Centenary Battle of the Somme

The terrible sacrifice of so many young lives was part of "the war to end all wars" Yet it did not. It was not until after ww2 that the EU was formed and enabled us to live in a peaceful Europe. As we remember the Somme this week I cannot help wondering if the outcome of the referendum might have been different if it had been held next week, not last week.

Did any of you see the WW1 dressed soldiers? It was a sort of drama memorial.
Do wait through the wretched adverts. It is very moving.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3669617/Silent-actors-dressed-ghost-soldiers-posted-stations-country-poignant-reminder-lost-bloody-Battle-Somme.html

I tried to tell my DH about that nellie, but found a huge lump in my throat. I ended up sending him a link to the article instead. I saw a very brief clip on the news too, but the TV was on mute.

Yes Nelliemoser and here is a link to the BBC article which bears less danger of adverts.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5HXGNLBg3PyNpQQpCbrPF4R/moving-uk-wide-art-event-honours-fallen-somme-soldiers
Mixed feelings - my grandfather was in WW1 and was, I believe, involved in first aid rather than fighting. My gran always said that he was gassed and that was the reason for his bad chest, and early death (before my birth). Strange to think that if he had been in the infantry with other Welsh men, he might have been killed and I might not exist.
The ceremonials were performed well - but we know the British army is good at that kind of thing. I thought the inclusion of guns distasteful though. I have noticed that since the war in Afghanistan we are having many more military events in this country which either subtly or un-subtly glorify war.
I do have some problems with the way these things are commemorated - talk of "heroes" "sacrifice" etc when actually it was a pointless, wasteful war that ultimately led to the horrors of WW2. I think the artists way of commemorating is far better and that the military ceremonies should be ditched in favour of these more creative ways for people to remember the waste and sadness and to remember that war is not smartly dressed and immaculately drilled soldiers but fear, pain and tragedy.
Also there is never any mention of German deaths. Which were even higher than those of the allies in the Somme: 485,000 British and French casualties and 630,000 German. After 100 years surely it is time for us to remember that the German soldiers were also sons, fathers and lovers, also victims of a senseless war.
So 100 years on no hint of reconciliation and a perpetuation of the militaristic culture that has prevailed in this country for 1000 years.
Only 10 days ago a local woman said to me "I'm voting to leave the EU because I don't like being bossed around by Germans". Is it any wonder.

The bit that really got to me was a soldier playing 'Abide With Me' on (possibly) a piccolo. It didn't appear on any of the news bulletins but I know I didn't dream it.

No, you didn't dream it. Very moving.
I still want to know what the French choir was singing.....

Incredibly moving ceremony as was the The Somme documentary yesterday afternoon. Both reduced me to tears.

My great grandmother had 3 sons and her brother all in the army , thankfully all came home unscathed, my great uncle was encouraged to write his memoirs of the war which he did many years later , very moving and funny at times .

We all know what the second WW was about- and the necessary sacrifices made.

But can anyone tell me what the First WW was about? Why oh why?

My beloved Grandfather was an 'old contemptible'. He fought at every major battle I the 1st WW and came home alive although his older brother still lies out there somewhere near Arras with no known grave. Grandpa married and brought up 9 children, three of whom went to serve in the 2nd WW. He told me it nearly killed him to let them go, knowing what he knew. A wonderful man who I still miss.

@ granjura

Belgian neutrality!

I'm off out now, but I'll write you an essay if you really want.

My grandfather died at the Somme in August 1917. By mistake his dog-tags were sent to my grandmother, so he was buried as unknown. His name is also on the Thiepval memorial. What a shocking, horrible waste of young lives it was. He wasn't so young - 37 - and had volunteered at the start so had seen about 3 years of active service. My mother was 17 when he was killed so she and my father were adults in both wars. However did they come through that.

Those pictures from Glasgow were really moving. What a very clever way of showing remembrance of this worst one day disaster in British military history.
What incompetent leadership.

It was the poem by Sassoon which reduced me to tears

My grandfather survived the war but came home with a damaged eye and a metal plate in his skull. He never spoke of his experiences and lived until the 1970's. My great uncle is buried in a cemetery in France, although I don't remember which one. I had two maiden great Aunts, I know the reason one of them never married. Her fiance was killed in France, and like so many in rural areas, nearly all the young men didn't come home again. I watched the whole thing on television yesterday and was very moved by the service at the end, particularly the music. It was very poignant.

I have not been able to watch or listen to any of this - it is beyond sad - what must they all have been thinking of? - those lads who went out there full of excitement; it beggars belief.

I thought the staging of all the young soldiers in WW1 uniforms at railway stations & high streets today was a brilliant event. I only saw it on the news but it really brought it home that during that war it would have been a very familiar sight to see many very young men waiting for trains or walking around in uniform.The fact that they were silent was moving too & if anyone spoke to them they just handed them a card with the name of an actual soldier who died at the Somme.Apparently they all volunteered to do it & gave their time free- good show whoever thought to organise this.

One of our daughters said to me re WW1- why didn't the soldiers on both sides turn round and just kill the Generals?
And this question has stayed with me ever since.

There is a new war memorial in northern France at Notre Dame de Lorette which was opened in 2014. It has the names of all the soldiers who died in that area , from all countries , including Germans, in alphabetical order. I think there are over 300,000 names. My great uncle is on there, its like a huge oval stadium that you can walk around. its very moving and definitely worth a visit. Its a couple of hours drive from Calais.

Well, I feel enormous pride in the members of my family and all the brave people who sacrificed their lives and well being to fight tyranny in both these wars. I'm sure this is terribly un pc, but that's how I feel. A treaty with Belgium led us into WW1; Rightly or wrongly at least it was worth the paper it was written on. All the allies wanted was for the Germans to go back to Germany, what Germany wanted was to presumably extend their territory, otherwise what were they doing trying to overrun someone else's country?
The ceremony yesterday did include a German spokesman describing their amazement at the sight of the appearance of tanks on the battlefield. This young man also described how the tank was disabled and destroyed, and it's crew dispatched.

I found yesterday. Very moving.My grandfather's name is on the Thiepval memorial which I have been to see,and his brother was killed 3months later. They were both miners in South Shields.My grandmother with her third child having lost one in 1914.She soon remarried as they often did if they could but my father told me his stepfather would beat him during his childhood.How sad and I am sad and angry for a grandfather I never knew and never had a relationship with.What a waste !

should be was pregnant

When in 2014 our choir was involved in a start of WW1 comemmoration in conjunction with a Chester theatre group, the performance at several venues in Cheshire. It included part of a speech about remembering about the workers at a local munitions factory and remembering those who had suffered by the effects of our weaponry.

There were a number of grandsons of Germans who were POWs in the area invited over to the event. It was an incredibly good reconciliation exercise.

Let's hope we haven't set in motion events that could lead to more carnage.

I watched the coverage with my Flemish SO, he was telling me that most of the Belgian soldiers in WW1 were Flemish but all orders were given in French.
There was complete confusion, but at that time Flemish was often banned and people could be imprisoned and even executed for teaching Flemish.
He was very moved by the coverage yesterday.