By the end of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, over 57,000 Commonwealth soldiers had been killed, injured or were missing.

Today is the 103rd anniversary of that terrible day, 1st July 1916.

The battle raged on for five more bloody months, and by the end of it a million people from all sides had been killed or injured.

Back in Britain, entire villages and city neighbourhoods were devastated, having lost a generation of young men.

Every community and family was affected directly or indirectly, and Britain was changed forever.

Today, let us pray and give thanks for the courage of those remarkable volunteers, who gave everything for their country.

See the Royal British Legion website for information about remembrance events during the rest of 2019.