The Somme

Beneath the Somme battlefield lies one of the great secrets of the First World War, a recently-discovered network of deep tunnels thought to extend over several kilometres. This lost underground battlefield, centred on the small French village of La Boisselle in Picardy, was constructed largely by British troops between 1914 and 1916. Over 120 men died here in ongoing attempts to undermine the nearby German lines and these galleries still serve as a tomb for many of those men.

The Great War. What many thought would be a short war, "over by Christmas," soon settled into a long slaughter, facilitated by new technology: the improved machine gun, long-range high-explosive artillery, airplanes, tanks, submarines, and mustard gas. The loss of life was unparalleled.

Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas travels to France to unearth his great uncles' involvement in the Battle of the Somme. At Mametz Wood he joins an archaeological dig, which reveals new discoveries.

Documentary account of World War One's Battle of the Somme, infamous as one of the bloodiest mistakes in the history of military conflict. 60,000 British soldiers fell on the first day alone, and a further 400,000 lives were lost - all in order to gain just six miles of territory.

The Somme – The First 24 Hours with Tony Robinson tells the powerful and moving story of five men of one battalion as they enlist, train for and take part in the worst disaster in the history of the British army. With a secret diary kept by Private Frank Meakin – the first time it has been seen on television anywhere – and the haunting battlefields of northern France as a backdrop, Sir Tony Robinson recounts the tale of the Sheffield City ‘pals’ as only he can.