The offensive on the Somme took place between July 1 and November 18 1916 and is arguably the most iconic battle of the Great War. Kitchener's infamous Pals Battalions were first sent into the battlefield en masse and it was a here where many of the dreams and aspirations of a nation, hopeful of victory, were agonizingly dashed. More than three million men fought in the battle and one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in history.