A MILITARY museum is marking the centenary of the Battle of the Somme with a special exhibition and free film screenings.

The Green Howards Museum, Richmond, is dedicating its entire first floor gallery to Somme: The Other Side of No-Man's Land – an exploration of the fate of thousands of Yorkshiremen involved in the battle.

Using photographs, letters and personal items, as well as the trench whistle featured in the photograph, the exhibition examines how their experiences compared with their German counterparts.

It also tells the stories of four of the regiment’s men whose actions earned them Victoria Crosses in 1916, including Second Lieutenant Donald Bell, the first professional footballer to volunteer for service, and Major Stewart Loudoun-Shand who was awarded the VC for his actions on the very first day of the battle.

The museum is part of the Imperial War Museums (IWM) First World War Centenary Partnership who are working together to show the UNESCO listed film The Battle of the Somme.

Shot and screened in 1916, it was the first feature length documentary about war and changed the way both cinema and film was perceived by the public.

One hundred years later, this unique film from IWM’s collection, is being shown free of charge on a continuous loop in the museum entrance from Friday (July 1) to commemorate the anniversary.