Lest We Forget

[Scottyboi]

great post and a great cause. For all those who believe war is unecessary, always question how long their memory is because attrocities are allowed to occur when those with the ability fail to act.

Its a shame that many of the horrors of both world wars have been echoed many times since then. It seems no matter how strong the resonance of suffering sounds, humans will always treat each other with little or no humanity

So what exactly was "necessary" about the First World War? Becasue of that war, the Second became inevitable once France (& England) failed to astand up to Hitler in the mid 30's.

Even Churchill, when asked in 1939 what the war should be called, replied "The unnecessary war".

Europe went all out in the treaty of versailles to crush germany. If we was abit more lenient the second world war would never of happened.

Thats my view anyway.

 

[JOGAMIGMOG]

The state of Europe in 1914 with Alliances, Balkan War and other conflict hangovers, the arms race and the rush towards mobilisation basically created a tinder box ready to explode. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the blue touch paper. It was impossible to avoid war unfortunately. Politicians at that time were not renowned for their diplomacy either. The outbreak of war was welcomed in both Great Britiain and in Germany and young men couldn't join up fast enough. It soon went tits up! Although it could be described as 'pointless', it was inevitible.

Any soldier who fought under those conditions, especially on the Western Front, was a hero in my eyes. Could imagine the reaction if the 18 year olds of today were asked to do likewise!

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The state of Europe in 1914 with Alliances, Balkan War and other conflict hangovers, the arms race and the rush towards mobilisation basically created a tinder box ready to explode. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the blue touch paper. It was impossible to avoid war unfortunately. Politicians at that time were not renowned for their diplomacy either. The outbreak of war was welcomed in both Great Britiain and in Germany and young men couldn't join up fast enough. It soon went tits up! Although it could be described as 'pointless', it was inevitible.

Any soldier who fought under those conditions, especially on the Western Front, was a hero in my eyes. Could imagine the reaction if the 18 year olds of today were asked to do likewise!

My grandfather fought in the trenches and was lucky enough to survive so I could hear about it first hand. It was horrific and I quite agree that anyone who did that showed guts that most of us couldn't even begin to imagine.

It wasn't impossible to avoid but attitudes were indeed different. The notion of "shoot first and ask questions later" was prevalent and the irony is that the desire not to go down that route 15-20 years later was directly responsible (along with the Treaty of Versailles) for the even worse conflict that followed.

 

[bluevengence]

My old man was a Marine Commando during WW2,he never talked about it till towards the end of his life,he never bragged to his mates,he was a Marine ,he got hit by shrapnell in France as he turned to his mate his mates head was missing,he came back to England got his leg fixed up and went back working behind enemy lines taking prisoners, he never made any more mates,he had many more tales before he died,he never bothered with his medals,he was a mad City fan all his life, he was 18 when he joined up FFS( think about it)

My dad is quite similar,he very rarely talked about what he had been through in the war,from the d day landings to the jungles of burma fighting the japanese and he was also a marine (bootie)
Earlier this year i persuaded him to travel back to the beaches of normandy for the 65th anniversary of the d day landings thanks to the heroes return lottery funding,this was the first time he had ever been back there since he was a young 19 year old royal marine commando on that grey stormy morning on june the 6th 1944 where he waded ashore onto juno beach with what we can only imagine horrors going on around him.
The trip has you can imagine was very emotional especially standing with him on that now tranquill beach with children playing in the sand with a big old grey german bunker in the background and laying our poppy cross on the beach....then the the visits to the cemetaries where walking past the rows and rows of boys aged 17 18 19 20 row after row with tears coming down my face.
We met the british and french prime ministers and prince charles and my dad was awarded a bar from the french,but they paled into insignifigence compared to meeting some of the old veterans and listerning to their storys,they were the true VIPs

A truely humbling experience and we owe them so much......WE MUST NEVER FORGET

this is just one story ...but there are millions like it

 

[bluevengence]

My old man was a Marine Commando during WW2,he never talked about it till towards the end of his life,he never bragged to his mates,he was a Marine ,he got hit by shrapnell in France as he turned to his mate his mates head was missing,he came back to England got his leg fixed up and went back working behind enemy lines taking prisoners, he never made any more mates,he had many more tales before he died,he never bothered with his medals,he was a mad City fan all his life, he was 18 when he joined up FFS( think about it)

