This talk explores the strategy and tactics behind the Allies’ 1916 summer offensive, and how events across the Western Front shaped their evolution. The battle is told through the experiences of officers and men of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) revealing how the tragedy of the Somme steeled Britain’s determination to fight on as the era of total war began.

Dr Martin Watts brings together maritime experience and distinguished historical scholarship. He began his working life in the Merchant Navy, serving both at sea and ashore—an early exposure to the world’s people and places that sparked a fascination with history. With more than thirty years’ experience teaching modern history at university level, he has held posts at Canterbury Christ Church University as Senior Lecturer and Principal Research Fellow and currently teaches as an Associate Lecturer with the Open University. Martin also plays a leading role in the wider historical community as Chair of the British Association for Local History