General Chat

We will remember them .......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/galleries/locations/national-trust-sandham-memorial-chapel-7464



"Hurrah! For The Life Of A Soldier"
Tommy
By Rudyard Kipling, 1892

I went into a public- 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls behind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play-
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you Mr Atkins," when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian roo, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fighting', Lord! They'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins," when the trooper's on the tide-
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins," when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll-
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes," when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind-
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck 'im out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

"Upon returning home, many of those who had survived, were treated very badly.
No provisions for health care, homes or jobs."

Just like 2013. Some things never change.

We will remember them.

Dear All

Hello

Just in one day, all those casualties.

So many were never given a proper burial.

"A soldier known unto God".

What a terrible, terrible waste of life.

Upon returning home, many of those who had survived, were treated very badly.
No provisions for health care, homes or jobs.


Take gentle care
Sincere wishes
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

We will remember them.

Rollo - I agree that the line officers were the bravest of the brave. 2nd Lts; Lts; Capts; Majors; Lt.Cols and Cols were all in the front line. Even some Generals did get close to the fighting and were killed. 78 of Brigadier General rank or above were killed and 146 injured.

It was the staff officers 20 miles behind the lines, shoving models across maps that I was knocking, I thought you realised that.

You mean General Haig ? He was very good at passing the buck.

"On 1 June 1914, during World War I, Major General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley became GOC of the 46th (North Midland) Division, a Territorial Force division. In October 1915, the Division saw action in France during the Battle of Loos when it made a costly attack against the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Wortley proposed a bombing attack, but was overruled and ordered to go ahead with a frontal attack by General Richard Haking (his Corps commander).[7] In the event, the attack was a disastrous failure and the Division lost 180 officers and 3,583 men killed wounded or missing. The action was described in the Official History as a ‘tragic waste of infantry’."

Rollo my vitriol was aimed at the "General Melchett" not the "Edmund Blackadder" class of officer.

"At least we have learned a lesson from the dreadful carnage of that war and have moved away from wars of attrition."

nuts; other meat grinding battle fields since 1918 include

Caen, St Lo, Monte Cassino
Stalingrad
Iwo Jima
Bien Dien Phu
Pork Chop Hill Korea
Khorramshahr (Iran)
Hama, Aleppo, Deera, Homs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XElGDuCUUd4

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

We Will Remember Them.

My grandfather came home.......... with chunks of shrapnel in his body.

The doctors finally talked him into having it removed in 1956, despite grandfather saying it didn't bother him. It had been there for 50 years!

He died six months later, a blood clot.

I don't think my grandmother ever smiled again.

If officers did not obey orders then their fate was the same as anybody else doing the same, shot at dawn. Do not blame the officers who for the most part shared the same dangers injuries privations and chance of an early death as privates and corporals and ncos.

My grandfather was a regular soldier with the Royal Artillery and was with his regt on the Somme at this date. He survived the war without a scratch despite the odds against.
I have never forgotten his wise words.

"There are old soliders and bold soldiers, but no old bold soldiers"

Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
Ubique

It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.

At least we have learned a lesson from the dreadful carnage of that war and have moved away from wars of attrition. WW2 was one of movement, no General dared to let the stalemate of the trenches and inevitable large casualties happen again.

And years later the lessons had not been learnt, even on the last day of the war generals were still sending men out to be mown down by machine guns, to further their careers.
Can you imagine an officer getting away with such callous treatment of his men today, he would be tried for war crimes.

Folkestone's unique memorial to WW1 is the Road of Remembrance. Thousands upon thousands marched down this hill to the boats which took them to Belgium and France. One in seven never returned.

For anyone who is interested have a look at the links below. The same section of road is shown but the photos are taken 95 years apart.

Then: http://centenarynews.com/media/uploads/tbldata_news/ljttvjl3jzzylpzme8dt_thumb.jpg

Today: http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/56/74/2567400_06968676.jpg

RIP brave men. Also RIP to the many brave women, nurses and voluntary workers who were also killed in this terrible conflict.

That is a powerful memorial Gwyn.

RIP and thank you to all those who fought and lost their lives.

Folkestone has a bleak, but striking unusual memorial remembering this battle.

So many of those men sailed from this port and on the cliff tops is a fairly recent addition.
19,240 individually numbered pebbles are set in a square. Each one represents a life lost on the 1st day of the fighting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blahflowers/2772251328/in/photostream/

Rest in Peace.

They will never be forgotten R.I.P.