The Somme

Series 1 | Episode 1 | The Somme

The Somme

At 7.30am on 1 July 1916, British soldiers mounted an attack on German army positions in northern France: the biggest battle mounted by Britain since Waterloo.

"The Big Push" was meant to break the stalemate of trench warfare on the Western Front, offer relief to the French at Verdun, and get the war moving again. However, the attack plan, a compromise reached by British commander-in-chief Douglas Haig and his army commander Henry Rawlinson, was fatally flawed. As 60,000 British soldiers went "over the top" they were met by a devastating barrage of German machine guns and artillery that should by then have been destroyed by the preliminary British barrage.

By the end of the day over 19,240 men were dead, with another 35,493 wounded. A byword for the futility of war, the Somme marked the end of chivalrous notions of combat, and loudly heralded the mechanised slaughter of modern warfare.

On TV

First Shown

Date Time Channel
Saturday 07 November 2009 9PM More4

Last Shown

Date Time Channel
Sunday 08 November 2009 2AM More4

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  1. I am gutted I missed this, my great grandfather was killed at the Somme so I have a vested interest in this programme. When is it on again?
    Posted by Lizzy on 18/11/2009 20:05:16
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  2. When will the The Channel 4 Lost Generation Names database be available
    Posted by John Flood on 17/11/2009 20:27:21
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  3. Probably the best drama-documentary ever shown on TV about the events on the Somme and that awful day on 1 July 1916 when so many young lads were led to their slaughter. Hindsight is a wonderful thing !!.To answer Dave Royston's question the composer was Daniel Giogetti and the music was so fitting for the programme - simply beautiful to listen to and captured the mood perfectly. All I can ask is that Channel 4 release this on DVD and also consider a release of the music on CD - please.I visited the Somme last year and found Charlie May's grave in Dantzig Alley cemetery and it was so moving having watched the programme.Their name liveth for evermore.
    Posted by Chris on 14/11/2009 21:36:50
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  4. I only found out about this programme when I googled my mother's maiden name and my great uncle William Trenowath's name came up against this programme. This is one of the programmes I would have watched and it is so frustrating to discover it was "last on" on Sunday. Is this going to be on OD or repeated on Channel 4?
    Posted by Charlotte on 13/11/2009 19:16:51
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  5. Channel 4, what use is "last on" !? We want to know "On next" or "Avavilable at" - telling us when this programme was last on is pretty pointless! There's a lot of people that want to watch this again but there isnt any communication as to when it will be shown!
    Posted by Jon on 11/11/2009 21:35:12
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  6. Who composed the music for this programme, it was moving and quite wonderful is it available on CD?
    Posted by dave royston on 10/11/2009 12:41:45
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  7. Does anybody know whereI can upload this from or if it is going to be repeated? As I only managed to catch the last 4 episodes and really want to watch the first 2?
    Posted by Kim on 09/11/2009 20:19:48
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  8. Really wanted to watch this excellant account of the horrors of un-necessary wars. Is this going to be available to watch on 4oD ? I am sure this would be well watched. Many Thanks
    Posted by John Flaherty on 08/11/2009 12:46:36
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  9. Is this programme available for download or on DVD. Prices if possible.
    Posted by J Bilclough on 08/11/2009 12:05:03
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  10. I have been researching my family history to find that my great uncle Charle Thomas Poole of the 1st Lancashire lost his life at Serre on the 1st day of the Battle of The Somme. Before I watched this programme I could only begin to imagine what happened on that day. The true horror unfolded and showed how someone at the age of 24 with all to live for could be gunned down so efficiently by the Germans. This is truely something we should never forget.I am learming more and more at the age of 41, WHY WAS I NEVER TAUGHT THIS IMPORTANT HISTORY AT SCHOOL. EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW AND NO-ONE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FORGET.
    Posted by Denise Thompson on 08/11/2009 11:34:05
