evening, the Duke and Duchess

of Cambridge and Prince Harry arrived. They were given a guided

tour, in the very safe hands of the doctor from the Commonwealth War

Graves Commission, who knows everything there is to know about

the memorial and the cemeteries surrounding it. Giving them expire

guidance on what to look out for in the countryside around. I have to

say, it is a magnificent view from this high Ridge at Thiepval. Just a

reflection at this point before our Vigil in Thiepval starts. Shirley

Williams, the thing about Westminster Abbey was the

overwhelming message of asking today's people, especially today's

younger generation, to pause and think about what was happening here

100 years ago? I would like to quote two lines from Rupert Brooke, who

was the most famous of the early war poets. A man who was caught up with

patriotism, romance, and this is what he had to say about this kind

of war. He said - these lay the world away, pour out the red, sweet

wine of youth, gave up the years to be of work and joy. It is a very

wonderful epitaph, I think. It is. And it leads us to another question,

rigid, very much in the spirit of that, and what those young men were

facing 100 years ago now, on this night - what were they doing,

marching to the front, writing letters? All that. There were men

already in the trenches, preparing for the morning. Others were pushing

their way up through communication trenches. Those who were already

there were understandably fidgety, nervous. They would look at each

other. One factor and that I knew said, I would look and go, are you

going to be alive tomorrow? Am I going to be alive tomorrow? Huge

tension. However, they were also drawn together by that great sense

of comradeship and an enormous sense of duty. I always remember veterans

saying to me, in particular, one of them saying to me, duty. And he

spelt it out. There was not any choice. We were going to stand by

each other and do our level best. Every year, hundreds of thousands of

people from all over the globe, up to 400,000 people, come here to

Thiepval. There is a major commemoration on the 1st of July

every year, including many descendants of those who took part

in the Battle of the Somme. My colleague Dan Snow is with some

special guests now. Few short, it is an incredibly special feeling down

here, on the brink of one of the most important centenary is in

British history, the Battle of the Somme. If I was standing here 100

years ago now, it would have been the most dangerous place on earth.

British guns were pounding the German positions, which were beneath

my feet, in anticipation of the attack which would begin the

following day. Many of those shells failed to go off, and we are still

reaping the iron harvest of the Somme, with the unexploded bombs and

shells, still today. Fusiliers, including Newcastle footballers,

attacked up this slope, and were slaughtered by machine-gun fire. I

am a descendant of that battle. My great-grandfather was not one of

these men who attacked up the slope, he was one of the generals who

served further up the line. I have to live with the fact when I come

here that there are names of people on that memorial, who are there

because of decisions made by my great-grandfather. This is always a

poignant and important place to visit. Thank you very much. We will

be speaking to Dan Snow later on as well, and we will be speaking to

some other descendants. As the Vigil continues in London, other events

are being held throughout the UK - England, Wales, Scotland and

Northern Ireland. Let's take a look. This is the Somme heritage centre in

County Down in Northern Ireland. The group meets standing silent. Very

much joining a network of UK-wide events on this Eve of the Battle of

the Somme. So, the people of Northern Ireland observing the

Vigil. Let's go to Edinburgh. This is the Scottish National War

Memorial in Edinburgh Castle. And there we have two soldiers observing

that Vigil on behalf of the people of Scotland. And over to

Staffordshire. Beautiful sight, this is the National Memorial Arboretum.

We have representatives there as well who have gathered to observe

the Vigil which has been started by the Queen at Westminster Abbey.

They, too, will be observing the Vigil overnight. Down in south

Wales, this is the war memorial in Cardiff. The Welsh dragon and the

Union flag draped over the memorial. That Vigil also under way. Just to

give you a sense of the events not just here in northern France, where

we are, but also at Westminster Abbey and across the UK as well. I

would like to ask you, Richard, and Shirley Williams as well, about the

nature of the cross-section of society that was representative.

When we think about the men who were about to go over the top, the

cross-section of society? Well, the majority of the battalions which

would attack in the morning were from Kitchener corner civilian Army.

