Don't forget the two minutes silence, folks.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/battle-of-the-somme-to-be-commemorated-with-two-minute-silence-a7110501.html

 

 

Over 19,000 men lost their lives there in the worst bloodiest battles the British Army has ever had, imagine that nowadays. R.I.P Men

Did a little feature last night on a soldier that died, he was a QPR player (iirc)

It showed an empty Loftus road then said imagine the stadium full then think off all those people being killed in one day.

By the end 50 stadiums of dead!

Said on the radio that at one stage 15~20 men a minute were being killed....

Edited June 30, 201610 yr by Sweep

Don't forget the two minutes silence, folks.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/battle-of-the-somme-to-be-commemorated-with-two-minute-silence-a7110501.html

7.28am. Although I understand the reason, most people will be doing other things, commuting etc. 11am would have been better.

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war 

Now that is bravery. How a generation (or two) changes...

That's ace Manc.

7.28 is when the first brave souls went over the top, seems right this time while its 100 years

Edited June 30, 201610 yr by superjohnmcginlay

Aye. I could go about the yoof today but would rather celebrate the yoof of a time we never knew who went out to fight for something that was worthwhile

 

Got pictures of his grave, of him and his mates in France, of his brother in the trenches, etc etc. One day I'll make the trip over. To my eternal shame I've passed 50 and have't done it yet

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war 

 

 

post of the year

 

fantastic

 

 

and no doubt he was one of thousands who did exactly that

 

different times, eh

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war

Wow...powerful stuff MancW

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war

What a brave and loyal man and there were millions like him, God bless him. Sad he never had the chance to live his life. ????

A true hero.

Cracking that Manc. I've even managed to plus one you on my phone. Fuck knows how!

Lest we forget RIP

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war

Great post

 

I watched something a while back about Spanish Flu

 

Horrendous numbers of lads died during the war but the Spanish Flu that followed it directly after killed even more

 

Imagine surviving 4 / 5 years of that then dying from flu

 

Many didn't even make it home before catching the illness / dying

Edited July 1, 201610 yr by birch-chorley

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war 

 

Brilliant!

Here's one for you. My grandmother's brother joined up and went to The Somme. Got seriously injured and sent home. The Army discovered his true age (he'd lied about his age to join up) and kicked him out. He recovered and joined up again. This was his his postcard that he sent from Folkestone on his way back to the trenches in April 1918 when he was officially old enough. He never came back...........

 

Survived The Somme but didn't survive the last couple of months of the war 

 

 

Lump in throat stuff Manc.

 

Nice one mate. What a hero!

A true hero cant see many of the todays yoof queuing up to do that.

 

We are going over to Le Crotoy in August for a week to visit the battle fields and memorials of the Somme. Done a couple of trips to Northern France before and trust me when you stand in the remains of the trenches on the Chemin Des Dames then visit some of many cemeteries to see the thousands of war graves it sends shivers down your spine to see what these guys went through and how many gave up their lives for their country.

This happened today, all over the country. Fantastic idea

 

http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2016-07-01/video-ghost-soldiers-are-moving-mancunians-to-tears/

More pics

 

https://becausewearehere.co.uk/wearehere/

A true hero cant see many of the todays yoof queuing up to do that.

 

Just found some more stuff out about him.He was 15 Years 3 months when he enlisted. He told them that he was 20. Fuck me!!! Exactly. How many of that age today would do that?

More pics

 

https://becausewearehere.co.uk/wearehere/

 

Daughter got the tram into Manc today. This lot were there (or if not, another group doing summat similar). She said that it was virtually silent. Very reverential. It really spooked her as it came across so realistic

Daughter got the tram into Manc today. This lot were there (or if not, another group doing summat similar). She said that it was virtually silent. Very reverential. It really spooked her as it came across so realistic

 

Just read up on it. Happened all over the country - they weren't to talk or engage with the public, just be a presence.

 

If the public approached them, they handed them a card with a soldiers name, age and 'killed 1st July 1916' on it.

 

Wish I'd seen it.

Great seeing the veterans out and about in Manchester today.