The gut-wrenching diary of a Lieutenant written on the first day of the Somme, a battle which resulted in the deaths of around 300,000 soldiers, has been dug out 108 years on.The entry was penned by Lieutenant Ernest Pearson on July 1 1916, known as the bloodiest day in British history with 57,000 casualties including 20,000 deaths, and gives a 'blow by blow' account of the brutal battle.The soldier's notes show how early optimism was soon wiped out as British troops were mown down on the disastrous first day.
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