Image source, Getty Images

On the One Show last night, you may have caught a snippet of the orchestral soundtrack for the Battle of the Somme film which was released in 1916 and watched by nearly half the population of Britain at the time. 

Now you can see the whole film, which includes footage from the front lines of the Somme, accompanied by Laura Rossi’s acclaimed score commissioned by the Imperial War Museum.  

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History of World War One

This bugle was one of many used at zero hour on July 1st, directing soldiers to go over the top at Thiepval. It was sounded by Bugler J. Downs, who survived the first day of the Somme, but died later in the war.

See more objects from the Battle of the Somme and the Easter Rising, external on BBC Voices 16

Would you have had what it took to lead a platoon at the Battle of the Somme?  Take on the role of a young commander during an attack on High Wood on 14 July 1916, and see how effective your choices are.

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BBC Radio Scotland

In today's second short episode, actor Brian Cox continues to narrate the story of the Scottish troops on the Somme.

Toronto police officer Joanna Wright and her brother Major David Wright discuss their great grandfather - Pipe Major David Anderson of the 15th Royal Scots  

Sixty thousand British soldiers were deployed in the first hour of the attack. The initial assault was a disaster. The British made some gains but suffered 30,000 casualties.

BBC iWonder: Why was the first day of the Somme such a disaster?

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Image source, Belfast Telegraph

On the morning of Saturday 1 July, 1916, the Battle of the Somme was starting. In the midst of it, the 12,000 or so men of the 36th Ulster Division.

By the end of Sunday, more than 5,000 would be casualties of the battle. Around 2,000 would be dead.

Almost 700 miles away newspapers at home - the forefront source of news in its day - would face a week of trying to make sense of the unprecedented loss of life suffered by the division and British forces at the Somme.

BBC NI's Ciaran McCauley looks at how newspapers brought news of casualties home. 

Image source, PA

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will be joined by Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a service of remembrance at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme later this morning. 

Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande will be among the 10,000 people expected to attend the event.

History of World War One

When we think of soldiers in the trenches, we tend to imagine them under constant enemy fire. In fact, the trenches were an elaborate network designed to keep men safe. A typical soldier spent only 15% of his time in the firing line.

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History of World War One

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BBC iWonder: Why was the first day of the Somme such a disaster?

History of World War One

Image source, Imperial War Museum

The Royal Dublin Fusiliers was made up of recruits from Dublin and the surrounding Irish counties. The men were professional soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

They were to be part of secondary assaults planned to take place mid-morning. In the early hours of the morning the soldiers formed up in their trenches near Beaumont-Hamel.

At 09.00am 503 soldiers advanced, coming under heavy fire. Five minutes later two runners brought the news the attack should be postponed.

Major Walsh halted C and D companies, but the rest of the battalion were already in no-man’s land and could not retreat.

Image source, Imperial War Museum

The Robin Hood Rifles was made up of volunteers from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The soldiers were based on the northern part of the Somme at Gommecourt. Their job was to divert the Germans forces away from the main attack.

At 07.30am the soldiers went over the top a series of waves, and came under intense fire from machine gun posts Schwalben Nest on their left flank.

The commanding officer was killed and most of his men never made it across No Man's Land. By mid-morning the attacks were called off.

Out of the 800 men who fought that day, 424 were casualties.

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Rifleman Harvey Gibbs is one of those who took part in a vigil at Thiepval overnight.

The 19-year-old said it was "hard to take in what happened". 

Asked by presenter Dan Snow why young men his age would have gone over the top, he said: "You get a massive bond with blokes you train with. 

"They trained with them, they fought with them, they lived with them - and ultimately they died with them."

History of World War One

Image source, Imperial War Museum

This division was made up of four Pals battalions from Liverpool and four from Manchester alongside four battalions of men from the Regular army.

In the days before the attack the British soldiers dug a new trench 150-200 yards nearer to the enemy. The soldiers were tasked with capturing the town of Montauban and seizing a heavily fortified German position in a ruined French brickyard 2,000 yards from the British trenches.

The soldiers went over the top at 07.30am. They advanced but suffered heavy casualties from a single German machine crew firing from Railway Valley.

By 10.00am they captured the town of Montauban and three field guns – Privates Dawson and Aldcraft of the Ist Pals chalked their names on the guns in triumph.

The artillery opened a barrage on the brickworks which the 20th King’s (Liverpool) captured by 12.34pm.

The British assault was a success. However there were 6,100 casualties - around 14% of the men deployed.

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@BBCVoices16, external are tweeting updates from 1st July 1916.  Follow the fortunes of the 36th Ulster Division on the first day of the Somme with diaries, memoirs, newspapers and letters.

History of World War One

Image source, Imperial War Museum

The Ulster Division was made up of men from the northern counties of Ireland (now Northern Ireland). Their front line was next to Thiepval wood which meant when they attacked, they would immediately emerge from cover to be exposed to the enemy.

In the morning, 10 battalions assembled in the wood and made ready for battle. Their task was to advance through Thiepval wood and take a heavily defended network of German trenches, Scraben Redoubt.

The soldiers went over the top at 07.30am, through the wood and took Thiepval village and advanced on Scraben Redoubt, taking it under fierce fire.

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BBC Radio Scotland

Today, actor Brian Cox narrates the story of the Scottish troops in nine short episodes. 

Listen now to the first installment. The mines have exploded, the whistles have blown. At 07:30 the troops go over top. By 07:45, there are serious problems. 

Ahead of the silence which was just held, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired guns from Parliament Square for 100 seconds to mark the 100 years since the battle began.