WW I

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Britain and her empire entering into the First World War. There are going to be many events held to commemorate this sad series of bad memories but I was wondering if the GF has any stories to share about family members?

 

Almost all of us knew a family member or friend who had stories about "the war" but its always the Second World War. We don't know many of the First. It didn't seem to be something that impacted massively on my family - from what I know with the limited digging that I've done I think they were all too young by far to be conscripted or to enrol, mercifully.

 

Any stories or experiences passed down in your family?

[razor]

Thanks, AP, looking forward to reading this thread.  I hope people will be able to contribute. 

 

My understanding has always been that the experiences were so traumatic that returning soldiers never spoke about them.  Incredible that the sights and sounds were so devestating that most men just shut themselves down from discussing them, even with the people they dearly loved.

[Bjornebye]

Not really any stories as most of my family are from Galway and it’s never been a topic of discussion. I was born in 84 though so probably not as prevalent for anyone under 40 I guess. I did go on a school trip to Ypres and the Somme. That was an experience. We went to a forest that had seen some of the heaviest fighting , as we were being walked around the tour guide stopped us and asked if we noticed anything. I’d already clocked it and pointed out that I hadn’t seen or heard a single bird. When he said exactly my point I got goose-bumps and everyone in our class just went quiet. One of the eeriest moments of my life. 

[robslappa]

Both of my maternal Great-Grandfathers met each other during the battle of The Somme and both survived.  They remained great friends for the rest of their lives and their children (my grandparents) went on to marry after my Granddad returned from Japan at the end of World War 2 after spending nearly 4 years as a Japanese prisoner of war.  What they all went through as young men was horrendous and it isn't really something that I, with my relatively comfortable life will ever understand.

 

Lest we forget.

[Stu Monty]

The Dan Carlin Hardcore History podcast has been doing WW1 this year, it's well worth a listen for anyone that's interested. 

 

Never again.

[VladimirIlyich]

I believe a Great Uncle of mine served and died but it seems to be something nobody spoke about throughout the family.

A lot of PTSD went unnoticed as it didnt exist then.

[VladimirIlyich]

I believe a Great Uncle of mine served and died but it seems to be something nobody spoke about throughout the family.

A lot of PTSD went unnoticed as it didnt exist then.

Or is it PTSS?

[Arl arse]

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Both of my maternal Great-Grandfathers met each other during the battle of The Somme and both survived.  They remained great friends for the rest of their lives and their children (my grandparents) went on to marry after my Granddad returned from Japan at the end of World War 2 after spending nearly 4 years as a Japanese prisoner of war.  What they all went through as young men was horrendous and it isn't really something that I, with my relatively comfortable life will ever understand.

 

Lest we forget.

Jeez, the Somme and a Japanese POW camp!

 

I'm guessing your grandad's nickname wasn't "Lucky".

[Juniper]

Been speaking up my mum tonight and I think we're on about a trip to France to visit my great grandfathers grave, who died in battle.

 

I'm older now than he was when he died. Brings it home somewhat.

[littletedwest]

My maternal grandads brothers fought in it.After they emigrated to America saying they couldn't live in a country that senselessly slaughtered it's soldiers like that.

 

My grandad followed them joined the circus as a boxer (you paid to fight him then doubled your money if you won).He married and during prohibition he was asked to help smuggle molasses by some dodgy mob characters but he decided not to. He then divorced moved back here married my grandmother.When she died his first wife came over from America and they remarried.

 

off on a bit of a tangent but his life was a bit more interesting than mine.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

Both of my maternal Great-Grandfathers met each other during the battle of The Somme and both survived.  They remained great friends for the rest of their lives and their children (my grandparents) went on to marry after my Granddad returned from Japan at the end of World War 2 after spending nearly 4 years as a Japanese prisoner of war.  What they all went through as young men was horrendous and it isn't really something that I, with my relatively comfortable life will ever understand.

 

Lest we forget.

 

I don't know which feat is more impressive - surviving The Somme or 4 years as a Japanese POW, because those bastards were ruthless.

 

I can never get my head around WWI - with WWII there was a goal, a purpose and we were fighting for not only our freedom but our existence. But what was WWI apart from the last dick waving contest? Absolute travesty.

[Section_31]

Great thread Dan.

 

It's always striking how shit Britain was at ground warfare though, in both conflicts. This huge empire yet our lads were always running around with holes in their kecks and bolt action rifles while the Germans were brandishing prototype Kalashnikovs and pioneering mission based tactics.

[RedKnight]

How'd that work out for the Germans though?

[dennis tooth]

Oh look its the brought out all the warmongering elites, royalty and world leaders, same people who caused it all and paraded more cannon fodder peasantry just to splash a bit more urine on the graves of its victims. Maybe theyll take a selfie, meanwhle never again will the words never again be said and we shouldnt pretend to respect the dead this one day as we demonstrate with our actions that the lessons of their waste of life for elitist aims is unlearned and disrespected, lets leave our dead and all the dead of it to rest and if we say we havent forgotten lets show it and wipe out the causes.

Lets all act like marchin robots pinning poppies to pay tribute to the freedoms they won us not to be marchin for no kween.  Its all upside down, the elitist ceremonies are a mocking of the poor and their dead.

[robslappa]

Jeez, the Somme and a Japanese POW camp!

 

I'm guessing your grandad's nickname wasn't "Lucky".

