Watch Great Battles of the Great War: The Somme Part 1

The Battle of the Somme has a particular place in British social history. The opening day of the campaign is remembered as the worst day in British military history. As the mainly untried recruits of Kitchener's New Army went over the top they were annihilated by the waiting Germans. This programme details the opening phase of the battle and explains why so many young men volunteered.