The 90th anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele

[Jack]

The Queen and Belgian Queen Paola will lead solemn commemorations Thursday in Flanders Fields, paying tribute to 500,000 Commonwealth soldiers who died 90 years ago this year in one of the bloodiest trench warfare battles ever seen.

 

Thousands were expected to gather just outside the village Passchendaele with the royals and other leaders from Canada, Australia and New Zealand to remember what historians have described as a slaughter of thousands in the Battle of Passchendaele.

 

 

[Tony B]

Following the Pal's March to commemartae the 90th anniversary of the First Day of the Somme, we will all be out Ieper (Ypres) at the end of the month for another commemarative march. I have the honour and pleasure to have been asked to take my Dodge WC51 out again as a support vehicle.I know most of us are mainly intrested in post 1939 kit, but to understand WW2 properly it is worth studying up on the Great War, not WW1 as at the time no one knew, and feverently belived, there would never be a second. To quote Laurence Binyon

They shall not grow old as we that remain grow old.

Age shall not weary them nor the years condem

At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

We will remember them.

 

[Enigma]

Hi Tony

Been to a re-enactor event at Zonnebeke near paschendaele last year.

Enjoyed myself immensly.

I wore a original WW1 US doughboy uniform and gear, even a 1918 dated Waltham wristwatch.

 

[Tony B]

Hi enigma, this year is the 90th anniversary of the Doughboys landing in France. 21 June 1917 at St Nazaire. The mystic of the Ypres salient is that it was the only part of Belgium not occupied.

[LeeEnfield]

amoungst a great number of books written about the Passchendaele battle, I can recomend Lyn MacDonald's 'They Called It Passchendaele'.

 

ISBN 0 7181 1735 2

 

 

 

LEST WE FORGET...........

 

 

' In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the dead.Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

 

John McCrae.

[Snapper]

some pix

[Snapper]

John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields here at Essex Farm. He died in 1918 and is buried at Wimereux.

[Tony B]

Yes, we are going to based near Essex Farm. There is also an invitation to do Gaurd of Honour at the Menin gate. The Cloth hall has a Routemaster bus called 'Young Bill' I'm typed on them so hope to get a paly. We also have the Daimler 3 ton subsidy truck going. I consider myself very lucky to be participate. I will get a picture of the dodge going through the Menin Gate. Funny thing is Sasson's poem, I died in hell they called it Passendale'- he never served in the Salient.

[LeeEnfield]

Many Thanks for posting these pic's.

 

Andy

[Snapper]

[quote name=. Funny thing is Sassoon's poem' date=' I died in hell they called it Passendale'- he never served in the Salient.

 

Very true. But he was very angry about the Menin Gate. His poem On Passing The New Menin Gate includes lines about the Intolerably nameless names and a sepulchre of crime. He visited it en route to a cultural jolly in Austria with one of his boyfriends not long after it opened in 1927. Sassoon loved the soldiers of the war deeply - in an emotional sense - not physical. He was very angry with the people who profited from the war, immensely in some cases, and those who war mongered while staying at home. He was entirely correct. But nothing has changed. (There's a US play from WW2 where a businessman profits from making poor quality engine blocks for planes and is quite happy - until his only son dies flying in a plane he helped build. Can't remember the title).

 

Despite the attitude of Seigfried, I suggest every person reading this should see the Menin Gate before they snuff it. The Last Post will get you every time.

 

[Snapper]

I hope that last post made sense. The quotes thing went awry....

[Snapper]

I failed to include this snap of the grave of Valentine Joe Strudwick. A fifteen year old lad. His grave is much visited, as you can see. The earlier pic of the grave of Tom Barratt VC is another much loved spot. Tom was 22 when he won his VC fighting snipers one on one. He must have been a remarkable young man. Another loss to our nation.

[Snapper]

some more memories from Flanders

[Snapper]

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[Snapper]

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[Snapper]

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[Snapper]

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[Snapper]

These pix come from Sanctuary Wood, Hooge crater, In Flanders Fields museum, Yorkshire Trench, Tyne Cot, Perth China Wall cemetery and the Menin Gate. Hope you liked them. There are hundreds more - but I'm already behind with Bolero pix posting promises....

[Tony B]

I hope that last post made sense. The quotes thing went awry....

