Which First World War battalion did J.R.R. Tolkien serve with at the Battle of the Somme?

J.R.R. Tolkien served with the 11th Lancashire Fusiliers at the Battle of the Somme.

Tolkien was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers during the First World War. In 1916, he went to France and served with the 11th Service Battalion during the Somme campaign, one of the war’s largest and deadliest operations.

He spent several months in the trenches before becoming ill with trench fever. After returning to England, he was not fit for further frontline service. The war affected many members of Tolkien’s generation and formed an important part of the historical setting of his early adult life.

Claims that Tolkien directly copied particular characters or episodes from the war should be treated cautiously. Tolkien discussed the relationship between experience and invention, but Middle-earth is not a simple autobiography. His military service is nevertheless a firmly documented fact.