Seadog Posted 29 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 June , 2016 36th (Ulster) Division LEST WE FORGET Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 29 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 29 June , 2016 A word of thanks to those who have taken the time and effort to post here and to all those members who have visited and will I hope continue to visit and contribute this thread. Looking forward to further posts on this subject. Wilfred Owen Anthem for Doomed Youth What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. No mockeries for them from prayers or bells, Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,— The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; And bugles calling for them from sad shires. What candles may be held to speed them all? Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes Shall shine the holy glimmers of good-byes. The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; Their flowers the tenderness of silent maids, And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 29 June , 2016 Share Posted 29 June , 2016 (edited) Dear Norman, The 36th (Ulster) Division VCs memorial was most interesting, many thanks. Perhaps interestingly, I hold the medals of an Assistant Provost Marshal attached 36th (Ulster) Division, Capt George Barrett Goyder, VD, Indian Army Reserve of Officers and a member of the Indian Finance Department. He had the 15 Trio, was Mentioned in Despatches twice (1917 and 1919), and awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec etoile - shown on p.340 of the 1922 "History of the Ulster Division". Furthermore, G. B. Goyder had the Delhi Durbar 1911 (Agent to the Governor-General, Punjab), and was awarded the Belgian Order of the Crown and Belgian Croix de Guerre: subsequently also the Indian Volunteer Officers' Decoration GVR (Capt., Punjab Light Horse). During the Second War he served with the Home Guard (Defence Medal)... Capt Goyder broke his leg in France ('slipped on the ice'), and when the fracture refused to heal, was sent back to England for an operation and recuperation. Once he heard of the long-awaited March 1918 German breakthrough, Goyder returned to the Division... Kindest regards, Kim. Edited 29 June , 2016 by Kimberley John Lindsay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbriscoe Posted 29 June , 2016 Share Posted 29 June , 2016 This was covered in a film report on The One Show yesterday. 141 of these figures are going to be places on War Memorials at 07:00h on the 1st July 2016 Never Forgotten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dink_and_pip Posted 30 June , 2016 Share Posted 30 June , 2016 The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) tweeted at 11:07 am on Thu, Jun 30, 2016: Photos of the Somme frontline sent to The King's Private Secretary by General Rawlinson on 5 July 1916 #Somme100 https://t.co/NYO6YCEBxD (https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/748457906174050305?s=02) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkalotloudly Posted 30 June , 2016 Share Posted 30 June , 2016 Of all the photographs taken in commemoration of the Somme battle the one i always seem to remember the most is the picture taken in 1966 of the group of the 6? Victoria cross {on the first day?} winners, all of slightly "different classes" {just an observation!!} and ranks but all very very brave men, I think it appeared in "Soldier Magazine" at the time, this was before the upsurge in interest concerning the Great war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 30 June , 2016 Share Posted 30 June , 2016 An interesting sidenote, "The Somme: The battle that France forgot" at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36585199 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 30 June , 2016 Author Share Posted 30 June , 2016 30th June Newspaper Report http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3667796/We-remember-Queen-leads-night-long-vigil-honur-hundreds-thousands-soldiers-killed-wounded-Battle-Somme-100-years-ago.html 1st July Newspaper Report Some excellent photos here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3669636/Cameron-royal-family-members-stand-European-leaders-Somme-mark-century-bloodiest-day-Britain-s-military-history.html Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULSpecColl Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 A commemorative blog post by WWI author and researcher, Nick Metcalfe. It takes a poignant look at the fate of the Irish soldiers of the Battle of the Somme. Nearly 2,000 soldiers from the villages, towns and cities of the North were killed in the first few hours of conflict, an event scorched into the folk memory of their small community. http://ullb.blogspot.ie/2016/07/paying-tribute-to-irish-soldiers-100.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbriscoe Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 The #wearehere project was kept very quiet so a complete surprise to most people to find WWI soldiers standing and walking around in towns and cities all over the country. https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearehere https://becausewearehere.co.uk/wearehere/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 19 minutes ago, mbriscoe said: The #wearehere project was kept very quiet so a complete surprise to most people to find WWI soldiers standing and walking around in towns and cities all over the country. https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearehere https://becausewearehere.co.uk/wearehere/ Looking at the photographs from over here, a damned impressive display. My thanks to all those who participated. I was just sharing with one of my Turkish colleagues the significance of the day for those of us from GB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 1 July , 2016 Indeed an excellent commemoration and a tribute to all involved, this was one of my favourite moments which I managed to capture as video. The White Swan - sung by Julie Fowlis https://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/28017204575/in/photostream/ A quick camera recording of this song in Gaelic written for his sweetheart by a Scottish soldier who served in this battle, one of the highlights for me. The sound as it echoed across the Thiepval Ridge must have been very moving indeed. Song composed by Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna (Donald MacDonald of Coruna), a Scottish-Gaelic poet from North Uist, whilst fighting in the battle of the Somme, in the trenches of the Great War, for his love, Mhagaidh Nic Leòid (Maggie MacLeod). