The Somme

bolo said:
If like me, you were unable to observe the 2 minutes silence at 11 this morning, why not do it now in the privacy of your own home?
Click to expand...

...also, buy the 2 Minute Silence track released by the Royal British Legion this week, support the RBL and silence radio stations across the country on Sunday so that we may all pause to remember.

I too went to the Somme and surrounding areas on a week's school trip, one day I shall return, it was a truly moving experience and one that will remain with me forever. It helped me to understand the sacrifices made by all those men so many years ago. I think it should be compulsory for every school child to go once they are of an age where they can understand what they are seeing. We, and our children and our grandchildren and theirs too, must never ever be allowed to forget the sacrifices they made. May they rest in eternal peace.
 
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i am sorry to say we missed it this morning and only realisled at 11.03am, despite being 100feet from coventry cathedral.we spoke about before hand 3 times during the morning and as usual got bogged down in ****/trivia/crap.
its a BAM site and the agent admitted afterwards that he heard the bugle from the cathedral at 10,58am which i missed but it still feels like a pi55 poor excuse
 
If you can find it,listen to No Mans Land a song by Eric Bogle,it'll bring tears to your eyes.
"Well how'd you do private William McBride"
 
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If you listen to a song that is blank, surely that is false advertising?

I have respect for those that signed up, at a time of threat, that they had no idea what they were getting into..and laid their lives down for their country.

I will sign up and support them 100%, they are heroes.


Those that sign up, because it's a job, and never really expected to be on the front line, are not heros, but are treated as such, modern soldiers sign up for a career, those called up did it for their country, there is a difference, and I believe those that did it for country, that were called up, really fought the fight, but people that sign up, don't expect battle, but when exposed to it, haven't the 'do or die' spirit. Hence are no heros.
 
This is my grandfather.

http://members.multimania.co.uk/glynn1280/index.htm

It was late in my life and after his death that I fully appreciated what he and his generation went through. I remember him telling me stories as a youngster(Stories that I was only half interested in)of attacks on German trenches, and showing me trophies of German artifacts.
The one thought that I struggle to get to grips with is, that it is quite possible if not probable that this nice old guy who I loved actually killed his fellow man and possibly with a bayonet on the tip of his rifle, whilst looking him in the eye.
I now have so many questions that I wish I had asked him.

Lions led by Donkey's
 
I cannot believe the amount of people who are in Britain who show a lack of respect for this time of year, admittedly where i am in the west of scotland it is all to do with the "rivalry" between catholic and protestant, and ireland, with the catholics actually having banners at their football club saying "we do not want blood stained poppies on our hoops" (hoops being celtic)
it is a total affront to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and the irony of the bravery is lost on the scum who denounce them, as without such bravery they would not live in a land that allowed them such freedom of speech, it is the same as the muslims who burnt poppies during the 2 minute silence, can you imagine us holding such a protest in their country against their people/beliefs. we would simply disappear

to those who faught and died or were injured and to their survivors, God Bless You All, and lest we forget.
 
kirkgas said:
I cannot believe the amount of people who are in Britain who show a lack of respect for this time of year, admittedly where i am in the west of scotland it is all to do with the "rivalry" between catholic and protestant, and ireland, with the catholics actually having banners at their football club saying "we do not want blood stained poppies on our hoops" (hoops being celtic)
it is a total affront to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and the irony of the bravery is lost on the scum who denounce them, as without such bravery they would not live in a land that allowed them such freedom of speech, it is the same as the muslims who burnt poppies during the 2 minute silence, can you imagine us holding such a protest in their country against their people/beliefs. we would simply disappear

to those who faught and died or were injured and to their survivors, God Bless You All, and lest we forget.
Click to expand...
Not all Celtic fans are catholic, and most had nothing to do with that crass banner. Celtic Fc rightly commemorates the players who lost their lives in the great war. "The catholics"? What utter pish. Keep your Hun-up manship to the footie thread.

As for the 'British soldiers burn in hell' crap, I'm sure those guys can sell a BMW or two for a ticket to Pakistan where it should be a doddle to get to the front line and put their money where their gob is.


Edit 'cause if it annoys a sectarian bigot I'm all for it.
 
Just watched it again, the remembrance service at the cenotaph. Each year I resolve to be stoical and objective. However, halfway through as usual I lost my composure and got emotional and I guess nostalgic for these past generations of men and women who selflessly gave a lot and in many cases everything, that we may live this free existence.

I believe that because of what they gave the world now is a safer place. there is not now the huge conflicts that blighted the world throughout history.
OK There are small flare ups, like Afganistan, Iraq, the Balkans and the Falklands. But they do not compare to what has happened throughout history worldwide

My father fought in WW2. North Africa, Italy, Monte Casino. My grandfather fought in WW1 The Somme and Ypres. The rset is conjecture. His father fought in the Boer war or in some colonial dispute His forefathers fought in the Crimea, His in the Napoleonic wars. and so it goes on throughout history, and that is only Britain. look at the history of conflict worldwide, it is horrific. Evey year, going back thousand of years nations have been slaughtering nations throughout the world.

By comparison the world is now at peace. There is no mass slaughter where thousands are killed in one days conflict. It is not a rite of passage to go and fight Johny Foreigner,which generation after generation did.

The only problem I have with it, call me a cynic if you wish, I believe that we have now turned from a selfless giving, dutifull society into a selfish greedy egotistical me me me society, where duty and respect to to ones fellow man and country has all but disappeared
 
I attended the Rememberance Service in my hometown of Coleraine Northern Ireland this year and was very sombre as usual - then the news broke of a young RIR Ranger from Coleraine had been killed in Afghanastan that day

RIP Aaron
 
For the last 65 years actualy.

Going forward we have to hope that the nation that polices the world is another great and powerful democracy, like the mighty (militarily and financially) USA and before them Britain.

With the USA now , we have to accept in decline, but a long way from finished. And China emerging as the next great world power. The hope is that the enlightenment of democracy and freedom will flourish in that nation and that they will view the world as a market place and not a potential empire to be trampled on and used. And that wars between nations are an abhorrence, which will lead to the possible destruction of developed markets and therefore need to be stopped by applying massive financial and commercial pressure in the first instance and military pressure as a last resort.

I believe that it is still a fact that no two democracies have ever gone to war. Britain passed the baton of world policing to the USA in the 20th century. When they pass it to China, as I believe they will, probably not in my lifetime. I hope that China is deserving of the responsibility
 
Depends on your definition of democracy. We went to war against the US in 1812.

If you consider Britain was a democracy in 1812 (don't think much as changed politically since then, though the monarch probably has less power), then two democracies have been to war.
 
I dont think that in 1812 you could call USA or Britain a true democracy. Both were a long way from having universal suffrage
 
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