Enfield-Rifles.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Off Topic > OT Forum
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Bonkers.....
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Bonkers.....

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Bonkers.....
    Posted: December 05 2018 at 12:31pm
I am just sat here watching the series World War 1 in colour. I have heard the facts and figures before, but watching the accompanying images I am just incredulous. The sheer scale of, well, just about everything is frankly staggering. It is just so harrowing as to be almost inconceivable. I know it has been said before, but this loss of life in such dire and devastating circumstances can, along with all other conflicts, must never be forgotten. 
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5585
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 12:38pm
And then consider that WWII was even worse in terms of casualties! The Rissians alone loosing over 20 million people. Estimated at around 95% of all Allied losses.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 12:54pm
Agreed but over a much larger theatre of war. Irrespective. Horrific in both cases. In some ways we are more exposed to events of WW2 due to the huge range of films depicting the many battles etc. WW1 by contrast has very little bar the documentaries such as I am watching. Just watched the section on The Somme...
Back to Top
MarkG View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: November 30 2018
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 130
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarkG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 1:02pm
Originally posted by Zed Zed wrote:

And then consider that WWII was even worse in terms of casualties! The Rissians alone loosing over 20 million people. Estimated at around 95% of all Allied losses.

I've forgotten whose it is, but there's a Russian guy on Youtube who's part of a group who are searching old battlegrounds for the remains of the soldiers who died there, and trying to return them to their families. The sheer amount of stuff they dig up while searching is astonishing, and really gives you an idea of just how extreme the fighting was..Mosins, Mausers, artillery she!!s, anti-tank rifles, even parts of a plane.
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 1:34pm
The figures are astounding. The Battle of Verdun- 12 million she!!s. Eight days of bombardment before the Battle of the Somme even began and 60 000 casualties on the first day and on and on it goes.
Back to Top
A square 10 View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: December 12 2006
Location: MN , USA
Status: Offline
Points: 14452
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 6:27pm
yes , we have lost perspective , the fact that this history is no longer emphasized in history classes anymore is very disturbing , those who do not know repeat ....i fear the world may well one day see this again but the fact that our population has exploded since those times will make even those devastating numbers pale , 

do not forget and teach your children-grandchildren , we cannot relive this 
Back to Top
Shamu View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar
Logo Designer / Donating Member

Joined: April 25 2007
Location: MD, USA.
Status: Offline
Points: 17603
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 6:51am
There are still what the locals call "moonscapes" in the areas round Picardy, this was densely forested before The Great War all the trees were blasted down & then pulverized & all that's left even today, is thousands of overlapping she!! craters.
https://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2014/07/28/728wwi-battle-09.jpg
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 9:41am
As a primary school teacher I make sure that my children are made as aware as they can be about the sacrifice that was made, without being too graphic of course. It has helped by our topic theme being WW2.
We dutifully stood for the 2 minutes silence recently. One lad was seriously castigated by his peers for not giving the respect the occasion demanded. I had a little word....
 
On the theme of the battlefield sites ( we must do a tour we have promised ourselves) I have a collection of books produced in the early 20s by Michelin of guides to the battlefields. The more notorious were given a volume each. The photos depict omnibuses taking tours around areas still decimated by the Great War. Madness, but I suppose if it had the desired effect on the tourist then so be it. However, as we know, within another 20 years or so we were at it again.
Back to Top
MarkG View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: November 30 2018
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 130
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MarkG Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 9:59am
That's freaky. I wonder whether they used the same omnibuses that used to carry soldiers to the front?
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 12:05pm
I wonder. These are they. Fascinating books with detailed maps of trench line, photos of the destruction etc etc. Something else I really must sit down and read.
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5585
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 12:17pm
They would useful for families searching for the area where they lost a loved one. I read a lot of WWI and WWII history. A particularly good personal account is the diary of Harry Drinkwater. He survived the war and wrote up his dairy into a more complete volume just afterwards.

I have a couple of michelin road maps from 1945. (January and June) They mark the damaged bridges and roads following the liberation.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 12:23pm
Yes, they may well at that be a good source of almost contemporary information.
We recently watched The Water Diviner, which is a heart felt account of a father trying to find the graves of his three sons. It seems the whole idea was taken from one line in the Guardian that recounted a father trying the find the resting place of his son. Gallipoli.....
Back to Top
Zed View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: May 01 2012
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 5585
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 12:32pm
would that be on Netflix?
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Back to Top
sc-em View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: January 02 2018
Location: Cannock UK
Status: Offline
Points: 125
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sc-em Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 06 2018 at 12:59pm
No. Amazon
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.