100 years ago...

[slaphead]

Tommy went over the top.

Within 10 minutes, my maternal grandmother lost her two elders brothers...

Pte. Bob Carver age 21- Leics Rgt.
Pte. Jimmy Carver age 18 - Leics Rgt. attached to Machine Gun Corps.

Stand easy lads.

 

[blade1889]

Went on a battlefields trip with school 6/7 years ago now, such a moving experience. Going to the British Somme cemetery and being given a poppy to place on a grave, but how do you know which one? Staring out over the white headstones, graves without names. Or the wall at the back of names without graves. A child younger than me taken away but no place or body for the mother to mourn. Scary to think that happened only 100 years ago.

 

[SALTIRE]

My great grandfather was one of the lucky ones who not only survived the battle with distinction winning the military medal in the process, but he went on to survive the war. His brother didn't make it however unfortunately.

Lads (as that's all they were) we salute and thank you all for what you did for us back then. RIP.

 

[Craig]

Murdered pawns. Victims of a royal family feud. Disgusts me.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/793005/HOLMES, VICTOR

19 years old. Lied to and used. Just a number on a piece of paper to the powers that be.

His brother Robert, my great grandfather, survived every major engagement of the war in the horse artillery. Their other brother Henry made it to the German lines at the Somme and was beaten silly by the German defenders. He died shortly after the war ended from complications as a result. So isn't counted as one of the 'glorious dead'.

 

[Craig]

Thought this was a good article.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-36149839