Memorial to mark Somme battle

THIEPVAL, France -- Thousands of people are expected to attend a memorial service to mark the 85th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.

The commemorative event will take place at the Thiepval Memorial in France on Sunday.

The memorial to the missing of the World War I battle was built and is maintained by the UK's Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

It bears the names of more than 72,000 who died in the Somme sector and have no known grave.

It serves as an Anglo-French battle memorial in recognition of the joint nature of the 1916 offensive, whose opening day cost some 60,000 casualties.

The offensive, which started at 7.30am on July 1, met fierce German resistance from strong defensive positions unbroken by a seven-day bombardment.

With a few exceptions, the attack was a failure, and the offensive developed into a series of battles which ended with the onset of winter and exhaustion of the troops.

Between 1st July and November, the Somme offensive by British and French forces managed to advance no further than 12 kilometres at the most.

During that period, British casualties were 420,000, while the French lost nearly 200,000 and it is estimated that German casualties were in the region of 500,000.

A small cemetery containing equal numbers of Commonwealth and French graves lies at the foot of the Thiepval memorial, which was unveiled in 1932.

Peter Francis, spokesman for the Commission, said: "The memorial stands as a reminder to us all of the human cost of the two world wars and the importance of remembrance.

"The public's interest in this anniversary is an indication that the Commission's work is as significant today as it was during World War I and an example of the determination we all share to never forget those who died."