100 years ago today...

[Flintlock]

The order was given to go over the top at the Somme.

Lest we forget.

[motorbike]

a fitting reminder .just as Europe seems to be fragmenting to be ripping itself apart again..

[Mac 60]

" Lions led by Donkeys" Masses of men sent to their deaths by a military and political elite completly out of touch with the destructive power of modern warfare and little or no regard to the cost in human lives, constantly reinforceing failure, doing the exact same thing time and time again yet expecting a different outcome. Yea

Least we forget

[Andi_Archer]

Yes a total waste of lives many of whom had never left their home town never mind go to another country.BBC radio related the tale this morning from a relative of a lucky survivor of the conflict who at 17 "went over the water" as he referd to it.Never knowing his final destination or why he was there, to join his friends in the conflict many of whom perished.

"The Battle of the Somme was intended to achieve a decisive victory for the British and French against Germany's forces in the First World War.But after 18 weeks of bloody fighting, Allied troops had advanced less than ten miles into German-held territory.

When the battle ended on November 18, British and Commonwealth troops had suffered 420,000 casualties. French losses numbered around 205,000 and the German army suffered 465,000 casualties."


The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!

[Mike101]

"Forward he cried from the rear and the front rank died.
And the general sat and the lines on the map moved from side to side"

To me these two lines above sum up the whole first world war!

Something's will never change.

The day the generals stopped fighting themselves meant that the slaughter will only get worse and worse.

Mike

[ollydog]

" Lions led by Donkeys" Masses of men sent to their deaths by a military and political elite completly out of touch with the destructive power of modern warfare and little or no regard to the cost in human lives, constantly reinforceing failure, doing the exact same thing time and time again yet expecting a different outcome. Yea

Least we forget

mac youve said it just right, some fat twat having his bacon and eggs 50 miles away shouting the order out

this was just like an execution for the innocent

steve

[geoham]

A 100 years have past and we still remembers the fallen. Long may we continue to remember and feel proud of what they did for us all.

Lest we forget

[SteveW]

I hate it when people trot out the old phrases "Lions lead by donkeys" and "What a waste" etc.....
These heroic men gave everything in a just cause......the battle against a totalitarian militaristic European superpower.
Their sacrifice helped so much in shaping a fairer more caring world. Not only did The Battle of The Somme demonstrate to Germany and her allies that Britain and her Empire would stand firm against Tutonic aggression and expansionism their sacrifice ultimately lead to great social changes on the home front.
Anyone who has an interest in British social history for the last hundred years can't fail to understand what these men helped to give us.
A fairer voting system, the voice of the rank and file could never be ignored again, votes for women (not sure I agree on that one!) and the welfare state.
These fantastic men did not die in vain.

[Flintlock]

They did not die in vain. However the tactic of waiting until the opening bombardment ended before going over the top has to be questioned. If the rest of the divisions followed the 36th's tactic of getting closer to the enemy lines before the bombardment ended-the overall result could have been different with alot less loss of life.

[SPEN]

Words cannot say how much we owe these men. To all past and present who put their lives on the line to defend us, Thank You