Lessons of the Somme

Showing some photo’s from one of the display panels within the Thiepval Visitor Centre featuring photographs of some of the men who were commemorated on the memorial we should stand still by the millions of people who lost their lives, not only in World War I but also in World War II and the many battles which were fought on the battle fields in Europe. At last common sense brought the nations together working on a community of unity, the European Union, which now is back under threat.

The panel created in 2004 and consisting of 600 head and shoulders pictures which were selected to provide a fair representation of the 72,000 on the memorial are just a shade of men who had ideals, hopes and dreams, which were shattered to pieces in agony and despair by the cruelty which overtook them all.

Display panels in three languages — English, French and German — may provide an overview of the course of the Great War from 1914-1918, but it is the task to each sincere civilian and honest human being to spread the message of peace all over the world in their own mother tongue and show the world why that atrocity which took place 100 years ago may not happen again.

Today there are still millions of people dying because the greed to power and the aim to suppress others is still with the stealth of a tiger looking at the world and to malinger as a dangerous silent virus which has no mercy, bringing damage to both parties involved.

John Grant as Meticulous Mick writes from Cork in Ireland that he

was pleased to see that there were a number of school educational trips to these sites of historic importance.

all over Europe schools should have such trips in their curriculum. In Belgium is is an obligated element to make the youngsters aware of the dangers of prejudice against others, racism and undemocratic systems.

His blog was started on 13^th May 2013 in order to explore some of his more creative skills that were just waiting to leap out. From his visits he presents his photographs and today we would like to ask you to loo at those of the battlefields.

In walking around the “Y-Trench” cemetery within the grounds of the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont Hamel, the largest area of the site of the battle that has been preserved of the Battle of the Somme, he was struck by the number of graves that all bore the date of that fateful first day of fighting, 1st July 1916. Of the 780 men of the Newfoundland Regiment that went over, only 68 were able to report for roll call the next day. Like many battlefields of the Great War many bodies could not be identified any more and lots of people could not be found.

For him

As much as the memorial was impressive, it was the preserved scars of war, the unmarked graves and the statistics that had the most effect on me. I was humbled. {100 Years On}

Trench Lines – Photo John Grant, working under the name of Meticulous Mick and JRCR Grant.

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Preceding

Honouring hundreds of thousands of victims of the brutal Somme battle

Ulster Tower ceremony for the Irish at the Somme battle

Aftermath

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Relating articles

1. Battle Of The Somme.1
2. The Battle of the Somme 2
3. World War I History: ‘A Good Kick’ -The Story of the Ball That Led To One of The Bloodiest Battles in History
4. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
5. World War I History: Slaughter on the Somme
6. The Somme (1916) Working Class Holocaust
7. July 1, 1916, the beginning of the Battle of the Somme
8. 2/7/1916 The Somme: counting the cost, planning the next steps
9. Neville, George Henry. Died 2nd Jul 1916
10. Monday July 3, 1916
11. Day 3 of 141 days of the Battle of the Somme 1916-2016 100 years
12. 3/7/1916 The Somme: a failed night attack
13. White, William Samuel. Died 3rd Jul 1916
14. Collins, Henry Edward. Died 3rd Jul 1916
15. July 4, 1916 – Battle of the Somme greeted with ‘the greatest enthusiasm’
16. “My darling, au revoir.” – War diaries of Captain Charles May | GM 1914
17. Rugby and the Battle of the Somme: the International Players who Died
18. The Young Lost in the Somme
19. The Last Day Of The Somme.
20. The Battle of the Somme remembered at Camberley’s war memorail
21. 19,240 Shrouds at Exeter
22. 19240
23. We are here
24. The Battle of Fromelles : 19 July 1916
25. Remembering the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme
26. Whitgift School commemorates Battle of the Somme Centenary
27. In the Field – The Battle of the Somme (100 not out)
28. Remembrance day
29. A day late, but…
30. 3 Days, 3 Quotes | Day 2
31. The Somme
32. Flodden
33. Recalling visits to WW1 Battle of the Somme war memorials
34. Change, My Dear
35. Letters From A Lost Generation – First World War Letters of Vera Brittain and Four Friends
36. A Series of Unrelated Traditions
37. roadside
38. An Invasion of Lilies
39. And Winter Descended
40. A sombre day

Meticulous Mick

I myself was quite unsure about visiting the site of the Battle of the Somme. I did not know how I would feel, what emotions it might stir.

Having now been, I am unequivocal in recommending that people should go to such sites. In reality, visiting these sites did more than any book might convey and brought the message sharply home; the futility and waste that war brings.

These lessons need to be passed on, generation to generation. It was in that regard that I was pleased to see that there were a number of school educational trips to these sites of historic importance.

The Thiepval Memorial itself contains the names of 72,195 British and South African soldiers “missing” in the Battle of the Somme.

We all need to learn.

Note: Images of the soldiers were taken at the Thiepval Memorial, Flanders, France.

Credit: Statistical information taken from Wikipedia

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