TWO services are to be held in Worcester Cathedral on Friday to commemorate the centenary of the opening day of the Battle of the Somme in the First World War.

Organised as part of the Worcestershire World War One Hundred programme, they will complement vigils and services taking place across the UK.

The first will start just before 7.30am – the time the British and French troops went "over the top" to attack the German lines – and comprise a short act of remembrance at the cenotaph outside Worcester Cathedral. The service will be attended by the Mayor of Worcester and representatives of the Royal British Legion and is open to the public, who can gather from around 7.15am. The service will begin with the blowing of a whistle, the sound that led thousands of young men to their deaths on that fateful day in 1916.

In the afternoon, starting at 2.00pm, there will be a service in the main body of the Cathedral, attended by the county's Lord Lieutenant and other local dignitaries, which is also open to the public. This will be a commemoration drawing on music, drama, readings and reflection. Schoolchildren from Worcester, Bromsgrove, Malvern, Dudley and Kidderminster are taking part in what promises to be a moving and unforgettable experience. The chief executive of the Church Army, Canon Mark Russell, will give an address.

Dr Adrian Gregson, Worcestershire World War One Hundred project director, said: “We hope as many people as possible can join us at these two commemorative services to remember the sacrifices made at the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. There are a number of events and activities taking place over the coming week remembering the Battle of the Somme, these services will see the start of these events and I hope will bring a moment of reflection for us all.”

The Reverend Canon Dr Michael Brierley, Worcester Cathedral precentor, added: "The Battle of the Somme represents the mid-point of the First World War, and its first day was not only itself a terrible tragedy, but also encapsulates the tragedy that was the war as a whole. Many people had relatives who were caught up in the events that day, and these services are an opportunity to mark the past whilst at the same time committing ourselves to work for a more peaceful future.”

On July 1, 1916 there were 60,000 British casualties alone. The battle lasted 141 days ending on November 18, by which time the Allied Line had advanced just seven miles and a million British, French, German and Commonwealth men had been injured, captured or killed.

In Friday's Worcester News there will be an eight page supplement paying tribute to the part the Worcestershire Regiment played in the Battle of the Somme. During the four and a half months, the regiment recorded more than 4000 men killed, wounded or missing and a further 362 Worcestershire men were killed fighting in a range of other regiments and units. ,