 | Home > Off Topic > The Somme 100 |
 
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| stanley Member Since: 18 Sep 2009 Location: Dorset /hampshire Posts: 1032   
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100 years ago tomorrow at 0728, the big push started and The Battle of The Somme started, 141 day campaign the saw almost 20,000 British Empire troops lost their lives in the first 24 hours
Lest We Forget |
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30th Jun 2016 8:12pm |
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| steventheplumber Member Since: 29 Apr 2014 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 767  
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Have my whistle ready, we will remember.
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30th Jun 2016 10:05pm |
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| gilarion Member Since: 05 Dec 2013 Location: Wales Posts: 5109  
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MY GRANDAD, A BRAVE MAN, Joe Mitchell, his regiment was the Lancashire lads; he joined aged 17, gassed by pineapple gas on the Somme, that burnt his lungs out. He survived and lived until he was 53, but always an invalid. I was six weeks old when he died and I never met him, I wished I had, my dad said he was a smashing bloke, brave and full of hope. What is it about war, not for virtuous mankind and not to stop suffering and that is for sure For those who like Welsh Mountains and narrow boats have a look at my videos and photos at..
http://www.youtube.com/user/conwy1 |
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1st Jul 2016 12:28am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006 
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War is in our nature, if there were only two humans left with half the planet each they would still find a way to fight over the same square foot of ground, why else do we have to teach children to share? Not saying it is good or desirable just inevitable. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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1st Jul 2016 4:22am |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328
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Would be immensely respectful not to post 07:28 to 07:30
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1st Jul 2016 5:27am |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328
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1st Jul 2016 6:30am |
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| Happyoldgit Member Since: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3471 
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We will remember them. Steve.
Owned numerous Land Rover vehicles of all shapes and sizes over the decades. Current Defender: A non tarts hand-bagged Puma 110 XS USW. [Insert something impressive here such as extensive list of previous Land Rovers or examples of your prestigeous and expensive items, trinkets, houses, bikes, vehicles etc] http://forums.lr4x4.com I used to be Miserable ...but now I'm ecstatic. |
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1st Jul 2016 8:18am |
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| Browny90 Member Since: 20 Jul 2015 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 183 
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I was supposed to be at he main event in the Somme today, but had to pull out yesterday
we have a 20 week old baby, but they wouldn't let us take him to the event, my wife is feeding him and struggled to express milk. the original plan was to leave him at the hotel with the mother in law while we went to the event, obviously wasn't to be which is why I'm gutted sat at my desk in Wolverhampton 
I was really disappointed that we couldn't take the baby, their reason was lack of facilities, which is fair enough I suppose, but these events should be for young people to help remember. My wife and I are both Reservist soldiers so our kids don't have a choice but to remember, I worry that one day people will forget.. its a sad thing, but remembrance parades get smaller and smaller every year, when they should be getting bigger, a lot of young people don't care (i'm not exactly old at 31) but I've only missed 1 remembrance parade since I was born, as my granddad used to take me, the one I missed was because I was in Iraq and I was busy in the workshop getting Snatches ready for a patrol.. Arte et Marte My 1986 90 is currently on a full rebuild, with new chassis, Paint etc.. Very much a hybrid, TD5 Chassis, tub & bulkhead with a 200TDI and LT77 GB Painted in Stornoway Grey  2 years off the road, but getting close to completion now |
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1st Jul 2016 9:00am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17337 
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I doubt people will forget, but it is inevitable that as time passes people will lose the feeling of relevance to the event being commemorated.
We no longer have any WW1 veterans amongst us, and probably very few who lived through the war (and they were probably too young to pay much attention at the time). However we still have many, many people who knew veterans, lost the precediing generation of menfolk, or who lived with and remember vividly the consequences of the war. These poeple will never forget. As the numbers of these people diminish, the immediacy and relevance will tend to be lost. I know what happened at Waterloo, Trafalgar, etc, but to me they are distant history and it is hard to empathise with the suffering. I know what happened at the Somme, Ypres, Jutland, etc, and with these I can connect very strongly. Why? Hard to explain, except as above. To the current generation of youngsters, WW1 is probably distant history. We need to make them understand why it is important not to forget. If nothing else, we need to remember why it is important that history is taught in schools, now and forever, however 'untrendy' it may be. Without our history we have nothing. |
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1st Jul 2016 9:28am |
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| gabe3105 Member Since: 25 May 2015 Location: Grimsby Posts: 237
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A poignant poem written by a soldier in the days before the Somme began (Lt WN Hodgson). He died within the first hour of the battle
By all the glories of the day And the cool evening's benison By that last sunset touch that lay Upon the hills when day was done, By beauty lavishly outpoured And blessings carelessly received, By all the days that I have lived Make me a soldier, Lord. By all of all man's hopes and fears And all the wonders poets sing, The laughter of unclouded years, And every sad and lovely thing; By the romantic ages stored With high endeavour that was his, By all his mad catastrophes Make me a man, O Lord. I, that on my familiar hill Saw with uncomprehending eyes A hundred of thy sunsets spill Their fresh and sanguine sacrifice, Ere the sun swings his noonday sword Must say good-bye to all of this; - By all delights that I shall miss, Help me to die, O Lord. RIP to them all |
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1st Jul 2016 9:53am |
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| jeffersj Member Since: 23 Jan 2015 Location: Near Preston Posts: 431 
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Nice to see the posts!
Can I point you all to the Imperial War Museum's website" Lives of The First World War". This site will be maintained for posterity and can be accessed by anyone to add details and stories about their relatives who were killed. The site also allows search of the millions of records held of the men who died and new stories are bing found every day. My Grandfather James Miller was killed at the Battle of Bellewaarde near Ypres on 15 June 1915 despite serving as a regular soldier with the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers from 1900-1907 going through 2 Boer wars, India, Australia and Mauritius. I am a volunteer with Preston Remembers, a project to research those 2000 plus men of Preston who were killed during the FWW and commemorated on the Harris Museum Roll of Honour. Browny- nice to see you and your wife are reservists. I did 23 years with the TA in Transport regiments thus my love of all things Land Rover. Jeff Ex 1968 Series 2A Ex 90 TD5 Ex D3 Ex D4 |
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1st Jul 2016 10:07am |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8580
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It always makes me feel humble wandering around the various military cemeteries scattered not only around Europe but around the world. They are incredibly well looked after and some are extremely peaceful and beautiful as well.
WW1 sites have those poignant words 'Here lies a soldier known only unto God' Let us remember also that it was not only British, French and German soldiers who died in WW1. Both sides had normal soldiers fighting from the far corners of their respective empires. Brendan |
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1st Jul 2016 2:14pm |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5804  
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I've served, I've fought and yet each day I grow older I become more and more saddened by the reckless, egoistical desire of a few that destroys the lives of so many. They didn't need to be asked, they understood what was at stake and that the ultimate sacrifice might be required. Yet in their thousands they stepped up and answered that call of duty. But what they saw, how they suffered as volunteers by any servicman's experience was courageous beyond belief.
So very very sad, so very very unnecessary. In the words of Siegfried Sassoon 'Do you ever stop to ask, ‘Is it all going to happen again?’' No fallen or injured serviceman or woman then or now, should ever be forgotten. Click image to enlarge Monsieur Le Grenadier I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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1st Jul 2016 10:01pm |
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| nitram17 Member Since: 08 Jun 2014 Location: newcastle Posts: 2261 |
I echo your sentiments Grenadeir ....
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2nd Jul 2016 12:56am |
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