WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

[tynesideirish]

Couldn't let the day go by without remembering all the troops sacrificed on the first day of the Somme.

To all Regiments but especially The Tyneside Irish Brigade (34th Division) and the famous 36th Ulster Division.

Anthem for Doomed Youth

by Wilfred Owen

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
* Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, *
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

[orasot]

Well said T.I, lest we forget,
Wilf.

[Sawstonjohn]

The British suffered 19,240 dead, 35,493 wounded, 2,152 missing and 585 prisoners for a total loss of 57,470. This meant that in one day of fighting, 20% of the entire British fighting force had been killed, in addition to the complete loss of the Newfoundland Regiment as a fighting unit. Haig and Rawlinson did not know the enormity of the casualties and injuries from the battle and actually considered resuming the offensive as soon as possible. In fact, Haig, in his diary the next day, wrote that "...the total casualties are estimated at over 40,000 to date. This cannot be considered severe in view of the numbers engaged, and the length of front attacked."

Remembering the Norfolks


The 8th Battalion as part of the 18th (Eastern) Division was present on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. They got beyond their initial target and had by 5.00pm reached the German trenches known as "Montauban Alley". Over one hundred men and three officers had been killed

[Faugh-A-Ballagh]

My thoughts also today. Missing not being at Thiepval this year, but hopefully back next year.

John

[John Mulcahy]

Today is an important day, thank you "TI" for posting this.

Their name liveth for evermore.

It was only last January when I walked up from Connaught cemetry at the edge of Thiepval Wood up to the Schwaben redoubt.

The sunken road is not no sunken any more, the distance seems short, the slope does not seem so steep but all that that does is to put put the sacrifice into even greater perspective.

Remembering all who gave their all that day.

John

[ebro]

In WW1 my family lost two members in France, one on July 1st at the Somme.
Very few familys in Ireland did not have members killed or injured.
Unfortunately, with the passing of the years many of today's young people are surprised to find that thier family lost members in war and they don't even know the names of those who didn't return.
Sacrafices, like all those in WW1 and WW2 and other conflicts should never be forgotten.
We will rember them.

Eddie

[mule-73k]

Not only should we remember all who died but also all who were there and served as they have all now passed on the their eternal reward.

Well posted , sir!

Dave