Far from the war that gave the date to this day, its hard for me to imagine the horrors that created it. The numbers in both world wars are staggering, but even the smallest of conflicts is filled with hardship and heartbreak. The picture, above, taken from Wikipedia, says it all.
I believe Harry Patch was the last survivor of trench warfare. His book, The Last Fighting Tommy, is worth reading. Only a small portion of the book talks about his experiences in WW1, the rest details the ups and downs of his life. With so many books on war, its easy to forget that the largest battle is life itself.
The 11th hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. If you have a minute, pick one of the links above, and remember the men and women who serve, and served. I know I will.
Touching post, Nigel. My grandfather barely spoke of WWI… I’ll check out Patch’s book in both of their honor.
Hi August.
Harry’s book, The Last Fighting Tommy, was eye-opeing for me because it not only relayed history, but it showed the attitudes and character of someone born over a hundred years ago, and since he lived so long, it was written with the mindset of someone living in the present. That your grandfather barely spoke of the war matches Harry’s character completely.
Thanks for the comment.
Hi NIgel. I will find a copy of that book. One of the saddest things about World War 1 is that the unimaginable human suffering of that war was somehow not enough reason to avoid World War 2.
Hi Holmes. Yeah, even in an age where life was harder, it’s difficult to believe people could undergo a second war just twenty years later. And started by a man who was a runner in WW1 no less.
Cheers