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Remembered Today:

8453 Pye Hugh Blythe 2 Seaforth Highlanders


bif

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Pte Hugh Blyth,  # 8453, 2/Seaforth Highlanders. Killed in Action, 1 July 1916, first day of the Somme. Born in 1885 at either Bothwell or Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was the middle of three children to Hugh and Hannah Blyth. Enlistment was at Hamilton serving with 2/Seaforth until his death at age 31. Mrs Blyth, his  widowed Mother, applied for and received his medals and a gratuity of 10 pds 10 schlng in 1919. His grave is in Suzanne Military Cemetery No 3, Section 2, Grave 8, resting between another Seaforth and a Canadian, both unknown.  

 

LEST WE FORGET.:poppy:

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We will remember them.

IMG_20190619_172531.jpg

IMG_20190618_160344.jpg

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Among the 19,000 can I add 2nd Lt. Malcolm Fraser, killed in front of Ovillers on the afternoon of the 1st, leading a patrol sent by James Jack to find out if the village had been taken that morning. He had been a founder member of the CD Everton football club in Valparaiso in Chile before the war. He must have been killed very close to where Ovillers Military cemetery now stands, and may be in there under an unknown headstone. For now his name is on the Thiepval Memorial; one day I hope to find him.

 

Not forgotten,

 

Pete.

405014814_CornflowerSmall.JPG.4ef68cc2028d524f9dce60bd461487ee.JPG

 

P.S. Lovely nigella Jane.

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10 hours ago, Fattyowls said:

Lovely nigella Jane.

Thank you. Nearest I had to a bleuet. In Forde Abbey gardens, as was the poppy.

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Mention of the bleuet reminds me that we should remember all of the Frenchmen killed 103 years ago from Maricourt south, and all the German troops.

 

Nicht vergessen, Ne pas oublié

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16 hours ago, bif said:

Pte Hugh Blyth,  # 8453, 2/Seaforth Highlanders. Killed in Action, 1 July 1916, first day of the Somme. Born in 1885 at either Bothwell or Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was the middle of three children to Hugh and Hannah Blyth. Enlistment was at Hamilton serving with 2/Seaforth until his death at age 31. Mrs Blyth, his  widowed Mother, applied for and received his medals and a gratuity of 10 pds 10 schlng in 1919. His grave is in Suzanne Military Cemetery No 3, Section 2, Grave 8, resting between another Seaforth and a Canadian, both unknown.  

 

LEST WE FORGET.:poppy:

 

Back out there tomorrow Bif.  Will try to visit him as it is just down the road from our place.  In the meantime here is a view from the Maricourt to Suzanne road, just a few hundred yards north of the cemetery.

 

 

DSC05714.JPG

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Don,   Thank you.  It would be nice if you could.  I'm sure it's been a while since anyone has paid a visit.   :poppy:

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although we remember the first, we also remember all the other dates and conflicts, to me with at least 5 relations in Europe we will not forget.

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Another July 1st  passes and once again I`m left wondering "Why didn`t someone at the top carry the can for that absolute catastrophe?":unsure:

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Who was “ at the top” ?

 

Haig, Rawlinson, Joffre, Asquith .....how about the Kaiser ?

 

Yeah...let’s settle on him !

 

I wonder how long it took before the extent of the day’s catastrophe was fully appreciated.

 

First mention was of sixteen thousand casualties ; by the second day Haig was acknowledging forty thousand , which he considered “ hardly severe” bearing in mind the scale and intensity of the fighting ; by August Churchill and his chum Smith were discussing a figure of sixty thousand.

 

Was there ever an episode in the Great War when anyone at the highest level volunteered to take blame  ?  Please tell me.

 

Editing here : thinking on my feet, how about Moltke after the Marne ?

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by phil andrade
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19 minutes ago, phil andrade said:

 which he considered “ hardly severe”

 

which, dare I suggest, when combined with subsequent repetition of such tactics (except those in the extreme south of the British front) contributed to a view of the hierarchy which is now much maligned by today's cognoscenti.

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It's well worth taking  a look good look at the full range of tactics involved on the day, and on others during the battle.

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9 hours ago, David Filsell said:

It's well worth taking  a look good look at the full range of tactics involved on the day, and on others during the battle.

And researching who made the decisions and why at the tactical level.

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A friend of mine once had the opportunity to look at the maps showing the distribution of the British and French artillery on 1 July. His comment was that he understood immediately why the attack south of the Albert-Bapaume Road had been largely successful, but the attack north of the road had so many difficulties.

