Ninety-eight years ago this month, at 7am on a sunny Saturday morning in France, a whistle blew and thousands of British soldiers clambered out of their trenches and were mown down by German machine guns across the other side of no man's land.

That first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1914 is now part of Britain's military history, for on that day the Army recorded some 60,000 casualties, among them nearly 20,000 dead. Hundreds of them belong to volunteer Pals battalions formed in Bradford and Leeds. All this is well known and has been chronicled over the years in the pages of the T&A.

Here, Tricia Platts, Secretary of Bradford's World War 1 Group, recounts the personal story of three friends who joined the Pals and saw what war was really like.

"Ralph Holmes, in his excellent book about the Bradford Pals, quotes this phrase from the Bradford Telegraph of September 1914: 'The special inducement of the new Bradford Service Battalion is that young men shall be enrolled to serve, shoulder to shoulder, with their friends and colleagues from civil life'.

"Indeed the recruiting slogan made much of this. JOIN TOGETHER; SERVE TOGETHER. In the summer of 1916 the families at home in Bradford were to discover that this also meant DIE TOGETHER.

"Three friends who joined together were Willie Lassey of Crossley Street, Raymond Smith of Arncliffe Terrace and Percy Dixon, also of Arncliffe Terrace.

"Willie and Percy worked as clerks in the wool trade and Raymond was also a clerk in a dyeworks. The three were part-time students at the technical college and probably also members of the gymnastic club at St Stephen's where Percy was known as a skilled wrestler. Indeed, his obituary was to describe Percy as 'a very keen sportsman and gymnast who had won many distinctions'.

"The three friends were quick to join the Pals in September 1914. Willie and Raymond were numbered 21 and 29 in the 16th Battalion. On Friday, November 6, 1914, the Bradford Daily Telegraph listed the first 1000 men to enlist in the new battalion and Willie, Raymond and Percy all appear in this 'First Complete Roll Call: a Credit to the City'.

"Training camps at Skipton and Ripon were followed by a move to Fovant in Wiltshire in September 1915 as part of 93rd Infantry Brigade. Alongside the 1st Pals were 2nd Bradford, Leeds and Durham Pals. Prior to being transported to Liverpool docks 'an old, ruddy-faced general with a tear in his eye advised them to 'Trust in God and keep your rifles clean'.

"Egypt was to be the final training ground for the Pals before they returned to Europe in March 1916 where they swapped the heat of the desert for winter in northern France.

"The Pals were to experience trench warfare during the next few weeks and their continued training was in preparation for the major offensive planned to begin on June 30 - but delayed 24 hours because of heavy rain.

"Willie Lassey was not to be part of the Battle of the Somme. He was shot in the neck by a sniper whilst moving up to trenches on 16 May. He died of his wounds later that day and is buried at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps.

"Raymond Smith was one of the many casualties on July 1. His name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial and his father, Webster Smith, gave the new family address at 184, St. Stephen's Rd., Bradford.

"Percy Dixon survived the Somme and all the subsequent battles of that year and 1917. In January 1918 the Bradford Pals battalions were disbanded. Numbers had dwindled to such an extent the surviving men were distributed amongst other units of the West Yorkshire Regiment and to some labour battalions.

"Percy was transferred to 8th West Yorks which had been formed as a Territorial Battalion, the Leeds Rifles. Percy, now a Lance Corporal, found himself in 62nd Division and facing the German 'Spring Offensive' of March 1918 and the 'Final Push' of the allies throughout the summer of that year.

"Percy's final battle came in October. His niece, Dorothy Platts, remembered 'a young man in a brown suit' turning cartwheels in the field next to their house. This would be Percy on his final leave in the late summer of 1918, visiting his brother's family. This is confirmed by the West Yorkshire Pioneer:

'He was over at Bentham about six weeks ago. Much sympathy is felt for his widowed mother, who now lives at Low Bentham.'

"The 62nd Division attacked across the River Selle on the night os 21 October 1918, their objective being the town of Solesmes. Members of the Royal Engineers had managed to bridge the river under the cover of darkness and Percy and his comrades approached the railway junction outside the town.

"Mrs Dixon received a letter, later published in the Craven Herald 'Dear Madam, I regret to inform you of the death of your son, Lance-Corporal Dixon, in the early hours of the 22nd October, whilst out on patrol with myself and four other men.

"'The loss of such a promising lad is felt very much in his platoon, and indeed throughout the company. He was well respected by everyone with whom he came in contact and one in whom his section had every confidence.

"'He suffered no pain whatever, death being instantaneous. On behalf of the platoon I send our deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement. T. Lattimer, Second-Lieutenant.'

"The Craven Herald also gave a fine account of Percy's war service: 'Lance-Corporal Dixon, who was 28 years of age, enlisted in the Bradford Pals on the outbreak of the war, and went out with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in 1915. He was later transferred to Flanders, where he had experienced some rough fighting.

'He returned to the Front after the usual 14 days six weeks ago. Born at Wray, the late soldier afterwards proceeded to Bradford, where he finished his education at Smart's Academy. Prior to enlisting he was in the wool trade. A very keen sportsman and gymnast, Lance-Corporal Dixon had won many distinctions, and widespread sympathy is extended to his bereaved mother and family.'

"By this time, 'Death being instantaneous' had become a well-worn phrase in the British Army vocabulary of condolence. Percy has no known grave but his name is recorded on the Vis en Artois Memorial - many miles from the place where he died.