Harry Patch

[steptoe]

Im reading that at the mo Deke, very moving in places,,,,,

 

[Megaohm7]

I have now found out more information of my Great uncle who fought in the Great war. He served with the Essex Regiment 2nd battalion and was killed in action on the 10th Oct 1917 near Ypres. He is laid to rest at Tyne cot cemetery in Belgium. I will be going to visit his grave this year maybe on the 10th of Oct and I know it's going to be emotional. I will keep my diary clear for that time. I'm so proud of these young men that never made it home to their Mothers and families and They will never be forgotten but very much respected..Lest we forget.

 

[Zeespark]

Its just a pity that our 'politicians' don't have the same deep rooted respect and patriotism, instead showing it opportunistically. Good on you Megaohm.

AndyGuinness

 

[Megaohm7]

It certainly seems that way mate.

 

[Evans Electric]

Nice one Megaohm.

Theres a folk song written by Pete Seeger , many others have sung it , called " Where have all the Flowers Gone" Makes you think .

 

[PC Electrics]

Pity I didn't know about that Mega. I was in Ieper with my son just 2 weeks ago and we visited Tyne Cot. We could have laid a cross for you. 12,000 headstones and another 25,000 or so names on the wall!! Something like 100,000 names on the Menin Gate (all missing) !!

it was a very moving and educational school trip. Our guide was superb. He laid to rest many misconceptions - including the one about the generals all living in luxury behind the lines. I laid a cross on the stone of a Brigadier General killed in action.

Make sure you take time to visit the Cloth Hall. It takes a while to take it all in when you're in there.

Also spare a thought for all the Germans who died (mostly conscripts, compared to the BEF who were professionals) and visit one of their cemetries - a stark contrast to the Commonwealth ones, all dark and depressing and not kept anywhere near as well.

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I think ALL school children of 12 -14 yrs should go on that trip. Maybe instill some respect in them.

 

[Evans Electric]

I'll go with that PC.

 

[Megaohm7]

Pity I didn't know about that Mega. I was in Ieper with my son just 2 weeks ago and we visited Tyne Cot. We could have laid a cross for you. 12,000 headstones and another 25,000 or so names on the wall!! Something like 100,000 names on the Menin Gate (all missing) !!it was a very moving and educational school trip. Our guide was superb. He laid to rest many misconceptions - including the one about the generals all living in luxury behind the lines. I laid a cross on the stone of a Brigadier General killed in action.

Make sure you take time to visit the Cloth Hall. It takes a while to take it all in when you're in there.

Also spare a thought for all the Germans who died (mostly conscripts, compared to the BEF who were professionals) and visit one of their cemetries - a stark contrast to the Commonwealth ones, all dark and depressing and not kept anywhere near as well.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 23:15 ---------- Previous post was made at 23:13 ----------

I think ALL school children of 12 -14 yrs should go on that trip. Maybe instill some respect in them.

Hi PC. Thank you for your kind thoughts. The places that you visited while you were there seem as important to visiting a memeorial for it gives you a better idea of what went on. My son wants to visit the battlefields as history is one of his stronger subjects.

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As PC has said and also what Harry Patch said,was to consider the Germans too as they were conscripted, all young men and someones son. It all seems such a terrible waste of life at the end of it.

 

[PC Electrics]

"achieved little but loss"

slogan from the displays in the Cloth Hall

 

[steptoe]

I have a pic somewhere,

dunno where with all the moving around I used to do,

but it shows two headstones merely yards apart, maybe even feet,

one is dated 1st july 1916

the other 11th nov 1918

it kinda sums up what it was all about, merely a few yards moved in two years.

 

[Theorysparky]

I started to watch a program on the History channel today called Finding the Fallen (something like that)

i turned it off after 15 mins it was all about the tunnels and trenches they were excavating,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

another part of the war i didn't know about and what he survivors were asked to do......

 

[Evans Electric]

My thanks to Steptoe for recommending the book "Harry Patch...The last Fighting Tommy"

Picked it up on Amazon and just read it .

 

[steptoe]

you are very welcome Deke,

now,

if only we could get more of our young to read suchlike,!!!!!

 

[Evans Electric]

I hope they saw the meaning in the very last episode of "Blackadder " when the the comedy very gradually changed as it drew nearer to "going over the top" ,

the colour became sepia brown and then the battlefield became a sea of red poppies.

What a piece of scriptwriting .!!!

If anyone did not see it I believe its on Youtube.

 

[steptoe]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJZsZ0bWTSw?feature=oembed

 

[steptoe]

well folks, its been a year now since the last one in here,

and we are all still not learning anything. :|

:shakehead

 

[markyspark76]

I met Harry patch in the care home he was in, in wells Somerset a few years ago.what a great guy he was