That Army that everybody remembers - your country needs you. They had

joined up in a spirit of adventure, really. So many of them working to

go. They had come from industry, coal mining families, right up two

sons of barristers and doctors. They joined together, and many of them

joined these so-called Pals battalions, units formed mainly in

the north, in places like Manchester and Liverpool and Hull, and further

north in Glasgow, these Pals battalions, friends who worked

together, lived together, played football together, attended church

together. And they wanted to serve together. It was a great way of

getting people to end list in the British Army at that time. And so

they came here, and of course the great tragedy was that if your

battalion is badly hit on the 1st of July, your town, your local village,

is going to be decimated. That is the thing, isn't it, when we think

about the reach of what happened here, and the fact that it touched

not just individuals, but entire communities, Shirley Williams?

Absolutely. I saw a card addressed to children, saying - has your daddy

signed on? These were people born 100 years ago. The other thing I

think it is important to mention is that here, you are aware of the

extraordinary range, from the UK itself. The other part of it was the

incredible loyalty of the Empire. You suddenly got people from

Newfoundland - they were almost wiped out, as we know. You got

people from New Zealand. You got people from Canada. You got people

from India, turbaned cavalrymen who suddenly appeared on the fields of

Picardy. They had never been anywhere near Picardy. Thousands

upon thousands of people from all over the world, drawn by the concept

of the Empire, to lay down their lives, in a country they did not

know, for a country they didn't know. That's extraordinary loyalty.

It is a very important point. You mentioned Newfoundland. In our

coverage tomorrow, we do have a film about the contribution of the

Newfoundland men who came over. It is a very moving film. We will be

playing that tomorrow. By the way, for those of you wanting to find out

more about what is going on, there's live updates on the BBC website...

That website address takes you to the live page.

Have a look. We are here in northern France. The guests are preparing to

take part in the vigil. Lots of people gathering. Hundreds

of people here. Looking ahead to this vigil in Picardy. It is tonight

that those men, thousands and thousands of them, British and

French troops were preparing to go over the top. Let's join Dan again.

I am here with Staff Sergeant Delaney. What are you up to tonight?

I am here with the visual party. I'm attending the memorial throughout

the night and doing a reading from one of the lads from the 18th

Battalion, the Manchester regiments that went over the top on the 1st of

July, 1916. You know a lot about the

battlefield, you have spent time underneath it? I have. I had the

honour of working with a group of individuals, a study group, involved

in preserving and excavating a unique part of the battlefield.

They are the tunnels dug under the battlefield. What did you find? Were

a lot of pit props, used to hold up, shore up the tunnels, themselves.

Also a great deal of tools that were discarded, bully beef tins from when

the men had been eating. Tools and stuff like that.

So, a lot of personal stuff. You felt like you had a connection to

the guys 100 years ago? Absolutely. When you are down there, you come

across a bit of clothing or a boot here. But one of the most amazing

things you would see there were the working parties and the miners

themselves would leave graffiti on the walls. It could be a service

number, that could allow the researchers to trace a soldier, to

see if he survived or where he went later in his career. And some of the

poetry was really beautiful. And what will you be thinking about

tonight? I will be thinking of those who went over the top and those

tunnellers and the working parties with them working away down there in

preparation for the by attack on July the 1st.

Thank you, Del, all the best. As we draw closer to the vigil here

at Thiepval, let's return again to the powerful voices of the men, the

men here 100 years ago and listen to the veterans recall their memories

of the thoughts, indeed of fears that they had waiting behind the

lines in the fields here 100 years ago.

The previous night at about 12pm, each dugout had

And I thought to myself, this looks to me like a sacrifice.

I'm sure it was that night, there was a terrific big red moon.

And it was, it struck me as, I can't explain.

They were putting new men in all the time and training them

I think that everybody was a bit dubious about it, you know.

Before the attack, you couldn't move in those trenches,

They were grumbling and grouching and some trying to be

And then it goes quiet and it's time to go.

