Passchendaele: The Village That Gave Its Men To War

[mikey4444]

I have been listening and reading about this battle this morning, and the scale of it is truly awful.

[mikey4444]

Thanks Hans....it now looks as if Kate was wearing a poppy, just like her husband. She also has matching earrings and a broach, which I can't find a single thing wrong with, so can we please ditch this childish and petulant discussion !

[anotheoldgit]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/30/19/42D3E2B800000578-4744420-image-a-27_1501439117223.jpg

To illustrate the point that I am making. And I am not in anyway trying to divert from what those brave men were forced to endure as one of the usual suspects is trying to accuse me of.

But I wonder if she was interested enough as I was to spend almost the whole of the evening watching this wonderful coverage of the event? But then I suppose she was too busy on AB picking flies out of other posters views.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4744420/William-Kate-mark-Battle-Passchendaele.html

[anotheoldgit]

I refer of course to jackthehat.

[mikey4444]

AOG...and others...enough already !

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

A terrible battle, Mikey. I was reading a letter by a New Zealander called Leonard Hart to his family describing the way our "Tommies" were abandoned by the commanders during this battle. Firstly, describes the horrific reality and hopelessness of the situation:-

"Dozens got hung up in the wire and shot down before their surviving comrades’ eyes. It was now broad daylight and what was left of us realised that the day was lost. We accordingly lay down in shell holes or any cover we could get and waited. Any man who showed his head was immediately shot. They were marvellous shots those Huns. We had lost nearly eighty per cent of our strength and gained about 300 yards of ground in the attempt. This 300 yards was useless to us for the Germans still held and dominated the ridge.

The British chaps, wounded in the defence of their country, had been callously left to die the most awful of deaths in the half frozen mud while tens of thousands of able bodied men were camped within five miles of them behind the lines."

May we never forget their sacrifice for us. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

[mikey4444]

Hans....Lions led by donkeys.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

My name isn't Hans, but I can't agree more. Can I also say, I think everyone living in the UK should visit the War Graves in Belgium, whether Flanders, Ypres, Passchendaele or elsewhere, just to see the scale of the sacrifice and reflect on the devastation that this war ravaged. The government should ensure every student of history gets a chance to visit this indescribable place. There is something about being there and standing amongst the thousands of crosses, row on row, that cannot be expressed or explained in words.

[mikey4444]

Sorry Hazi....getting my H's mixed up !

[HansUrbancka]

Mikey.....I haven't said a word.

Hans.

[albaqwerty]

any war is truly horrendous and I'm very glad that I've never witnessed scenes. Other than what I've seen on the tv.

In the cemetary, behind my house, amongst all the 'magnificent' memorials to those who didn't really matter, are quite a few simple, plain crosses.
Marked by purely, rank, name and age.
Heart-breaking.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Don't worry about it Mark, it's a sign of our age!!

[bhg481]

I agree absolutely with Hazi. The thing that struck us on our visits to Belgium was the number of cemeteries. There's a tendancy to think that the major cemeteries contain all the graves but, as you drive along looking for the particular cemetery that interests you, there are smaller cemeteries signposted all over the place; some just a few graves in the middle of a field but tended as well as all the others.

[mikey4444]

Its a sign of trying to type when my reading glasses are two floors below, in the kitchen !

[bhg481]

I would just like to add that if anyone thinks the cemetery at Tyne Cot was tidied up specially for the commemoration, forget it. I've visited CWGC cemeteries in Belgium, France and Italy and all have been immaculate.

[albaqwerty]

go down and get them Mikey !!
Are you sure they're not on the top of your head tho?
Thanks for bestie.

Haven't been to other local cemetery to see if they have any small crosses, but the ones in my local (just over the wall at end of garden) is very well tended.
Each year, on Remembrance Sunday, a local group, of either BB or Scouts or Guides will go and lay a small wreath at each of the crosses.

[albaqwerty]

I think the CWGC do a wonderful job.
My local one is a member.

[mikey4444]

500 million shells didn't explode !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-40768853/uncovering-the-unexploded-shells-of-world-war-one

[Zacs-Master]

I didn't realise that it was John McRae's poem which led to the poppy being adopted as a rememberance symbol.

[mikey4444]

I have never been to the WW1 graves, although I would like to go sometime.

I have, however, been to Monte Casino, and the graves there are immaculate as well. A very moving experience.

[albaqwerty]

It's just awful to envisage that this battle lasted 3 months.
(as I'm sure many others have , in the past, lasted for a bit less or even years) still awful.