Did anyone see the programme on the Somme last night ?

It made me feel so humble and also so angry. Lions lead by donkeys.

 

was posted ealier. we should never foreget.

 

yes mate just found it. &quot;forward ! he cried from the rear and the front rank died. The General sighed and the lines on the map moved from side to side&quot;</p>

Pink Floyd 'Us and them' from Dark side of the moon' </p>

 

poor blokes..cant imagine stood their waiting for a whistle ..to blow then you climb up them steps ladders.. knowing 9 out of 10 of you gonna die..awful and the chiefs are stood miles away watching ..made me feel sick ..what a fecking world we live in..brave men..makes me wonder..fists and heads are no good in that situation.got nothing but admiration for them/,,ah well..god bless em...

 

and what reward did they get ? back to oppression, no welfare state, their kids shoved down a pit or into a mill when they were 13 no health service. The very things we take for granted today. Or do we ?

 

"And the Generals were made Lords".

I have two cousens who's Grandad was killed in the first war and their dad in the second.

I understand the reasons for going to War against Hitler but I still can't get my head round the reasons for the 1st war and why the Generals didn't learn anything from their incompetence.
Stupid Upper and Middle class idiots who bought their commissions.

 

the first world war wa sto prevent germany taking voer british and french territoires and trade routes.
in a nutshell

 

or as blackadder put it. it was simply too much trouble not to have a war.

 

It was also after the period of 'splendid isollation' where the uk were not involved in a european war for 60(?) years or so so there was a bloodlust. The first industrialised war. I thought Blackadder goes forth was very far fetched, but after thinking about it at side of the 'jolly hockey sticks' carnage of reality it was quite sane. 

 

Just been watching The Last Tommy.

Missed the 1st part but this one was very moving - the story that a general went to the hospital behind the lines and asked this soldier if he wanted to go to the seaside, they got in the ambulances and when they got out found they were at the front line! FFS!

Wish I'd seen the programme on the Somme, my granddad fought there and my mum said he would never talk about it.

 

if it is repeated do watch, it's like Band of Brothers. Heartbreaking but compulsive viewing about people who had to do things we now don't have to because of their actions. I'd love to put the average 'brave' thug of general chav behavior and put them in their place for 1 minute just so they could see the horror of real conflict where life was so cheap.

 

Is it a drama then?

"Band of Brothers" is excellent - got that on DVD.

 

well obviously the stories in blackadder are far fetched a little. i remember one where he says to the general.

so is the plan to climb out of the trenches and walk very slowly towards the enemy?
and the general says how did you know thats top secret

well its the same plan we used last time and the seventeen times before that!

to which the general replies well it will be the last thing they expect then

 

Part drama, part doumentary

All based on the letters & diaries of those that were there.