The first of July 1916 marked the start of the Battle of the Somme and even the words "the Somme" are etched into the British psyche as bywords for sacrifice and slaughter as the blackest day in British military history unfolded.
Responding to their officer's whistles along the length of the front, wave after wave of the country's finest young men climbed out of their trenches at 07.30hrs to face the enemy.
At the end of the first day of the battle, 19,240 men had been killed and nearly 40,000 injured.
The battle had been planned for some time but the date had to be brought forward. The French army was fighting for its life at Verdun and they asked the British to open the Somme offensive, in order to pull enemy reserves away from Verdun.
For a week before the start of the offensive, British artillery pounded the German trenches and rear assembly lines with over two million shells and at 07.28 hrs seventeen huge underground mines were exploded under the enemy's front lines. Surely, no enemy would be left to put up a fight?
22 Spenborough men lost their lives on the first day with a further 71 as the battle raged on for a further 141 days until 18th November.
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The mark the start of the Battle of the Somme and the ultimate price paid by local men, Spenborough Branch organised two Services as follows:
30 June 2016 - Eve of Battle - 100 years on.
Whitechapel Church in Cleckheaton was the focus of the remembrance. The Service started at 8.00pm and was lead by Branch Chaplain, Mr Terry Brewis, assisted by former Branch Chaplain, The Reverend Brunel James and The Reverend Roger Smith (Central Methodists).
The Branch Standard was paraded in and a solemn service continued with hymns, prayers and poetry. The Last Post was played and the Branch Chairman gave the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph with a two minutes silence in between. The lights of the Church were gradually dimmed. The Branch Chairman gave three blasts on his whistle which was the signal to advance on that fateful morning.
The altar was illuminated and the names of the 22 Spenborough men who died on the first of July were read out, with details of Rank, Regiment, address on joining up and where buried. For each man remembered, a Branch member went forward to place a mini wreath upon the altar. Everyone else in the congregation placed an individual poppy.
Whitechapel Church was a particularly poignant setting for the service. In 1916 the Vicar was The Reverend T S Hyde who lost two of his three sons, one on the first day of the battle.
2nd Lieutenant Charles Tennant Hyde 16th West Yorkshire Regiment (1st Bradford Pals)
Lieutenant Eustace Emile Hyde 4th Royal Irish Fusliers
Branch Chaplain Terry Brewis (right) and former Chaplain Rev Brunel James with the poppy wreaths on the altar.
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1 July 2016 - Morning Breaks - 100 years on.
Members of the public responded to the invitation of the Spenborough Branch, to attend a short Service with Branch members at The War Memorial in Cleckheaton Memorial Park.
The start of the Service was 07.20 hrs, to coincide with the time that the first wave of 100,000 British troops were getting ready to go "over the top" on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Branch Standard Bearer David Lamb, with escort Jim Hodgson and Alan Serjeant. The Heckmondwike Branch Standard was carried by Mr Shawn Hartley, Branch Chaplain Terry Brewis, Paul Bird and Branch Chairman Eddie Morton.
The signal for the troops to advance, was three sharp blasts on the Officers whistles at 7.30am and to mark this evocative moment, the advance whistle was given by Paul Bird at this precise time.
Branch Member Shawn Peel laying a wreath on behalf of the Spenborough Branch. The Chairman of Heckmondwike Branch Mr Wayne McDonald also laid a wreath on behalf of the Heckmondwike Branch.
The dignified Service was conducted by Branch Chaplain, Mr Terry Brewis.
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For further details of each man on the complete Roll of Honour, please click this link.
