Lochnagar

 

Loch Nagar is also the name of a mountain in Scotland.
The painting shows the start of the infamous Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. The battle began with the detonation of a series of 17 mines. Some of the immense craters, such as the Lochnagar Crater, are still visible today.
At the end of this socalled First Day of the Somme 58,000 British troops were lost (one third of them killed), which to this day remains a one-day record. The battle ran on until 18 November, at which point it was called off.


   Click on the picture to see the next one in this series, or click here to go back to the summary page.