Powerful voices from the Imperial War Museum. A rich source of the

powerful, direct, testimony of those gearing themselves up, getting

prepared for the battle that lay ahead. Lots of people watching that,

will have remarked on the fact that men prepared in different ways. Some

of them, clearly, needed a bit of Dutch courage as well? If you could

get hold of it. If you could get hold of it. It was not spread around

the trenches. It was mentioned there? It was

mentioned, yes. Men had to find their own way of dealing with what

they were about to face. It was an incredibly terrifying experience.

You could see the uncut barbed wire ahead of you. You knew almost

certainly that the Germans were not all dead. You realised that probably

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

19-year-old man, the idea that your life was now going to be

distinguished, it must have been so hard. A moment that no-one else...

We cannot begin to fathom. You raise an interesting point, in

some of the testimony that one reads, after the long bombardment

that had happened, you read in some places that people assume that the

Germans had taken a battering, that they would not be offering any kind

of resistance, and yet there must have been that doubt there. And they

surely could see in some instances that had not achieved its aim? Well,

the artillery it looked spectacular but it was the wrong sort of

artillery. It was shrapnel shells explosives. It made a mess of the

trenches but did not deal with the men dug 30, to 40 feet below ground.

The Germans had been here 18 months. They had so much time to prepare for

the battle. And they had brilliant, a lot of the

German dug-outs, as Richard implies, they were so much deeper than the

British trenches. They would put their head up and there they were,

the head in line with snipers. And the Germans, I think I am saying,

they had brilliant works inside, places to stay and sleep in, feel

safe in. The British were always exposed. What merges clearly from

the whole story is that we were the most amateur, the least prepared,

the least trained, the least aware of the intelligence, that could have

helped us. It was an amazing sight of courage and gallantry. It had

little to do with professional military experience.

Is that a harsh judgment? I think it possibly is. I would not go that

far. You have to remember that the ethos of the Allies was that we were

going to move. Why dig a 40-foot dug-out if you were half a mile down

the road the next day. For the Germans this was the Western border

of the nation state. As far as they were concerned they were staying

here. They would not go anywhere. So they were fortified, to ensure we

would not break in. This is the key, where we are sitting now is the key

to the bat battlefield, the Germans knew it. The British were in shallow

trenches, I grant you that but they assumed that they would be here by

8.00am, 9.00am, 10.00am in the morning.

Hopeless optimism. The tragedy was that the artillery ranged against

the German defences was simply not the sort that was going to kill the

Germans alone. Am I right that the Germans were

more advanced with their machine guns? There was a colossal loss of

life from the machine guns? Yes but it is also about tactics. Where to

site theman agains -- site the machine guns. It is so much more

about the tactics, where you site the guns as to how you use them

in... But the Germans they were here for such a long time, as I said.

They could prepare. They knew it was going to happen. It was not like the

Somme Offensive was unknown. Everyone in Britain knew, there,

that this was about to happen. They got a little more information.

I point out a point that Vera makes that they knew something was going

to happen. They were expecting it. And they said over and over again,

that this was almost there, then a postcard would appear on my mother's

tray of mail post, that the celery is now ripe and what she knew that

meant was, that tomorrow the great offensive would start. Amazing

warnings that were flown to and fro. Let's have a look at the memorial

itself. I can see that there are a few people gathering. Isn't that a

great sight? This wonderful memorial at Thiepval.

Gnawing rated in 1932. It dominates the countryside for miles and miles

around. So approaching from the towns dotted around the plains of

Picardy. You can see it from miles away. And that is the point. It is a

powerful signal and symbol of what took place in this part of France

100 years ago. There you have on the, as you are

looking at the picture there, on the left-hand side, those are the French

gravestones, and then for the British on the right.

And tomorrow, 600 children, 300 on each side, placing floors on each of

the gravestones. And when we think of the memorial itself, that is the

view of the countryside from the top of the memorial but looking at the

memorial itself, it is very elegantly done. 72,000 names on huge

panels... All around the pillars of the memorial itself.

