The Lights Are Going Out

In a major event to mark the start of Britain's involvement in the Great War Monday, 4 August, will see the lights going out at 22.00 to mark the occasion and the loss of life which followed.  This seems to me to be one of the more meaningful ways of bringing home to as many folk as possible the centenary of an event which was to change our world forever and which is arguably still reverberating today through some parts of the world around us.

We will be taking part with only a single oil lamp (as common in 1914 as candlelight) to mark the occasion.  More information linked below -

http://www.1418now.org.uk/lights-out/ 

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/lights-out

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10726612/Britain-to-turn-off-the-lights-for-First-World-War-centenary.html

Oil lamp trimmed and ready, must now find the matches!

There will be a candle in the window here - and no access on here for an hour

Phil

Arthur Ernest Steele killed Delville Wood, 27 July 1916.

Percy Mellor, missing presumed killed, High Wood, 20 July 1916.

My great uncle and my wife's great uncle, both of the KRRs, died a week apart and a mile apart on the Somme.

The dining room now has a nice old fashioned aroma of oil lamp.  That is appropriate in many respects as it reminds me of the evening, around 55 years ago when my grandfather sat talking to me in the light of a similar oil lamp - all his house ever had - about his experiences in the front line and during an attack in the war which started for Britain 100 years ago tonight.  Strange how certain things awaken very old memories.

And a fortunate pair of families - all of my relatives who served in the front line in that war, including both grandfathers, came home although one great uncle carried teh after effects of a gassing for the rest of his life.

Just come back from the cenotaph in Sandy

A large number of people there with photos and stories of their family members lost in WW1, a lot of young people too.

As I am staying on a boat this week with no electricity I couldn't take part in this. But when i raised the sailing clubs flags yesterday I returned them to half mast and on going up the river we mentioned this to various people and they lowered their flags as well. It is Horning regatta week.

Just seen BBC Breakfast TV which has featured the field of Poppies at the Tower of London - ceramic flowers made by a graduate of the University here at Derby.
 
888,246 are being made and planted by volunteers. Final one goes in on 11 November and then the display will be dismantled with the Poppies being sold for Service Charities.
 
Details here http://www.derby.ac.uk/news/tower-of-london-to-unveil-national-war-heroes-tribute-by-derby-artist

Although this is a fitting tribute to the lives lost, it does make me wonder what will be done in 2018 to "celebrate" the end of the War - which should be more important than the start of war . . . . 

Mike

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I'm a little sad I missed the commemorations, I am in Japan this week and it is interesting that although Japan fought on the side of Britain and France in WW1 the centenary is getting very little attention and it is clearly not seen as such a significant event.

I'm a little sad I missed the commemorations, I am in Japan this week and it is interesting that although Japan fought on the side of Britain and France in WW1 the centenary is getting very little attention and it is clearly not seen as such a significant event.

That may have something to do with the outcome of World War One - part 2

My Great Uncle, George Hadler, Royal West Kents killed Delville Wood (area), Somme, 6th September 1916.

 

Brothers in Arms, indeed.

 

Best, Pete.

Known to those in the area as Devil's Wood, and so it was with the amount and bitterness of fighting which took place in it and its remains over the course of the Somme battle.

I can but presume we will hear a lot more about it in 2 years time as we have over 4 years of centenaries to come if we include British involvement in the events of 1919 in Russia.  Somehow I hope the commemorating will not all be over by Christmas as the millions of ordinary people drawn into the Great War largely fell into its clutches after 1914.

Thanks, Mike. The Battle of the Somme started on 1st July 1916, unfortunately called the “worst day in the history of the British Army” 60,000 casualties in one day.

 

Pete.

Last night someone quoted a statistic that there were more British soldiers killed on the first day of the Somme than the Americans lost in the years of the Vietnam war, I haven't checked this but even if it is not quite correct I have a feeling it may not be far off.

Last night someone quoted a statistic that there were more British soldiers killed on the first day of the Somme than the Americans lost in the years of the Vietnam war, I haven't checked this but even if it is not quite correct I have a feeling it may not be far off.

The Somme figures are not exactly easy to get at although the detail for the 4th Army looks fairly reliable on the first day of the battle it suffered a total of 57,470 casualties of whom 19,240 were killed.  What is not clear - and probably never will be - is how the 57,470 was made up and what number, apart from the obvious one, was counted as killed.  The reason for this is at the time the British army counted as a 'casualty', wounded, captured, killed, or missing.  Obviously some of the latter would have been killed while some could subsequently have rejoined their units, and some of the wounded would have died later of their wounds.

Over the total course of the Somme battle total British army casualties were around 420,000 but this figure is again misleading as some men could have gone missing then rejoined or have been wounded on more than one occasion.  But whatever the exact numbers the undeniable fact is that they were very large, unimaginably so to us looking back over almost 100 years.

The more difficult question is who was responsible?  This has been answered in many ways over the years depending, often, on the fashionable theories of the time.  What does now seem fairly clear is that the inexperience of many of the 'New Army' Divisions involved was a contributory factor (as had been feared by both Haig and Rawlinson prior to the battle) while inadequate artillery preparation due to, often, using the wrong type of shell, had a devastating impact due to the failure to cut the German wire.  Another problem was the bringing forward of the date of the offensive too relieve pressure on Verdun which again links to inadequate preparation and training.  Some people of course still blame the Generals.