The Battle of the Somme

[Liberal Cynic]

My great-granda fought in the trenches with the British Army. But he survived and was sent home when he served his time. Not sure exactly where he was, but definitely somewhere in western Belgium.

I do believe our Great-Grandfathers faught together, though he didn't live through it. It was a sad battle. Must there be war to have peace, just as there has to be darkness with light? It is a sad truth at that.

[Niko123000]

My great-granda fought in the trenches with the British Army. But he survived and was sent home when he served his time. Not sure exactly where he was, but definitely somewhere in western Belgium.

I do believe our Great-Grandfathers faught together, though he didn't live through it. It was a sad battle. Must there be war to have peace, just as there has to be darkness with light? It is a sad truth at that.

To Quote Someone's Sig on the IRT boards, "Going to War for Peace is Like Screwing for Virginity"

[Zaaphod]

Quoting David Lloyd George, UK Prime Minister during WW1: "This war, like the next war, is the war to end all wars."

[Rooster]

Wilfred Owen, my favourite poet of all time, wrote this poem about WW1. He was invloved in The Battle Of The Somme, where he lead a platoon. He then spent 3 days trapped in a shell hole in no-man's land.

He was killed in action in November 1918, just a week before the end of the war.

The final passage goes;

"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori."


The final line translates from latin to; "It is an honour and a priveledge to die for one's country"

Visiting his grave was so emotional for me, that it is one of the very rare times I have cried in public (just writing these words fill me with sadness)

Anyone else wants an incite to this brave and intelligent man, go here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen

[Muninn]

Thank you for the replies everyone, it was really touching. I was afraid not many would be interested.

One of my favourite songs is called The Green Fields of France, about the First World War. It has one of the most haunting lyrics ever in my opinion.