So the vigil is starting in a few minutes' time. It will be held in

the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and

other distinguished guests too. Including the President of the Irish

Republic and the French minister for veterans. Representatives of the

Commonwealth War Graves' Commission and the French military and Armed

Forces charities too. John Whittingdale there, the

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from the UK

Government. And Vice Admiral Sir Timothy

Lawrence, the Deputy Chair. Recently appointed of the Commonwealth War

Graves' Commission. He is taking part in the vigil itself.

So, Prince William and Kate and Prince Harry who enjoyed the guided

tour a while ago. When we saw them at the top of the memorial itself,

being able to survey the countryside and to understand the shape of the

battle as it raged in the area. Trying to explain the strategy in

terms of gains and of course to underline the fact that for all of

the lives lost, the territorial gains were modest. The battle that

started on the 1st of July, 1916, to go on to the 18th of November that

year, with 1 million victims, 1 million men died, or badly injured.

Many of them, as we say, they were simply missing. Their bodies were

never found in the brutal circumstances of the Battle of the

Somme. But they are named, all of them, the missing of the Somme are

named here at Thiepval on the panels of this memorial.

A real sense of the peace and tranquil setting here. The cemetery

on one side, the elegant gardens on the other leading to the memorial

seethes. -- memorial itself. And there are wonderful readings

that will start very soon with music with the band of the Royal Irish

Regiment tonight. Samuel Boden is to start the vigil,

singing: The Lads In Their Hundreds. THE LADS in their hundreds to Ludlow

come in for the fair, # There's men from the barn and

the forge and the mill and the fold # The lads for the girls and

the lads for the liquor are there # And there with the rest

are the lads that will never be old # There's chaps from

the town and the field And many to count are the stalwart,

and many the brave And many the handsome of face

and the handsome of heart # And few that will carry their

looks or their truth to the grave # The fortunate fellows that now

you can never discern # And then one could

talk with them friendly # And watch them depart on the way

that they will not return # But now you may stare as you like

and there's nothing to scan # And brushing your elbow

unguessed-at and not to be told # They carry back bright to

the coiner the mintage of man # The lads that will

die in their glory 100 years ago tomorrow, at first

light, the British Army launched It was known as the big push. It was

intended to put unbearable pressure on the German Army. Most of those

who went over the top that day were wartime volunteers. Some, as young

as 16. Some had already seen action, but for others, the Somme was their

first experience of battle. By the end of the 1st of July, the British

Army had sustained almost 60,000 casualties, of whom nearly one third

had died. We lost the flower of a generation. In the years to come, it

sometimes seems that with them, a sense of vital optimism had

disappeared forever from British life. It was in many ways the

saddest day in the long story of our nation. Tonight, we think of them as

they know themselves for what lay ahead. We at knowledge the failures

of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe

of a world war. We offer our humblest respects to each man who

fought in the Battle of the Somme, from every corner of the British

Isles, and from across the Commonwealth. We honour those whose

names are recorded on this memorial - more than 72,002 have no known

grave, and to those who lie buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries. And

tonight, we stand here with a promise to those men. We will

remember you. The gift you gave your country is treasured by everyone of

us this day. The sacrifice you made will never, ever be forgotten.

Second Lieutenant Eric Rupert Heaton, 16th Battalion,

My darling Mother and Father, Tomorrow we go to the attack

in the greatest battle the British Army has ever fought.

I cannot quite express my feelings on this night, and I cannot tell

you if it's God's will that I shall come through,

but if I fall in battle, then I have no regrets, save for my

It is a great cause, and I came out willingly

My greatest concern is that I may have the courage and determination

Private Pat Kennedy, 18th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

We were told by our officer that we were to take part

in the attack, and the men were excited.

Everybody thought it would be a walkover.

The bombardment was so heavy, and the men were in excellent spirits.

They were all volunteers, and they were looking

to beating the Germans, and finishing the war quickly.

No one believed there could be a defeat.

Everyone was eager, and anxious to go forward.

Private Albert Atkins, 7th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.

