In September 1914, young men in their thousands flocked to army recruitment offices all over Britain, ready to do their bit. Among those answering the call to arms was a builder from Newcastle named Billy Osgood.

But when he arrived in France, the conditions were tougher than anything he had ever encountered and the fighting was brutal. Billy’s squad managed to capture a battered section, but the Germans’ swift counter-attack saw them woefully outnumbered. The enemies’ voices cried “hande hoch” and Billy was Seized at the Somme.

Story: Ferg Handley

Art: Morhain

Cover: Ian Kennedy