110 Years. 1 July 1916

[enfieldspares]

My grandfather was there, first wave, 2nd Battalion KOYLI. Cited his Corporal for the VC. Here's Leo McKern from what is now sixty years past. The Eurostar passes through that countryside now but the men that died there still hold that ground today, now at rest, in the several military cemeteries you see as the train progresses. They were those that had not waited until conscription but had volunteerd. Arguably the best and the boldest of their generation and the we sent them to be slaughtered.

 

[enfieldspares]

This was the BBC's "The Great War" series from 1964. There was also a programme done in 1966 that showed the truth of it using the the new technology of a simple video game where it was depicted as a race between a British soldier leaviing his trench and advancing towards the German trenches and, on their side, a German soldier leaving his deep dugout climbing its steps to set up his machine gun. As a then ten year old that always left an impression on me.

 

[tozzybum]

My Great Grandad Tommy survived the Somme and ww1 .
Last saw him aged 92 when he returned to Scotland.
Mums Grandad came home but mentally destroyed.
The horror of that war inflicted on millions by political idiots .
Rip to the victims on both sides .

 

[Tim.243]

My grandfather was there, first wave, 2nd Battalion KOYLI. Cited his Corporal for the VC. Here's Leo McKern from what is now sixty years past. The Eurostar passes through that countryside now but the men that died there still hold that ground today, now at rest, in the several military cemeteries you see as the train progresses. They were those that had not waited until conscription but had volunteerd. Arguably the best and the boldest of their generation and the we sent them to be slaughtered.

Grandad did 3 years and was one of the troops who used the steel trees as a fwd position there is a copy in IWM in London
Came back to find the farm had been gambled/drunk away by a cousin, so shipped off to India as they don't like it up them.