Imagine yourself, standing in a trench with water

well over your knees, crouching against the side

of the muddy trench, while thousands of unseen shells

There is a very slight pause - then...

it bursts with a tearing, rumbling blinding crash,

sending tonnes of earth into the air to fall back on the inmates

of the trench, and hurling thousands of red-hot splinters

in all directions, killing or maiming all they happen to strike.

And all around are men moaning in agony or lying

Captain Charles May, 22nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

I must not allow myself to dwell on the personal - there is no room

If it be that I am to go, I am ready.

But the thought that I may never see you or our darling baby again

My one consolation is the happiness that has been ours.

Second Lieutenant Jack Engall, 1/16th Battalion Queen's

I'm very proud of my section, because it is the only section

in the whole of the machine gun company that is going over the top.

And my two particular guns have been given the most advanced,

and therefore most important, positions of all - an honour

So you can see that I have cause to be proud.

I have a strong feeling that I shall come through this safely.

But nevertheless, should it be God's holy will to call me away,

And I could not wish for a finer death.

And my dear Mother and Dad will know that I died

doing my duty to my God, my country, and my King.

Lieutenant Thomas Barrett, Seventh Battalion,

Remember me in your prayers and look on the bright side of things

Now don't worry because I shall write as soon as I can.

I have arranged for all my money and things should anything happen

I think this is all so will conclude with heaps of love.

Remember always, I am only doing my duty and this should make

Second Lieutenant Eric Rupert Heaton.

My great aim has been to win their respect,

which I trust I have accomplished and hope that,

when the time comes, I shall not fail them.

If I fall, do not let things be black for you.

Be cheerful, and you will be living then always to my memory.

I thank God for my brother and sisters who have all been very

You are all in my thoughts as I enter this first battle.

Eric Rupert Heaton, Charles May and Jack Engall did not

survive the first day of the battle.

Thomas Barrett was killed on the 4th of July.

Only Pat Kennedy and Albert Atkins survived the war.

So, as we prepare for our moment of reflection, our to minute's silence,

we will have the first of tonight's 28 Vigils, being mounted by five

military personnel, three from the UK and two from France. Four of them

will be standing Vigil at the Stone Of Remembrance, supervised by one

conducting officer. The event is being followed carefully by Prince

Harry and by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Warrant Officer James

Grantham of the royal Horse Artillery, whose great uncle George

Henry Grantham served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, and died

at the age of 18 on the first day of the battle. His body was never

found. All servicemen representing parts of

the amped forces who served in the battle. We also have representatives

of the French Armed Forces. By all the glories of the day

And the cool evening's benison By that last sunset touch that lay

Upon the hills when day was done By beauty lavishly outpoured

And blessings carelessly received By all the days that I have

lived Make me a solider, By all of all man's hopes

and fears And all the wonders poets

sing By the romantic ages

stored With high endeavour

that was his By all his mad

catastrophes Make me a man,

O Lord I, that on my familiar hill

Saw with uncomprehending eyes A hundred of thy sunsets

spill Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice Ere the sun

swings his noonday sword On the eve of battle, there is

sometimes quite reflection, and for some, prayer. During the war, the

soldiers' prayer, written by the chaplain general, was issued to the

troops. 100 years ago, the words of this prayer would no doubt have been

a comfort to some of the men sat in the trenches, contemplating what was

to come. They would have been seeking inner strength. In the words

of the prayer, to think wisely, to speak rightly, to resolve bravely,

to act kindly, to live purely, to be blessed in body and insole, and to

be a blessing to their comrades. Even in the face of the fury of war.

As we keep our own Vigil this night, as we remember with sorrow such

great national and personal loss, we offer our thanks for their courage,

and we pledge ourselves anew to live lives worthy of their sacrifice. Let

us pray. Ever, living God, as we remember

those of you have gathered into the storm of war, into the peace of your

presence, hear our prayers for all who strive for peace and all who

yearn for justice in our world. Help us who today remember the cost of

war, to work for a better tomorrow, and as we commend to you lives lost

in terror and conflict, bring us all in the end to the peace of your

presence through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Faithful God, you hear those who call on you in trust and you comfort

those who mourn. Hear us, as we remember those who

fell in the roar of battle, and died in the mire and clay of the

trenches. Hear us as we remember those who

survived the battle but returned wounded in mind and body.

