A CENTURY ago today, Douglas Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War, called off the Battle of the Somme in France after nearly five months of mass slaughter.

By the end of the battle, the British Army had suffered about 420,000 casualties, including the estimated 60,000 casualties on July 1, 1916.

Soldiers from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry were not involved on the first day of the battle, but seven battalions fought on the Somme, including two which took part in a diversionary attack on Fromelles on July 19.

The 2/1 Bucks and 2/4 Oxfords were involved in direct combat with the Germans which left many dead.

Although the battle ended on November 18, 1916, the war was not over for soldiers from the regiment and archivist Steve Berridge has vowed to continue his mammoth task of transcribing the war diary and regimental chronicle of the 2nd Battalion.

Mr Berridge is a volunteer at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock and often travels to war memorial sites in France.

A former corporal in the Royal Green Jackets, his interest in the history of the regiment started when he began researching the life story of his great-grandfather Corporal George Berridge, who served in the 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion.

The 53-year-old said his great-grandfather joined up in 1902 and was allowed home before the actual Battle of the Somme in 1916 because of his age and length of service.

He died in 1956 at the age of 72 following a long illness that may have been related to being gassed during the First World War.

November saw the 2nd Battalion in action in the final stages of the Battle of the Somme and on November 13 the battalion puts in an attack over the Redan Ridge sector of the battlefield that was the scene of failed attacks on July 1.

Mr Berridge said: "On November 13 the battalion attacked with the Second Division across Redan Ridge, a featureless area of high ground devoid of much cover.

"The battalion managed to take its first objective but then owing to the mist and fog lost its way and eventually got mixed up with other units in a confused action in which only limited further gains were made.

"This same ground had been the objective of attacks on the first day of the battle, and had remained in German hands right up to this last phase of the battle.

"The one significant event of November 13 was the Capture of Beaumont Hamel, another July 1 objective, by the 51st (Highland) Division, although this may not have been possible without the supporting attacks across Redan Ridge by the 2nd Division on its left!

"The Somme battle was officially closed down on the November 18 but the following winter months would still see activity in the Somme, with periods of rest in between.

"During a period of rest and training near the historic forest of Crecy, Christmas, 1916, was spent under something approaching peacetime conditions.

"The regiment returned in January, 1917, to the scene of the early Somme fighting of the previous July, and for many weeks held a line of posts on the left of the Albert-Bapaume road, in every kind of discomfort.

"In very severe weather, with little protection from shellfire and none from the wet and cold, and with only such cooking in the forward posts as was possible with a short allowance of solidified alcohol fuel, the health of the regiment, usually excellent, became impaired and a number of cases of trench foot and frost bite occurred."

Terry Roper, chairman of the Oxford branch of the Royal Green Jackets Association, said: "The Somme commemoration at Oxford Town Hall on July 1 was very well supported.

"And the Turning the Pages ceremony at Christ Church on Armistice Day, and all the Remembrance Sunday services this year were poignant because we were remembering all those who died at the Somme, and in other battles in the two world wars.

"The idea of the Somme was to relieve pressure on the French but the generals were too inflexible in the face of unbearable losses.

"Lessons were learned but that did not bring back the thousands of soldiers who were killed.

"We also need to reflect on the sacrifice made in conflicts since the two world wars, including Korea, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan."

Brigadier Robin Draper, president of the Oxford branch of the Royal Green Jackets Association, said: "On Armistice Day at Christ Church we remembered the 5,878 soldiers from the county regiment who gave their lives in the First World War, and those from the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars.

"Today marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the 141 days of the Battle of the Somme, which has become embedded in our psyche as a byword for sacrifice.

"It would be good to pause to remember the 2,000 soldiers from seven battalions of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry who were part of that sacrifice."

War diary

NOVEMBER 1 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – MAILLY MAILLET.

All ranks were kept fairly well employed in working parties, which took from 200 to 300 men daily, with proportion of officers.

The weather was for the most part bad, and the trenches and overland tracks became very bad.

NOVEMBER 7 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – MAILLY MAILLET.

In billets and on working parties.

64th Reinforcement of 43 other ranks joined for duty.

NOVEMBER 9 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – REDAN SECTOR.

The Regiment Relieved the 24th Royal Fusiliers on the whole REDAN Sector, normal frontage of two battalions.

The relief began up 6TH AVENUE about 4 pm and was effected without incident.

The trenches were found to be, on account of the weather, in an appalling condition, in many places impassable, so that traffic was generally overland after dark.

About 9.20pm Captain PEPLOE was very badly wounded by a sniper said to be lying out in "NO MANS LAND " at quite short range, in the leg near the thigh, and died a few minutes afterwards while being brought in.

This occurred while he was on his way to visit the Bombing Post on the north face of the REDAN. Lieut. V. E. FANNING succeeded to the command of the Company (B).

NOVEMBER 10 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – REDAN SECTOR.

The wet condition of the trenches changing to one of heavy sticking mud, which made progress even more difficult.

Conference of Commanding Officers at Brigade H.Q. at BEAUSSART at 3 p.m.

NOVEMBER 12 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – MAILLY MAILLET.

Z" day. Objective.-The 24th Royal Fusiliers on the left of the 5th Infantry Brigade, having on their right the 2nd Highland Light Infantry and on their left the right battalion of the 6th Infantry Brigade, were to take and consolidate that part of the German Front System opposite them as far east as a trench referred to as the GREEN LINE. This to be attacked by that Regiment (24th Royal Fusiliers) in four waves, with the 52nd Light Infantry following in support, ultimately to pass through the 24th Royal Fusiliers and capture that part, to its front, of a trench referred to as the YELLOW LINE, but to be prepared to afford all possible support, if and when required, to the 24th Royal Fusiliers.

Considerable inconvenience and some casualties were, however, caused by a party of about 40 Germans, who remained for nearly 48 hours "unmopped-up" in the German Front Line about the point to which it was intended to dig the CAT STREET TUNNEL.

NOVEMBER 17 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI –To Billets MAILLY MAILLET.

On the afternoon of the 17th November the 52nd Light Infantry and 17th Royal Fusiliers were withdrawn to billets in MAILLY MAILLET.

NOVEMBER 26 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – CANCHY.

Lieut. J. B. Slade-Baker rejoined from attachment to H.Q. 2nd Division, and took over command of Letter D Company from 2nd Lieut. R. Blackwell.

NOVEMBER 27 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – CANCHY to FONTAINE-SUR-MAYE.

2nd Lieut. R. Blackwell took over command of Letter C Company from 2nd Lieutenant P Booth (to Hospital)

NOVEMBER 28 1916 –2nd Bn Oxf & Bucks LI – FONTAINE-SUR-MAYE.