Last month, Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel jointly commemorated the centenary of the Battle of Verdun, the longest battle of World War I. Both leaders praised their countries’ friendship in the aftermath of two world wars and the strengthening of their bonds through European Union cooperation.
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A man stands guard by the Croix du Sacrifice – Cross of the Sacrifice ahead of a memorial ceremony marking 100 years since the World War I Battle of the River Somme, on July 1, 2016 in Thiepval, France.
At 3pm, a remembrance service will be held at Manchester Cathedral.
The British Army suffered nearly 60,000 casualties on the first day alone and more than a million men would be killed or wounded on both sides over the course of the 141-day offensive.
July 1, 1916 has gone down on record as the bloodiest day in the history of the British army.
THE region turned out to pay respect to those who gave their lives in the Battle of the Somme.
Thousands of volunteers took part in a nationwide installation to commemorate the Battle of the Somme. We are looking at them, and what life was like beforehand. “This tribute made people slow down and feel something, which is quite a feat in the busy hive of London”, Nick Gentry, a London-based artist who took a photo of the soldiers marching in formation, told CNN.
In all, 64 men from what is now the Rochford district died during the battle.
Meanwhile, The Mercian Regiment Museum has opened a display in the Worcestershire Soldier Gallery, at the Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery on Foregate Street to mark the centenary.
“It is really to both recognise the sacrifice and the bravery of the men of our county”. These men served in many different Regiments. Whistles will be blown to mark the end of the two-minute silence after the 7.30am chimes of Big Ben.
There was a sombre air to the morning commute today as many people arrived to their tube or train station only to be met with silent soldiers in first world war military attire, who were stationed up and down the country in ticket halls, loitering on platforms and even on transport.
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It is not clear who organised the surprise event, with no organisation coming forward to admit their involvement.
