1rst of july 1916

My youngest son brought this badge back from his summer school tour of the First World war sites.
The war graves at Beaumont Hamel (France) have now been designated as an official Canadian war memorial, the memorial is in remembrance of the men and boys that fell during the batlle of the Somme, it's first engagement was at Beaumont Hamel where the 1rst Newfoundland Regiment on the above date went over the top, 733 of 803 men of that regiment were either killed or wounded, all of the officers were killed or wounded.
The statistics of the First World war continues to shock and horrify me, this little story reminds of the real global nature of it's misery.