Remembering the Somme

[Folkestoneclaret]

For all the Pals. 109 years ago today.

[pureclaret]

Whilst not wanting to glorify war we should remember these young men giving their lives for the freedoms we still enjoy today. And the ones who came home who were never the same again. My Grandad's both served in the 1st World war. One who I did not meet but seemed to have been ok, but never talked about what he had seen.The other suffered with chest infections due to the gassing in the trenches, he did talk sometimes and what he told me was horrific especially to a 6 yr old child

[wadeswondergoal]

I was fortunate enough to visit the Somme and to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate on Remembrance Sunday many moons ago.

A very poignant experience.

[Dazzler]

I never tire of watching documentaries on WW1. The one I've watched the most recently is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ietYhbiFeYs&t=5832s

[Culmclaret]

My great grand uncle Rudolph Bannister Yates died on the Somme in September having survived Gallipoli. While recuperating in Malta before being sent to France he wrote to the club thanking them for sending leather footballs over Despite a humble weaver his memorial service at a packed St Peter’s was led by the bishop of Burnley. He was shot through the forehead and died instantly A few years ago we found the exact spot in a maize field at Ginchy. Such a waste

[bobinho]

That’s a very thought provoking memorial to The Devonshires.
Can’t help but think with the state of things these days, considering what we’ve done with what we were left, they’d be very disappointed in the generations that followed.

Lest we forget…

[HurstGrangeClaret]

My grandad was buried alive by an exploding shell in one of the big First World War battles.
About 20 years ago after inheriting his three medals, I took them to a shop in Accy to have new ribbons put on them. The proprietor was immediately interested and said did I know grandad had served in both the army and navy.
I didn’t know, and the next time I saw my dad and asked him about it, he said grandad had gone AWOL after what had happened and managed to get himself back to Burnley. He had then gone on to join the navy and had finished the war as a stoker on a battleship.
Dad said that he was apparently the only man in Burnley to have served in both the army and navy during the war. Not sure how true this is but I’ve still got grandad’s medals and NE Lancs Regiment cap badge on display.
And he was another who would never talk about it. Brave men!

[mdd2]

That’s a very thought provoking memorial to The Devonshires.
Can’t help but think with the state of things these days, considering what we’ve done with what we were left, they’d be very disappointed in the generations that followed.

Lest we forget…

I think it is a racing certainty.
We seem to have gone from one extreme to the other in recent times. Working age benefits more than our Defence budget; for those returning from battle with shell shock (PTSD) little or no support-claim for PTSD today because your flatus smells bad and you can sit back and enjoy the summer.

[mdd2]

The stats for July 1st are terrible. The British had almost 60,000 casualties and just short of 20,000 killed from 7300hr until evening-around 24 killed/minute, a casualty each second.

[IanMcL]

My grandad was buried alive by an exploding shell in one of the big First World War battles.
About 20 years ago after inheriting his three medals, I took them to a shop in Accy to have new ribbons put on them. The proprietor was immediately interested and said did I know grandad had served in both the army and navy.
I didn’t know, and the next time I saw my dad and asked him about it, he said grandad had gone AWOL after what had happened and managed to get himself back to Burnley. He had then gone on to join the navy and had finished the war as a stoker on a battleship.
Dad said that he was apparently the only man in Burnley to have served in both the army and navy during the war. Not sure how true this is but I’ve still got grandad’s medals and NE Lancs Regiment cap badge on display.
And he was another who would never talk about it. Brave men!

Probably true.

My Scottish grandfather was put into the Argylls and didn't want to be! They were put on a train and when he found out they were on their way to the Somme, he jumped off and went AWOL.

The Somme being just a killing field led by daft generals from African wars etc.

He then went north and volunteered to join the Cameron Highlanders. He went to Aftrica with them, I think and was wounded in action.

So the key was to volunteer elsewhere, ASAP and then you were not a deserter.

Sounds like that's what your grandfather did.

I have a friend who was in the Army flying helicopters. He flew SAS missions into the jungle. He was also seconded to the Navy, where he flew SBS missions.

He invited me to an event, where he was being honoured, at RAF Wallop. Turned out it was for an act of extreme quick thinking in the jungle.

Helicopter lost power and only thick jungle trees below. All thought they were going to die.

My friend told them to hold onto something tight, so they wouldn't get thrown about. He then waited until the ladt moment and then turned the helicopter so that the tail was facing straight down. They smadh3d down but all survived. One survivor (now with a bad back) was a recent Black Rod, at the Houses of Parliament.