 

Hey Snapper,

Makes a lot of sense. Being from Jersey my intrest , because of the Occupation, has always been WW2. It was last year with the 10th Essex reenactments and Andrew Robertshaw at The Somme opened my eyes. Have you read Pat Barker's book Regeneration? One of a trilogy dealing with the time of and just after the Great War. It is based on Sassoon's time at Craiglockhart Mental asylum.

[LeeEnfield]

Very Wise words from H.G.Wells......................

 

Shame no-ones taken any heed of them.......................

 

'Out there,we've walked quite friendly up to Death;

Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland, -

Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand.

We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath, -

Our eyes wept,but our courage didn't writhe.

He's spat at us with bullets and he's coughed

Shrapnel. We chorussed when he sang aloft;

We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.

 

Oh, Death was never an enemy of ours!

We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum.

No soldier's paid to kick against his powers.

We laughed, knowing that better men would come,

And greater wars; when each proud fighter brags

He wars on Death - for Life; not men - for flags.'

 

 

Wilfred Owen

 

[Snapper]

Hey Snapper,

Makes a lot of sense. Being from Jersey my intrest , because of the Occupation, has always been WW2. It was last year with the 10th Essex reenactments and Andrew Robertshaw at The Somme opened my eyes. Have you read Pat Barker's book Regeneration? One of a trilogy dealing with the time of and just after the Great War. It is based on Sassoon's time at Craiglockhart Mental asylum.

 

Yes, I have. They got people talking. But I prefer non-fiction, myself. Have a look at Blindfold and Alone for a balanced look at how shellshock, cowardice and military law became very awkward bedfellows. No axe to grind, no political point - just facts. Makes a pleasant change.

[Tony B]

Thanks Snapper, I must say I think 'Tommy', has to be the definitive book. It's odd reading things like 'The guns of August' and comparing it to more modern books to see how attitudes change. A teacher told me some time ago they don't know any history teacher who dosen't introduce the subject of the Great War without a clip from Black adder. I must say it took some time to prise me off the ceiling. The same with the Occupation of the Channel Islands, as I heard it from the people who were there, good and bad, it does make me wonder what happens to Facts. I prefer to find the scource documents and try to think in the social/political terms of the times. Not easy.

[Enigma]

Great photo's.

The ones with waterlogged trenches were very illustrative.

[Snapper]

Thanks Snapper, I must say I think 'Tommy', has to be the definitive book. It's odd reading things like 'The guns of August' and comparing it to more modern books to see how attitudes change. A teacher told me some time ago they don't know any history teacher who dosen't introduce the subject of the Great War without a clip from Black adder. I must say it took some time to prise me off the ceiling. The same with the Occupation of the Channel Islands, as I heard it from the people who were there, good and bad, it does make me wonder what happens to Facts. I prefer to find the scource documents and try to think in the social/political terms of the times. Not easy.

 

 

The best modern history of a single battalion I have read is McCrae's Battalion about the 16th Royal Scots, the 2nd Edinburgh City Bn, who were part of 34th Div on the first day of the Somme. It is a WW1 Band of Brothers and the sporting aspect of it, many members being from the Hearts football club and it's supporters does not detract - if you have no soccer interest per se - from a fantastic and very sad story. I think it should make a film/tv series - but there are no yanks involved. If anything, the 34th Div; Tyneside Scots and Irish, two Edinburgh bns, Cambridge men (Suffolk Regt) and the Lincolns could almost be a WW1 version of the much hyped and loved 101st AB. But they're only of interest to the WW1 crowd.

[Snapper]

Great photo's.

The ones with waterlogged trenches were very illustrative.

 

 

This curious place is at Hooge crater. The famous larger crater and chateau has disappeared under a theme park; but there is a house cum hotel with trenches and bunkers in the grounds and the remnants of smaller mines which is how it comes to look like this. We found an old boot sole there which had places for 13 studs - ammunition boots of a sort. As with Sanctuary Wood, attempts to shore up the revettments with galvanised roofing material has helped. Hooge is where the Germans introduced us to gas and liquid fire. The Rifle Brigade suffered this joy. I've just discovered this is where my great uncle Les died in 1915. The museum there is fantastic. The best for miles and the cemetery opposite is beautiful.