Today is the 91st anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, one of the largest battles of the First World War. The battle is best remembered for its first day, 1 July 1916, on which British and Commonwealth units suffered 57,470 casualties – 19,240 dead, 35,493 wounded, 2,152 missing and 585 prisoners — the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. Initial casualties were especially heavy among officers, who still dressed differently from non-commissioned officers and other ranks, and whose uniforms the Germans had been trained to recognise. It’s estimated that the Germans suffered 8,000 casualties on the British front, 2,200 of which were prisoners of war. Nasty business, this war lark!