LISTEN: Council flags lowered for Somme centenary
Flags have been lowered to half mast over Moray Council headquarters in Elgin today to mark the centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Flags have been lowered to half mast over Moray Council headquarters in Elgin today to mark the centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
The battle, which raged from July 1, 1916 for more than four months, was not only the costliest in terms of lives lost during the First World War, it was also one of the bloodiest in the history of mankind.
On the first day alone, almost 20,000 British service personnel were killed.
Grenville Johnston the Lord Lieutenant for Moray has been paying tribute to those who lost their lives:
Moray Council convener Councillor Allan Wright added that even though a century had passed, it was important to remember the ultimate sacrifice that so many had made.
“Men from Moray were among those who gave their lives at the Somme and the numbers, from all sides, who were killed or wounded during the campaign almost defies comprehension,” he said.
“That is why, as we commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, we must continue to honour those men and ensure that they are not simply names on a war memorial.”
Highland Council will hold a centenary commemoration in Inverness at the War Memorial in the city's Cavell Gardens today.