Our journey to the Somme commemoration 2016 in France, by Fiona Lovesey, Royal British Legion chairman for Benson and Ewelme

Fighting at the Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916, and lasted four-and-a-half months. In total, 60 nations from across the British Empire and Europe were involved in the fighting across a 25 kilometre front. When the offensive finally came to a halt on November 18, 1916, the Battle of the Somme had claimed a million casualties; 430,000 from Commonwealth countries, with a third of this number killed.

From July 2, 2016, The Royal British Legion, in partnership with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, will host a short, daily commemorative service at the Thiepval Memorial to remember the sacrifice of individuals and communities over the subsequent 139 days of the battle.

I, and Rob Lovesey, both members of Benson and Ewelme Royal British Legion, are going the Somme this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. I work as a senior theatre matron at Wexham Park Hospital while Rob works for Thames water. Rob served for 23 years in the Royal Air Force whereas I was the Senior Nurse At RAF Hospital Wegberg before it closed down.

We are part of a group who call themselves "The Battlefield Pals" who all have a common interest in the Great War. The Battlefield Pals are friends who have an interest in the history of the First World War, all have a link to the Armed Forces of Britain and France. The group goes out to the Western Front on a regular basis, conducting research for friends and family on solders of the Great War.

We have attended several commemorations on the Western Front including the Frazenburh Ridge commemoration in 2014.

The group will be parading with the Benson and Ewelme Royal British Legion Standard, The Thirsk legion Standard (Scottish British Legion) and The Border Regiment Association Standard, and will be taking part in the commemorative service on July 25 at the Thiepval Memorial. We will be laying two remembrance wreaths on behalf of Benson and Ewelme bearing the names of those individuals who were lost in the Battle of The Somme and on behalf of Oxford County Royal British Legion, and Scottish British Legion. It is particularly important that these men are remembered on what was the bloodiest day in the bloodiest day of in the history of the British Army and a way of saying to those sons of Oxfordshire that they are not forgotten.

THE Royal British Legion is hosting a daily service at the Thiepval Memorial in France to commemorate each day of the battle. National commemorative events will take place on July 1 and November 18 to mark the 100th anniversary of the start and end of the Battle of the Somme, which lasted 141 days in total.