Battle of the Somme 100th anniversary: How the Midlands is marking the occassion

Events across the UK and France are marking the start of the battle on July 1 1916, a day that became the bloodiest in British military history with almost 20,000 dead.

After an eight-day bombardment of German lines, at 7.28am on 1 July 1916 the whistles blew ordering men to climb out of their trenches and cross 'no-man's land'.

By the end of the four-month battle in northern France, more than a million soldiers had been killed and wounded on both sides of the fighting.

The First World War would drag on for another two years.

Here's how the region is remembering:

Staffordshire

National Memorial Arboretum

A large-scale commemorative service will take place in the Arboretum grounds on Friday, followed by a live-linked televised showing of the international Service of Remembrance, hosted by the French & UK Governments, at the Thiepval Monument in northern France.

100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme Service of Remembrance in Stafford.

At The Collegiate Church of St Mary at 9am.

The Staffordshire Regiment Museum will dedicate the whole weekend to commemorating the battle.

Two new exhibitions will be opened, 'Forward North Stafford's' and 'Requiem'.

Forward North Stafford's will look at the contribution made to the war effort by Cecil Wedgewood, while Requiem is an artistic exhibition made entirely out of brown paper.

The museum will also be offering free trench tours throughout the weekend.

7.28am - Cannock Royal British Legion - cenotaph commemoration, three whistles will be blown, cadets wearing First World War naval uniforms.

The Royal British Legion (Brownhills Branch) will be holding a Centenary Commemoration Service for The Somme at 11am at St James Church Cenotaph, Brownhills.

Staffordshire Regimental Museum, Lichfield – Candlelit vigil at 7pm involving Navy Cadets, Legion Riders Branch and Lichfield ACS

DMS Whittington Barracks, Lichfield – Candlelit vigil and service at 7am

The Battle of the Somme public information film, made in 1916, which has been restored by the Imperial War Museum, will be shown at the Museum of Cannock Chase on July 9 and Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, on September 16 for free.

Wolverhampton

The Royal British Legion's City of Wolverhampton Central Branch and The Ex-Service Council will be holding a service of remembrance at the Cenotaph, St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton starting at 11.30am.

Bilston Remembered presents a Black Country Tribute to The Heroes of The Somme featuring a talk by Tom Larkin of Black Country Memories. It takes place at the Metro Café, Church Street, Bilston, from 2pm on Friday and all are welcome. For more details, please contact Councillor Stephen Simkins on 07775 007989.

The Penn Branch of the Royal British Legion is inviting people in the local area to join them at St Phillips Church, Penn Fields at 8pm for a Commemoration Service of the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Jutland around the War memorial.

Sandwell

Blackheath Royal British Legion will give three short whistle blasts at 7.30am at Powke Lane Cemetery, Blackheath.

Oldbury Royal British Legion service at 11am at Oldbury Cenotaph in the Civic Square. The Last Post will sound out followed by readings and a two-minutes' silence.

Service at Birmingham Cathedral between 11am and noon. Service personnel will be attending.

Church of England in Aston. July 3. A service featuring music from Band of the Royal Warwickshire Regimental.

Dudley

7.30 - Commemorative gathering in remembrance at Holy Trinity Church, Wordsley.

Tipton Library is holding a special local history coffee morning with local historian Andrew Johnson from 10.30 called The Somme - local heroes.

Ceremony in Victoria Park, Tipton. Wreaths to be laid and whistles blown at 7.30am, to mark the exact time when the troops first went over the top 100 years ago to three short blasts of a whistle.

Walsall

A presentation by Aldridge Great War Project called Aldridge Remembers the Somme, with voices from past read by Aldridge School pupils, at Aldridge Library from 10am.

A gathering at Aldridge War Memorial. At 7.30pm. Part of initiative to encourage communities to recognise their memorials.

Walsall and Bloxwich branch of the Staffordshire Regiment Association with the Walsall branch of the Mercian Volunteers Regimental Association, holding a whistle remembrance at 7.29m at Walsall cenotaph, Bradford Place, Walsall.