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qWWgntTdO0 REMEMBER THE SCOTTISH SOLDIERS REMEMBER THE SOMME 1916 -2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulsterlad2 Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 Hauntingly beautiful music Norman. Thanks for sharing the link. Robert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbriscoe Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 17 minutes ago, ulsterlad2 said: Hauntingly beautiful music Norman. Thanks for sharing the link. Robert. Julie Fowlis was a good choice of singer. Don't know if anyone has mentioned but the bugle used in the Last Post in Westminster Abbey last night was one used during the Battle. I think it was the historian in the BBC commentary box this morning who said that despite having worked on the history of the Battle for years, he was very moved this morning. The only thing I think they missed was the schoolchildren laying their flowers, they seemed to have been concentrating on the dignitaries. It occurred to me that it might have been better if there was just one official wreath placed on the Cross of Sacrifice and all the other leaders, dignitaries, Royals etc had placed flowers on individual graves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 3 minutes ago, mbriscoe said: Don't know if anyone has mentioned but the bugle used in the Last Post in Westminster Abbey last night was one used during the Battle. Yes, I heard the claim about the bugle ............... please does anyone know the story ......... was it actually sounded, or was it just present to be shot at 100 years ago? I ask because, inter alia, Frank Richards commented that the only bugle he heard during the war was in August/September 1914. Whistles yes! Bugles perhaps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 1 July , 2016 The poppy fades, the colours disappear but the memory will always remain. 1916 - 2016 By wire and wood and stake we’re bound, By Fricourt and by Festubert, By whipping rain, by the sun’s glare, By all the misery and loud sound, By a Spring day, By Picard clay. From Two Fusiliers Robert Graves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanCurragh Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 5 hours ago, Seadog said: A quick camera recording of this song in Gaelic written for his sweetheart by a Scottish soldier who served in this battle, one of the highlights for me. The sound as it echoed across the Thiepval Ridge must have been very moving indeed. It was indeed Norman, the sound quality of the whole event was perfect, and this was certainly a highlight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 1 July , 2016 Back in Blighty it has also been a long and emotional day Alan with a surfeit of moving and appropriate events broadcast by BBC TV. It can happen that such events do not live up to expectations but for me every single one did from the vigils in London and Thiepval to the scattering of poppies and the laying of wreaths at Lochnagar to all of the commemorations at Thiepval. Members will have their favourite moments and there are many to chose from, my top three are, the Piper playing "Flowers of the Forest" at the end of the London vigil, the singing by Julie Fowlis of the White Swan and the reading by the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry lady of the nurses experiences on the Somme whilst stood in the very epicentre of that terrible battle. There are of course many more in fact far too many to mention here. Alright, just one more then, the orchestra playing "By The Banks of Green Willow" Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ridgus Posted 1 July , 2016 Share Posted 1 July , 2016 Norman Thank you for this thread, it has been a real pleasure to follow over the last few weeks. A fitting contribution to the commemorations David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 1 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 1 July , 2016 Its a pleasure David, this subject deserves nothing less and is made even more poignant when you have walked the fields and uplands of the Somme a place forever etched in our history. I trust that members will continue to post here for we are just at the start of the commemoration. Nurse Olive Dent Thiepval 1st July 2016 (Video) https://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/27954356031/in/photostream/ Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 2 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2016 The view from the German lines on the high ground of the Thiepval Ridge looking down towards the British lines in front of Authuille Wood, From The Troops Siegfried Sassoon O my brave brown companions, when your souls Flock silently away, and the eyeless dead Shame the wild beast of battle on the ridge, Death will stand grieving in that field of war Since your unvanquished hardihood is spent. And through some mooned Valhalla there will pass Battalions and battalions, scarred from hell; The unreturning army that was youth; The legions who have suffered and are dust Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 3 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 3 July , 2016 The Ancre at Hamel Running below the Thiepval Ridge and peaceful now but a place of horror during the battle. Viewed from the small bridge which crosses the appropriately named "Bloody Lane" leading to the village of Hamel. The composer George Butterworth MC wrote this of England but it applies also to this place, he was killed during the battle and has no known grave being recorded on the Great Memorial to the Missing not far from here.: The Banks of Green Willow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUsisFkLCxo From The Ancre Afterwards Edmund Blunden The struggling Ancre had no part In these new hours of mine, And yet its stream ran through my heart; I heard it grieve and pine, As if its rainy tortured blood Had swirled into my own, When by its battered bank I stood And shared its wounded moan. Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 3 July , 2016 Share Posted 3 July , 2016 Willie McBride looking good in Authuile Cemetery yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted 3 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 3 July , 2016 A short video of some of my images set to the poem by Lawrence Binyon "For The Fallen" music by Sir Edward Elgar. REMEMBER https://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/27441875424/in/dateposted/ The images are: Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme Lonsdale War Cemetery Ancre War Cemetery Hamel - Morning Raymond Asquith the then Prime Ministers son Raymond Asquith & Katherine Horner at Mells Somerset "Bristols Own" the 12th Batt Glosters at Longueval Bristols Own in 1914 One of the fallen from the battalion 51st Highland Division - Beaumont Hamel 38th Welsh Division Mametz Wood Ancre War Cemetery - Royal Naval Division 36th Ulster Division - Ulster Tower Beaumont Hamel War Cemetery The Elmes brothers of Bristol killed on the Somme Sunset over Bristol Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghazala Posted 3 July , 2016 Share Posted 3 July , 2016 Even football is remembered on The Somme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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