It wasn't the same person who suffered both, it was my Great-Grandfathers who fought at the Somme and my Grandad who was captured by the Japanese in WW2.  My Grandad who was taken prisoner by the Japanese was also on 3 ships that were torpedoed including the HMS Repulse which was sunk just outside Singapore in Dec 1941.  I suppose you could say he was lucky, it was just everyone else around him that wasn't!

 

One thing that was so different back then is the sense of duty that the ordinary working man had compared to now.  So many volunteered after the outbreak of war and they were literally just lambs to the slaughter.  It was all so senseless.  In later years My Grandad lied to the Royal Navy about his age when he was just 15 in order join up before WW2 and he did this with his father's blessing.  I genuinely can't get my head around that considering what my Great-Grandfather experienced in WW1, he then went allowed his son to join up at such a young age.  It defies belief to be honest.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

The thing with WWII is there is an obvious goal and it was ultimately a fight for survival and our existence - I have read the history and the accounts of the politics of the time and there is still no reason for WWI to have happened.

[Nunavut Patrick]

My understanding of WW1 was that the alliances and ententes of the time were just waiting for something to kick off so they could then spring these alliances into action and gain territory.

 

I recently visited Flanders and observed the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate, in Ieper (Ypres) which is sounded every day at 8pm. My great uncle is listed on the memorial, which contains 55,000+ names of those who have 'no known grave'. i spent about an hour looking at the names, the regiments, the countries. The Kings Liverpool Regiment takes up two and a half rows alone and those are only the soldier's who were not found.

 

The war graves tour through the Ypres Salient was extremely moving. Tyne Cot Cemetery was particularly special. They also take you to a private farm where the farmer left the trenches and shell holes, the only one in the area (I think this is where Bjornebye was) and it was eerie.

 

The fella who did the tour was fantastic and his family has lived there for generations. He talked of rebuilding the town (Germans paid for it) after WW1. You can tell he, even to this day, doesn't care for the Germans. There was three Aussies on the tour with me and one was quite chatty and asked him if he gets many Germans, which the answer was none. We went to a German war cemetery and it was bloody eerie as well. It was more shaded then the Commonwealth ones. It was sad, many of the soldiers from the book All Quiet on the Western Front were buried there. In the middle was a mass grave where some 24,000 or so Germans were laid to rest with tablets with their names surrounding it.

 

I wasn't going to do a tour, was just going to head there for a quick day to see the Menin Gate Memorial and To hear the Last Post but it was recommended from Neko's Images of War thread by the GF.

 

It was well worth the €35.

[Dan Vito Corleone]

The Germans paid for more or less everything after WWI.

[Tom R]

My Mum's Grandfather (my Great Grandfather) and his 3 Brothers came over to England from Norway some time round 1910ish. They promptly changed their names from Larson to Lawson in order to get work and joined the Merchant Navy just before the War broke out. Apparently they did it becuase you got loads of trousers and shoes and they didn't have any decent trousers or shoes! 

They all served all over the world during the war, but that's all I really know. My Mum has all their various medals and I really must delve a little further some time. 

 

I know this next bit isn't directly relevant to WWI, but there's a tie to the Larsons above I guess.

It's a pretty cool story -sorry if I've ever posted this on here before - but my Grandad (my Mum's Dad) and his 5 brothers were one of only 2 ever examples of 6 brothers going away during WWII and them all coming home safely.

Here's a picture from the Bootle Times during the war. 

 

The Mr and Mrs "Lawson" you see named are of course my Great Grandfather who'd emigrated from Norway to England c.30 years earlier, changed his name and served in WWI
(George, in the middle, is my Grandad)
Henry (or Harry a he was known) only died a few years ago in his late 80s. He was given 1 month to live with Cancer and went on for 7 years, the legend. He was boss. 


 

[PestiRed]

Horrible war fought only for the benefit of imperial dick swinging. Ensured a second world war and all the empires involved had collapsed not long after anyway. Complete waste of people

[Tom R]

Great thread Dan.

 

It's always striking how shit Britain was at ground warfare though, in both conflicts. This huge empire yet our lads were always running around with holes in their kecks and bolt action rifles while the Germans were brandishing prototype Kalashnikovs and pioneering mission based tactics.

 

We had The Navy though. For all the rightful praise the likes of the Somme get, i'd wager more lives were lost at sea during the war than in many of the infamous ground battles. 

The odds of having to fight ground offences abroad simply weren't considered high enough to divert funds and resources away from our naval and coastal defences. It's understandable. We are an island afterall. 

[Tom R]

Not really any stories as most of my family are from Galway and it’s never been a topic of discussion. I was born in 84 though so probably not as prevalent for anyone under 40 I guess. I did go on a school trip to Ypres and the Somme. That was an experience. We went to a forest that had seen some of the heaviest fighting , as we were being walked around the tour guide stopped us and asked if we noticed anything. I’d already clocked it and pointed out that I hadn’t seen or heard a single bird. When he said exactly my point I got goose-bumps and everyone in our class just went quiet. One of the eeriest moments of my life. 

 

I've heard of this before. Apparently along the whole Ypres salient there's a distinct lack of wildlife and birds and nobody has ever really been able to explain it properly. 

 

Definitely a weird one, that. 

[Dan Vito Corleone]

The same goes for Auschwitz as well. Eerie silence follows you everywhere.

[Kevin D]

The thing with WWII is there is an obvious goal and it was ultimately a fight for survival and our existence - I have read the history and the accounts of the politics of the time and there is still no reason for WWI to have happened.

"It's clear to me - and has been since the age of 10 or so - that most people are bastards, thieves and yes- even pigfuckers."

 

- Hunter S. Thompson