With the centenary of the beginning of the Great War coming up, commemorations to mark the event are getting in to full gear.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-28313907

The war to end all wars! - Yeah, that worked well didn't it?

My intention for this thread to commemorate those who gave so much in this war, including my own great-grandfather who survived being gassed at the Somme, regardless of whether it was justified or not.
Maybe another thread could be created to discuss the rights & wrongs of the conflict.....?

My own grandfather fought in the Great War. He refused to talk about the horrors that he'd seen. He was a POW and escaped several times, he was awarded a few medals, but sadly he never felt able to tell his relatives just what he'd seen and done.

I do wonder just how the war changed people, but I will say that I salute everyone that fought on whatever side. - they did what they believed was right at the time, and they fought for their country.

Somehow, I doubt we'll see such bravery again.

I've been watching/listening to a lot of documentaries on both wars recently, and I've been left shocked and often in tears at what 'ordinary folk' - both civilian and military - were subjected to during both conflicts.

Thing is Lex, many think war is fought in a gentlemanly manner, when in effect it's brutal and is often a case of kill or be killed.

You see 'Outraged' of Paddington writing to the papers about a few soldiers posing with dead bodies or a soldier kicking a prisoner. I know these things shouldn't happen, but soldiers are only human. If they've just seen several of their mates literally blown to pieces by enemy action, they are going to be rather upset and might just lose self control.

Sadly, 'Outraged' of Paddington has no idea, and luckily for him has never found himself in the situation.

As I said in an earlier post, the Great War was supposedly the war to end all wars. If we sent politicians and their families as the first into the fray, it might well have been.

Soldiers of all sides are brave fellows and will always get my support and respect, even though I abhor war.

'Outraged' of Paddington, will always get my contempt.

Well, today sees the 100th anniversary of Britain declaring war on Germany, and a lot of events hae been taking place to mark the day:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28632223
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28642334

I shall dim my lights later tonight.

We owe those that fought so much.

Did I ever tell you my grandfather was a member of the old contemptibles? - Ended up being mown down on a pedestrian crossing.

No, I didn't know that. I've heard the old contemptibles mentioned once or twice over the years - they were the British Expeditionary Force?

That's them.

Sadly, other than his medals I know very little more. One of those things where you wished you'd asked before they passed on.

I only recently discovered that I had an ancestor who survived one of the Battles of the Somme, but too late to get any information off my grandparents. Thankfully, someone is looking to do some research on said ancestor, and do a talk on him as part of the commemorations.

Remembrance Sunday is coming up again; an especially poignant one this year, whatever your views on WW1.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-29836076

I think the knitted poppies in the memorial park is a wonderful gesture Lex.
Knitted poppies are really taking on.

My Dad was at Passiondale and badly injured He was sent back to convalesce, and then sent back again.Then another injury to his leg (which was such a mess he never liked to go swimming or wear shorts) he arrived back in England to convalesce again. He told us that as soon as he heard they were discussing whether he should go back again he decided he'd had enough and managed to escape in a pig food van.He went up to Leeds and changed his name. No-one heard from him--- except his Mum -my grandma-until 1923 when he emerged again-with his original name.The rest is family history.
He never spoke about what he saw but Grandma said it completely changed his personality. He was now a difficult person and inclined to flash moods.He always said the government treated the poor young men of this country men as battle food and shovelled them to the front with promises of glory --- they should have been held to account after the war. But things were different then and people more in awe of politicians than today.
The 'establishment' is changing and is worried.
Hence the alarm about UKIP

The 'establishment' has every right to be worried. I only hope we see some brought before the courts to answer for their crimes against the good people of this country.

Nuneaton's raised an incredible amount during this year's poppy appeal: http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Poppy-Appeal-record-breaker/story-25713708-detail/story.html