Hear us as we remember those who mourned the dead and the loss of

homes and communities. May the nations united today in

sorrow, find a single voice to sing a new song of peace, hope and

freedom, for the sake of Your world and the advancement of Your kingdom.

In crisis Christ, Our Lord. Amen. The band of the Royal Irish #k7

regiment. -- Royal Irish Regiment.

The band master is Officer Douglas. So the royal guests are leaving.

The vigil was relatively brief in duration. Tonight was to set the

scene in this solemn moment for people in the UK and here in France

and then to think about tomorrow. The events of tomorrow, they will

be, of course, the end of the vigil in the morning. These vigils will

carry on overnight. No fewer than 28 changes overnight here in Thiepval.

The vigils will end at Zero Hour, 0730.

That will come to an end at Westminster Abbey. We are covering

that in the morning. Then later in the morning, the major

commemoration, the formal event attended by heads of state and

Government and thousands of guests, from all parts of the world. It will

take place here tomorrow. Events starting at 10.15am in local

time, 09. .15am here in the UK. The scene here in Picardy at the

memorial to the missing of the Somme.

The band of the Royal Irish Regiment.

The band entertaining the people here while the main guests leave.

Let me explain that the vigil is to be maintained by troops, part of the

regiments that fought in the Battle of the Somme. Representing them.

Come priced of the British try service contingent, personnel from

the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and indeed

France and lots of the Commonwealth countries. Here we have the first of

the vigil changes taking place. This is the turn of the Australian

Federation Guard. Underlining the fact that three

Australian divisions fought in the Somme.

Over 45 days, the Australians undertook 19 separate attacks and

suffered heavy casualties, more than 23,000.

So the Australians, Major Scott Owen Stevens and colleagues. They are now

in place for the second rotation, the second round, if you like, of

the vigil here at Thiepval. There will be a further 27 before

0730. And a glorious light here in the

evening at Thiepval, I I have to say. We have had heavy rain in the

day. There were lots of fingers crossed for a dry evening. We have

been relatively lucky. If you had seen the rain earlier, you would

have thought it was pretty bad. It has been a lovely evening. Shirley

and Richard here with me as we look ahead to tomorrow at the end of this

broadcast. Some of the strongest contributions were the letters

written home. Richard, you have spoken to many of the veterans. Just

to underline for us again the kind of emotions that were racing not

just here in Picardy, 100 years ago but in all kinds of homes back in

the UK too? Well the men who were here were clearly stealing

themselves for tonight for what would be an extremely traumatic day.

They knew that, most of them. At home, of course, the British public

were aware an offensive was about to begin. Their hearts went out to

their loved ones. There was nothing that they could do, only wait and

pray that they would not get the buff-coloured envelope to say that

their loved one was killed or wounded. So the expectation for the

battle was so enormous amongst the British population. They really

wanted it to be the battle that would break the front open and lead

to a relatively quick victory. Sadly, it was not to be. The

devastation it caused across the United Kingdom was immense.

Shirley, looking ahead to the major commemoration tomorrow, involving

heads of state and Government and hundreds of descendents of people

that fought, I am wondering your thoughts tonight as we look forward

to the events tomorrow? I think my thought is that I hope to God we

have learned a lesson. That the memory of what those men went

through, what their families went through, will make us as far as we

possibly can, never do this again. You will be with us tomorrow? Yes.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your company. The vigils

here in France, and across the UK have started we remember what lay

ahead for the troops on the eve of the Somme. The scale of the

duration, it was beyond comprehension. We are back tomorrow

morning to mark the time. Zero Hour. 0730. 0830 here in France when the

British and the French forces went over the top for the Battle of the

Somme. A battle that would last four months and claim hundreds of

thousands of lives. We end with the images of some of those troops

marching to the battle 100 years ago tonight. Good night.