July 1, 1916, the beginning of the Battle of the Somme

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Joy of Fishes

And I can’t help but wonder oh Willy McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they died
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause
Did you really believe that this war would end wars
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing and dying it was all done in vain
Oh Willy McBride it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again

Did they beat the drums slowly
Did they play the fife lowly
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down
Did the band play the last post and chorus
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest

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6 Responses to July 1, 1916, the beginning of the Battle of the Somme

  1. wordcloud9 says:
    July 1, 2016 at 9:42 pm

    Thank you Joy – Lest We Forget

  2. Joy of Fishes says:
    July 1, 2016 at 9:54 pm

    A Century After The Battle Of The Somme, Europe Gathers To Honor The Fallen

    “Overnight in London, an honor guard stood vigil at the grave of the Unknown Warrior.

    On Friday morning, across Great Britain, citizens observed a moment of silence.

    And midday Friday, at a quiet field in northern France, British and French leaders paused amid a political crisis for a brief period of solidarity.

    They gathered together at the site of the Battle of the Somme, 100 years after the bloodiest day in British military history, to honor the dead.

    That costly World War I battle in France stretched on for months, but it’s the horror of the first day that looms largest in European memory…”

    Continue reading – http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/01/484344178/a-century-after-the-battle-of-the-somme-europe-gathers-to-honor-the-fallen

  3. Chuck Stanley says:
    July 1, 2016 at 11:37 pm

    In Flanders Fields was composed by Lt. Col. John Mcrae, MD. A combat physician, he did not survive the war. He died of pneumonia in January 1918 aged 45 years old. The war went on for another ten months after his death.

    His epic poem, In Flanders Fields is read by Leonard Cohen:

  4. pete says:
    July 2, 2016 at 8:08 am

    Even with the armistice signed and they were waiting until 11:00 when it would become official, some Generals were still ordering attacks.

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