 

Ron

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On 30/06/2019 at 20:38, bif said:

Pte Hugh Blyth,  # 8453, 2/Seaforth Highlanders. Killed in Action, 1 July 1916, first day of the Somme. Born in 1885 at either Bothwell or Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, he was the middle of three children to Hugh and Hannah Blyth. Enlistment was at Hamilton serving with 2/Seaforth until his death at age 31. Mrs Blyth, his  widowed Mother, applied for and received his medals and a gratuity of 10 pds 10 schlng in 1919. His grave is in Suzanne Military Cemetery No 3, Section 2, Grave 8, resting between another Seaforth and a Canadian, both unknown.  

 

LEST WE FORGET.:poppy:

 

Bif.

 

Hugh Blyth.  I have some more photos.  I will sort them when I'm back in the UK.

 

Regards.

 

Reg

 

 

DSC06599.JPG

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On 01/07/2019 at 12:57, Fattyowls said:

Mention of the bleuet reminds me that we should remember all of the Frenchmen killed 103 years ago from Maricourt south, and all the German troops.

 

Nicht vergessen, Ne pas oublié

 

Can't exactly forget when we are over here Pete!  Sinpost to Maricourt on the edge of our property and one to Guillemont on the opposite side of the road viewable from our window.

 

Reg

 

 

Maricourt.jpg

Guillemont.jpg

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On 10/07/2019 at 02:02, Don Regiano said:

photos

Reg,

 

    Thank you so very much.  I have a photo of his grave from the CWGC, photographic project which I purchased last year.  I like the one you sent better.  The difference between "staged" and in situ, is overwhelming.  No matter how respectful, your's, as he is, seems most appropriate.  Do you know anything about the flowers or the cross and poppy ?  I wonder when was the last time anyone visited him ?

 

     Sorry for the several days delay in reply.  I've just returned to work the 8th after five weeks illness.  My return coincided with my employers more to new diggs about a mile from the old, all done between Wednesday and Friday of this past week !  Whole thing tends to remind me how old I am getting.

 

                                                                                    Best to you and your family.  Thanks again for taking the time,

                                                                                                                             John ( bif )

                                                                                                                                     

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10 hours ago, bif said:

Reg,

 

    Thank you so very much.  I have a photo of his grave from the CWGC, photographic project which I purchased last year.  I like the one you sent better.  The difference between "staged" and in situ, is overwhelming.  No matter how respectful, your's, as he is, seems most appropriate.  Do you know anything about the flowers or the cross and poppy ?  I wonder when was the last time anyone visited him ?

 

     Sorry for the several days delay in reply.  I've just returned to work the 8th after five weeks illness.  My return coincided with my employers more to new diggs about a mile from the old, all done between Wednesday and Friday of this past week !  Whole thing tends to remind me how old I am getting.

 

                                                                                    Best to you and your family.  Thanks again for taking the time,

                                                                                                                             John ( bif )

                                                                                                                                     

 

Hi Bif.

 

No problem.  We put the cross there - we always do when we visit a grave to pay our respects.  The flowers are the herb Thyme which represents courage and is very fragrant.  They will have been planted by the CWGC.  Was Hugh a relative of yours?  OK on the work front.  I'm glad I left that behind some time ago - it leaves me with time to visit the cemeteries (when not working on the house over here).  Off to the Bastille Day celebrations in the village shortly, starting at the war memorial which is located right outside our place so not very far to go and then to the village hall for refreshments and our next attempt to converse in French with the Maire and the villagers.

 

Regards.

 

Reg

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On 14/07/2019 at 03:04, Don Regiano said:

relative

Hi Reg,      Sorry to delay a reply for so long.  Visits to Physical Therapist, orthopaedic doctor, return to work, more at work from old to new building and mini-heatwave have all conspired against my being able to visit GWF. Tto answer your question, no I am no relation.  Several years ago I purchased Pte Blyth's IGS 1908, bar NWF 1908.  I was and still am "big" regards the NWF.  He was a good purchase.  A few years ago, due to a thread here on GWF, I realized several medals/groups I held for late Victorian/Edwardian campaigns may also have involvement in the Great War.  To my great surprise, Pte Blyth did, turning out to be a first day of the Somme casualty.  His records were fairly easy to find and info about him was readily available thru newspaper articles.  He was apparently much loved by his family and his loss was felt very deeply.  I have been searching other sites and tracking venues hoping to find his WW 1 trio, the idea being a re-unite to me OR to whomever held them.  Either way, they belong together.  No luck so far.  The search goes on.

 

                                                                         Best wishes, thanks again for your time and 'photos, I you you one,

                    

                                                                                                                    bif   ( John ) 

 

Edited by bif
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  • spof changed the title to 8453 Pye Hugh Blythe 2 Seaforth Highlanders

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