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  11. The 1st day of the Somme was to be 30th June 1916 but was delayed due to poor weather. Unfortunately, word could not get to 11th,12th and 13th Btns Royal Sussex Regiment (formed into South Downs Regiment)(Lowthers Lambs). They commenced battle at Boar's Head near Richbourg France, in early hours of 30th June. This was to be a diversion to allow Allies to commence battle elsewhere on The Somme. This was the 'day Sussex died' as hundreds lost their lives, many from the same family. One earned a postumous VC for bravery.They engaged the enemy front line and held the seconf line for 4 hours before being beaten after running out of ammunition. This Battle does not appear in any books and should do. My great Uncle Alfred Isted died aged 19 in this battle. He signed up as a Private and rose to the rank of Lance Corporal at the time of his death.His body was never found and his name is on the Loos Memorial in France. He was a friend of John, Rudyard Kiplings son. They lived in Burwash, East Sussex and many of the young men signed up for the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1914. Kipling's father bought him a commission in The Irish Regiment, but he was killed in 1915. Rudyard Kipling had the medals of the dead soldiers mounted on plaques of Sussex Oak from his land. I still have the plaque and medals of Alfred. Every year the Mayor of Richbourg, France holds a ceremony at the St Vaast cemetary to honour those who lost their lives at the Battle of Boar's Head. the parade then marches to the town square for a ceremony for the whole town.He had vowed to do this on the last Saturday in June, until the 100th anniversary when the ceremony will be held on 30th June -the actual anniversary. We will be attending this ceremony. I would also like to have a book published in time for this anniversary entitled 'The Battle of Boar's Head - the Day Sussex Died.' It may have been a battle lost, but we owe it to the boys of Sussex for it to be recorded.
    Posted by Julie Maley on 07/11/2009 18:43:19
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  12. Pt Robert Brewster was my Great Grandfather, and from an artical in the Leven Advertiser and Wemyss Gazette dated 30th September 1915, (Which I have with other records) I have established that he was given a funeral with full militray honours, borne on a gun carriage, which was the first time this had been witnesed Methil/Aberhill, at least in living memory. The funeral was fixed for two oclock, however long before then several thousand persons had assembled along the rout to the cemetery. It is with eager anticipation I am looking forward to your programs in the hope that it may cast some light on why he recieved such honours. That is not to say that they all deserved to be honoured in that way for what they went through. Any more detailed info regarding my Great Grandfather would be greatly appreciated, my undertaking doing my family's history is so the future generations will understand the sacrifice so many made that we can be here and enjoy freedom.
    Posted by Allan Gillies Brewster on 05/11/2009 17:23:57
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  13. Is this show available for purchase on DVD?
    Posted by Tony Vasile on 04/11/2009 10:23:18
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  14. This is the history we should be teaching our children in schools not what the Romans did for us etc..etc
    Posted by STANLEY1706 on 22/10/2009 19:07:08
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  15. The British attack on 1st July 1916 was part of an allied offensive involving British and French divisions on adjacent parts of he front. This was just the first day of a battle that continued until November and which was instrumental in breaking the power of the German army and hence its ability to win the war. As such it was not a futile operation and its main technological innovation was the introduction of the tank.
    Posted by Peter Haldane on 19/10/2009 11:20:07
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  16. I re read the paragraph refering to the opening day of the Battle of the Somme.I believe the correct figure for the number of British soldiers going over the top that morning was 120,000 rather than the 60,000 quoted.This latter figure refers to the subsequent killed,wounded and missing figure usually quoted.
    Posted by Nigel Holmes on 14/10/2009 21:05:05
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  17. I have looked at the Commonwealth war grave web site and found. LT.HD ALLEN 10TH WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT son of Theophilus and Elizabeth Mary Allan,of Stanyards,Chobham Surry.KIA 1-jULY 1917 buried at Fricourt on the Somme. The 10th were a Kitchener Battalion in 17th Division .They attacked Fricourt on the first day of the Somme battle,22 officers and 750 men were killed in the attack.More info could be found at the National Acchives.
    Posted by N HOLMES on 12/10/2009 14:34:21
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  18. Researching Humphrey Decius Allen - google search brings up the Somme WW1 page but I cannot find further information on H D Allen that is shown on the google page - how do I get to this information please. Lieutenant Allen was killed in action 1 July 1916.
    Posted by Carol Lathwell on 09/10/2009 16:32:49
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Sunday 08 November

2AM, More4

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