Heroes of the Somme

The Heroes of the Somme uses original archive from the Western Front to uncover the stories of seven of the men whose remarkable bravery won them the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prized military medal. World War One's Somme Offensive was fought in North Western France. It lasted 141 days and involved 13 allied nations fighting 14 separate battles. July 1st 1916, Day One of the battle, was the worst in British military history, when General Haig's Army suffered 60,000 casualties. By the end of the offensive the total for both sides was a million. This extraordinary sacrifice was made for just 6 miles of empty farmland. Of the more than a million British and Dominion troops who fought on the Somme, just 51 were awarded the Victoria Cross.