100 year anniversary of the Somme disaster.

Do you think we have learnt any lessons?

Hard to think of can't imagine the reality. Lost a great uncle in the early days named on the Menin Gate.

Visited the area several years ago. One of the few times I can remember when I couldn't help but cry. There was nothing special about the day, no anniversary and I didn't have any relative in mind but it didn't take much to imagine the horror of it all and the fear and bravery on show and also the sheer waste of human life. A dreadful, dreadful day in our history.

The good thing about these anniversaries is that it educates those people not conversant with this period.

Let's hope the French are eternally grateful for our sacrifice to relieve Verdun?  Whenever I visit the Menin gate I always feel that politicians should be forced to read every name on the memorial before they commit the country and its troops to combat

it will be a no show for the French President, which shows the lack of respect for  these brave men & boys  who gave so much for them. 

We visited the Theipval memorial a few years ago. The number of names there left a lasting memory, as did the behaviour of visiting school children - no chatter or laughter, just quiet awe at the enormity of it all

Less we forget.

At 7.28 (the time the mines were detonated and the whistles blew) I was at our local church to watch a short film about the 94 men from Washington who gave their lives. An excellent film, the church was full of young and old alike, and it was fitting tribute to those men.

There are more showings at lunchtime, details :

http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/event/washington-men-at-the-somme-a-short-film/

Lonely Tower and Wessington U3A present ‘Washington Men at the Somme’, a 20 minute film featuring the 94 men who died in battle.  The time is 7:28am, 1st July 1916, the mines at La Boisselle are detonated and the whistles blow.

20 000 lives lost on the first day!

It defies belief.

At 7.28 (the time the mines were detonated and the whistles blew) I was at our local church to watch a short film about the 94 men from Washington who gave their lives. An excellent film, the church was full of young and old alike, and it was fitting tribute to those men.

There are more showings at lunchtime, details :

http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/event/washington-men-at-the-somme-a-short-film/

Lonely Tower and Wessington U3A present ‘Washington Men at the Somme’, a 20 minute film featuring the 94 men who died in battle.  The time is 7:28am, 1st July 1916, the mines at La Boisselle are detonated and the whistles blow.

Is this film going to be shown anywhere else around the country?   I have just watched the video and it is really moving and so I would love to watch it all?

At 7.28 (the time the mines were detonated and the whistles blew) I was at our local church to watch a short film about the 94 men from Washington who gave their lives. An excellent film, the church was full of young and old alike, and it was fitting tribute to those men.

There are more showings at lunchtime, details :

http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/event/washington-men-at-the-somme-a-short-film/

Lonely Tower and Wessington U3A present ‘Washington Men at the Somme’, a 20 minute film featuring the 94 men who died in battle.  The time is 7:28am, 1st July 1916, the mines at La Boisselle are detonated and the whistles blow.

Is this film going to be shown anywhere else around the country?   I have just watched the video and it is really moving and so I would love to watch it all?

Not that I know of, but I do believe that the full film is to be placed on youtube? you could contact the makers direct?