July 1, 1916 is generally considered the deadliest day in the history of the British military. That day, over 19,000 men were killed along a 20-mile front at the Somme, most of them in only a few hours. More than a dozen divisions went over the top that morning, but few suffered as horribly as the 31st Division in their attack on the fortress town of Serre. In today’s episode, we look at the story of the Accrington Pals (11th Btln, East Lancashire Regiment), a battalion that was all but wiped out in 30 minutes of fighting that morning.

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