I think the 1st of July 1916 was relevant across the whole Infantry and indeed the Army, from Surrey and the home counties, up to Tyneside and beyond, but, if you think just of the TS and TI Brigades that were in the field and what went on, those killed, those wounded, those who died later as a direct result of their wounds and all those missing, it was truly shocking.
I really can't remember which of John Sheen's books it was in, but, in one there was a photo reproduced that does show a postman in particular village up in the Northumberland waiting for his mail to be brought out to him from Newcastle, perfectly normal, but, it was taken that month and he is surrounded by women, who were all awaiting news of the men from their village.
I wonder just how many of them received that awful letter and with it, of course, the worst possible news they could ever hear.
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