Renfrewshire members of Royal British Legion Scottish remembered the terrible carnage of the 1916 battle of the Somme during Armed Forces Day, as part of the run-up to the centenary of the event's first day on Friday this week (July 1).

Tens of thousands of Scots, including many from Renfrewshire, fought in the all-out offensive designed to relieve pressure on the French army – slaughtered at Verdun – and score a knock-out blow against the German army.

But chronic command failures led to what has become known as the blackest day of the British army, in which nearly 60,000 men were cut down by machine guns, artillery and rifle fire during suicidal attacks on the enemy trenches.

A third of these men were killed outright.

Norman Drummond, chairman of the WW100 Scottish Commemorations Panel, said: “Scotland’s national Vigil will take place in the Scottish National War Memorial which is sited within Edinburgh Castle. “It promises to be a very moving occasion with those who wish to pay their respects filing silently through the Memorial past the Shrine where the Casket containing the original Roll of Honour for the fallen of WWI will be guarded by sentinels with heads bowed.” Through the night, the Vigil will be attended by representatives of Regimental Associations and Services who will keep watch until 7:30 am on July 1, when the slaughter began.