My dad is quite similar,he very rarely talked about what he had been through in the war,from the d day landings to the jungles of burma fighting the japanese and he was also a marine (bootie)
Earlier this year i persuaded him to travel back to the beaches of normandy for the 65th anniversary of the d day landings thanks to the heroes return lottery funding,this was the first time he had ever been back there since he was a young 19 year old royal marine commando on that grey stormy morning on june the 6th 1944 where he waded ashore onto juno beach with what we can only imagine horrors going on around him.
The trip has you can imagine was very emotional especially standing with him on that now tranquill beach with children playing in the sand with a big old grey german bunker in the background and laying our poppy cross on the beach....then the the visits to the cemetaries where walking past the rows and rows of boys aged 17 18 19 20 row after row with tears coming down my face.
We met the british and french prime ministers and prince charles and my dad was awarded a bar from the french,but they paled into insignifigence compared to meeting some of the old veterans and listerning to their storys,they were the true VIPs

A truely humbling experience and we owe them so much......WE MUST NEVER FORGET

this is just one story ...but there are millions like it

 

[Rammyblues]

So what exactly was "necessary" about the First World War?

I am no historian but effectively it was caused by the greed of one man the Kaiser. He wanted an empire for Germany in the same way as England and France had empires.

He started to expand the Navy to rival the Royal Navy and caused an arms race. Austria started on Serbia, Russia backed Serbia, Germany backed Austria, Germany implemented Schifflen plan, whereby had to knock out France in 6 weeks then defeat Russia, Germany invaded Belgium as part of that plan (right hook) which meant we got involved because we supported Belgium, technically speaking France invaded Belgium first and our lads thought they were going to fight the French. The rest is history so to speak.

 

[nelsons willie]

The state of Europe in 1914 with Alliances, Balkan War and other conflict hangovers, the arms race and the rush towards mobilisation basically created a tinder box ready to explode. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the blue touch paper. It was impossible to avoid war unfortunately. Politicians at that time were not renowned for their diplomacy either. The outbreak of war was welcomed in both Great Britiain and in Germany and young men couldn't join up fast enough. It soon went tits up! Although it could be described as 'pointless', it was inevitible.

Any soldier who fought under those conditions, especially on the Western Front, was a hero in my eyes. Could imagine the reaction if the 18 year olds of today were asked to do likewise!

the lad that led the protest in london has his rights..its ap pity the lads at the somme didnt

 

[nelsons willie]

My old man was a Marine Commando during WW2,he never talked about it till towards the end of his life,he never bragged to his mates,he was a Marine ,he got hit by shrapnell in France as he turned to his mate his mates head was missing,he came back to England got his leg fixed up and went back working behind enemy lines taking prisoners, he never made any more mates,he had many more tales before he died,he never bothered with his medals,he was a mad City fan all his life, he was 18 when he joined up FFS( think about it)

My dad is quite similar,he very rarely talked about what he had been through in the war,from the d day landings to the jungles of burma fighting the japanese and he was also a marine (bootie)
Earlier this year i persuaded him to travel back to the beaches of normandy for the 65th anniversary of the d day landings thanks to the heroes return lottery funding,this was the first time he had ever been back there since he was a young 19 year old royal marine commando on that grey stormy morning on june the 6th 1944 where he waded ashore onto juno beach with what we can only imagine horrors going on around him.
The trip has you can imagine was very emotional especially standing with him on that now tranquill beach with children playing in the sand with a big old grey german bunker in the background and laying our poppy cross on the beach....then the the visits to the cemetaries where walking past the rows and rows of boys aged 17 18 19 20 row after row with tears coming down my face.
We met the british and french prime ministers and prince charles and my dad was awarded a bar from the french,but they paled into insignifigence compared to meeting some of the old veterans and listerning to their storys,they were the true VIPs

A truely humbling experience and we owe them so much......WE MUST NEVER FORGET

this is just one story ...but there are millions like it

yet again i know lads that did this...burma AND NORMANDY they had the unlickiest draw of the war

 

[Bovril]

Me thinks back to basics, the poppy represents all soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice any normal civilianised persons cannot comprehend. God bless them all each and everyone of them in whatever time in whatever 'War'.

 

[Bovril]

Me thinks back to basics, the poppy represents all soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice any normal civilianised persons cannot comprehend. God bless them all each and everyone of them in whatever time in whatever 'War'.

And that goes for every legitimate soldier from whatever country.