The Somme

[Titanic]

Its difficult to even comprehend almost 20,000 dead in the first few hours. Horrific.

http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry...-figures-commemorate-the-battle-of-the-somme/

 

[Bold Seagull]

Never been able to get my head around what they went through. It is a loss too great to comprehend.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Much the same here.

I have done my usual and taken myself away from the rest of the office. I had a meeting cancelled but kept the room booking to have some quiet time.

I am only 28, many my age do the silence and leave it there but I have so much admiration for the men and boys that fought for us all those years ago, it is something that, if asked to do today, I doubt I could.

On days like these I will usually spend half an hour or so doing some research and reading accounts of the people there. It always puts a lot of things into perspective

RIP

Thanks to this thread have just spent the last ten minutes looking at the incredible footage of the ghosts installation. Privilege for those who got to witness that moving tribute firsthand.

 

[highflyer]

Thanks to this thread have just spent the last ten minutes looking at the incredible footage of the ghosts installation. Privilege for those who got to witness that moving tribute firsthand.

On my way to work this morning:

 

[vegster]

Just watching the tribute to the fallen on the BBC, very moving, no words of mine can sum up adequately the loss of so many futures.

 

[crabface]

Very sobering. Unbelievable to think how many lives were cut short.

The Telegraph are updating the events at times of the day if people want to find out a little more http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/01/the-battle-of-the-somme-as-it-happened-on-july-1-1916/

 

[Pavilionaire]

I have a letter sent to my great grandmother in June 2016 from her brother who was fighting on the eve of The Somme offensive. His address shows as "Somewhere in France" and he describes in one part - in a very matter of fact way - how the quartermaster's head was blown clean off his shoulders.

My great grandmother had two brothers, one of whom died and the other lived. I've often wondered which brother wrote the letter.