An exhibition, honouring local soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago, opened in St Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye, today, June 27th.

The exhibition, which has been organised by the Ross branch of the Royal British Legion, has been done to commemorate the centenary of one of the bloodiest military battles in history. Friday, July 1st 2016 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first day of Battle of the Somme, one of the largest, most infamous battles of the First World War. The fighting lasted five months, beginning on July 1st and ending on November 18th, 1916.

On the first day alone, there were 57,470 British casualties. On this day, the Allies sent 100,000 men over the trenches. The day was a disaster for the British. Over the next five months, more than one million men were either killed or severely wounded.

St Mary’s Church will be open daily until Monday, July 4th, from 8am until 5pm. The church is open for quiet contemplation, prayers and the exhibition provides visitors with an opportunity to find out about the local men who died in the Battle of the Somme, during the 141 days of the campaign.

Please be aware there may be some services taking place. The organisers of the exhibition thank you for your understanding with this.

To read more about the Battle of the Somme, see the next edition of the Ross Gazette, out on Wednesday, June 29th.