The events of the Battle of the Somme as they unfolded a century ago are told in a new app released by the Royal British Legion and television historian Dan Snow.
‘Remember the Somme‘ uses first-hand audio accounts from the time, diary excerpts from the frontline, film and photo archives and animated battle maps to tell the story of the 1916 offensive.
Dan Snow said: “This partnership with the Royal British Legion is important because never before has information about the Battle of the Somme been collated in an app like this.
“I am passionate that technology can and should be used to give history a contemporary edge and make it relevant for new generations.
“The app brings to life the experiences of soldiers in the trenches, explains the reasons for the battle and helps people explore its historical and political consequences in a new way.”
The Battle of the Somme cost more than a million British, Commonwealth, French and German casualties (dead, wounded or missing).
On the British side, it was the biggest test so far for the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who’d answered calls to enlist after the outbreak of the First World War, often joining up together from workplaces and sports clubs to serve in ‘Pals battalions’.
The Royal British Legion’s Head of Remembrance, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch said: “As the national custodian of Remembrance, the Legion is always looking for new and innovative ways to preserve the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifices during conflict.
“We hope that this app will highlight to new audiences just how much of an impact the Battle of the Somme had on communities across the UK.”
The app – ‘Remember the Somme with Dan Snow and The Royal British Legion’ – is free and available to download for mobile phones and tablet devices. More details of this and other Somme Centenary events can be found on the Royal British Legion website.
Source & images: The Royal British Legion
Posted by: CN Editorial Team