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Hey

Just read this



When ever I read any thing about the first World War the figures of the casualties involved are so huge that my tiny brain can't even begin to take them in but this part

"More than 250,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers died there in three major battles. Around 90,000 are officially missing."

Really hit home. I come from a small town with an entire population of less people!!

Lets hope these three heroes can now rest in piece.

Cheers

BB

*Peace

I could not agree more, The mass slaughter of the ordinary troops and the total incompetence of those in charge is truly mind blowing.

My late grandfather was lucky not to be old enough to be sent to the trenches but finished up in Mesopotamia ( now part of Iraq ) after the war.

>Lets hope these three heroes can now rest in peace.

Note the news item you linked to was from 2006.

If you are interested in the First World War try to watch the film "Oh what a lovely war" directed by Richard Attenborough. Have to say it is probably my favorite film.

This film gives a pretty good overview of the first world war, with a mixture of satire, jokes, songs, and some thought provoking moments.

It shows how the war affected the "Smith" family, a mythical family who represent the typical british man (from working class to posh toff).

He sets the first world war on Brighton pier, making it seem as though it was all light hearted, but then flashes to scenes of the "real" war in France.

You never actually see anyone killed in the film, every time there is a gun shot, or an explosion, the camera just cuts to a single poppy, or a group of poppies.

And if the end does not bring a lump to your throat I will be very surprised.

It is available on DVD.

It's a great film, all right, with some wonderful songs, biting satire and leaves you feeling angry and sad.

The last ever episode of "Blackadder" also made a strong point about the The First World War.
I know this was on the tv some time ago but someone must remember it

I disagree. "Oh What a Lovely War" was fairly standard 1960's left wing satire rubbishing the so-called establishment.

All armies had problems coping with the demands of the new warfare in 1914-18. The British actually came out on top. We pioneered the use of light machine guns, tanks, creeping barrages and many other techniques which were brand new to warfare. By 1918 the British army was able to defeat the Germans in a series of battles from August to November, pushing them back in northern France and Belgium to the very borders of Germany. Why do you think the Germans had to ask for an armistice? Because they were a beaten army. Unlike in WWII they had actually beaten the Russians, but they still lost the war. That happened because the British Army evolved into a professional fighting force at ease with new technology. It was not a mass of cannon fodder ordered about by red tabbed blimps safe in their chateaux. Did you know that literally hundreds of generals and senior staff officers were killed, because they did not stay safely hundreds of miles behind the lines?

The whole "lions led by donkeys" thesis is badly out of date, but seems to have entered popular mythology, in part due to crap like "Oh What a Lovely War." We won the war, but as so often, the politicians lost the peace, which was why we had to do it all over again in 1939-45.

nikonman wrote:

> The last ever episode of "Blackadder" also made a strong point
> about the The First World War.
> I know this was on the tv some time ago but someone must
> remember it

I have it on DVD - in fact I have all the Blackadder series on DVD.