The Somme offensive of 1916 was vital for the British military in order to protect the western front. The French, devastated at Verdun, were weakened and they called for the British to put pressure on the German lines to ease the pressure on their army.

Sir Douglas Haig, the commander of the British forces, organized an attack that would break through the German lines and open a pathway for the cavalry, breaking the stalemate that was in existence in the trenches. However, the Germans were well forewarned of the attack and had firmly entrenched themselves in their defences.

On July 1, 1916, in broad daylight, 100,000 soldiers went "over the top" and commenced the attack on the German trenches. Loaded down with 60 pound packs they proceeded slowly against heavy machine gun fire. With 57,000 casualties, the British Army suffered its heaviest single day loss ever. The Newfoundland Regiment, fighting with the 29th British Division (Newfoundland had not yet joined Confederation), was nearly annihilated. From 801 men at the beginning of the battle to only 68 unwounded at the finish, the Newfoundlanders suffered severely.

On September 15, the Canadian Corps joined in the attack. Fighting on both the Somme front and the Canal du Nord, a branch of the Somme trench, they reinforced the soldiers already fighting there. With the support of a handful of tanks they proceeded to advance toward their objectives. After much difficult fighting, the Canadians managed to capture the German's Regina Trench with valiant effort. They continued to capture Desire Trench as well. After these successes, the battle ground to a standstill as winter arrived and the battlefield was rendered a boggy quagmire.