Topic: Armistice Day

[Alan_X]

Was reading about this photo on Reddit. It's was not taken 4 years later and there is a number of reasons how you can tell. Won't go into details in this thread as it's not the thread for it. The second photo is a doctored version of the first.

I was going to say that the bottom looked like a doctored version. It would have to have been four years later at exactly the same day of the year, time of day and weather conditions.

*edit - just checked in PhotoShop. A really poor job. You can see where they've used the clone tool and the remaining soldiers are standing in exactly the same positions as they did in 1914.

[CheshireDave]

I was going to say that the bottom looked like a doctored version. It would have to have been four years later at exactly the same day of the year, time of day and weather conditions.

*edit - just checked in PhotoShop. A really poor job. You can see where they've used the clone tool and the remaining soldiers are standing in exactly the same positions as they did in 1914.

Also the trees to the right of the photo are the same which obviously wouldn't be the case 4 years later and the car is parked in exactly the same place.

I believe it was done to represent the number of men lost. But not with the actual remaining members of the battalion.

EDIT: Feel free to remove my posts from this thread. I understand it's not what the thread is for.

[Giono]

I know.  I get pretty angry whenever I hear that cheap gag about the French surrendering easily - there’s a reason France chose to try to avoid hell again in 1940.  It’d be a bit of a mood killer though, so I generally don’t say so.

That said, the village my family’s from put up a war memorial a few years ago.  It’s a tiny place, maybe about 250-300 people today but larger then I’d’ve thought, but there are about fifty names and addresses on there (there was a specific disaster that inflated the WWI toll, so a lot of them bear the same date).  Because the houses have mostly been in the same families since they were built, I can see relatives’ names whom I never knew existed.  You can’t think about it too much.

Ya, and there is a reason they built the maginot line and tried to avoid war with Hitler until it was too late. That goes for England and others too. Chamberlain is seen today as an idiot for waving a piece of paper and declaring peace in our times. But what he did then was popular. Nobody wanted to go back to that hell and tried to stave it off as long as they could. In hindsight it is easy to judge when in fact entire nations and generations were suffering PTSD.

Frances lost 4% of its population and the war was fought mostly in France.

[Alan_X]

Programme on iPlayer about shell shock.

[AndyInVA]

There was a BBC play years ago that highlighted something I had never heard about after the war until then.

There were something like 12 people who stumbled back to the Allied lines after an attack and had lost all their identifying parts of their uniform and all their friends had been killed.

I've just tried to google it ad can't find anything quickly.

But there were cases of guys stumbling back to the lines either naked or clothes blown off, totally shell shocked and barely able to speak and absolutely no idea who they were or where they came from. They ended up in mental institutions for the rest of their days. Not all unknown soldiers were dead.

[oldfordie]

From the Pathe News archives; you may need to join the group 'Merseyside on Film' to view. The Liverpool Pals.

https://www.facebook.com/MerseysideOnFilm/videos/570799716694915/UzpfSTU3MzIxODIwMzoxMDE1NTY2OTcxMDM1ODIwNA/

That video was brilliant.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

They shall not grow old has to be one of the greatest things I have ever watched,transfixed from the first minute until the last.

Amazing.

[Indomitable_Carp]

^^^Just finished watching it.

It was fantastic. So many little subtleties you don't think about. It's good to see footage of them enjoying themselves as well. And the way the veterans tell the stories so casually about the most fucked up things imaginable. Tragic.

And the journey it charted was done very well. Everyone signing up in an excited fit of nationalism, to experieincing absolute horror, to becoming completely blaise about it, to finding out the Germans were decent blokes after all and no-one wanted to be fighting each other, to being gutted the war ended because you felt lost, to being glad it was over, to get getting home to a public that could never understand what you had been through and didn't want to know.

And to think their sons went off to fight another world war twenty years later.

[Giono]

^^^Just finished watching it.

It was fantastic. So many little subtleties you don't think about. It's good to see footage of them enjoying themselves as well. And the way the veterans tell the stories so casually about the most fucked up things imaginable. Tragic.

And the journey it charted was done very well. Everyone signing up in an excited fit of nationalism, to experieincing absolute horror, to becoming completely blaise about it, to finding out the Germans were decent blokes after all and no-one wanted to be fighting each other, to being gutted the war ended because you felt lost, to being glad it was over, to get getting home to a public that could never understand what you had been through and didn't want to know.

And to think their sons went off to fight another world war twenty years later.

The process you describe well sounds like the plot of All Quiet On The Western Front, the fantastic American film made based on the Book about common German soldiers. It won the first ever Academy Award un 1930. I'd bet money that it influenced Jackson and his crew.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

^^^Just finished watching it.

It was fantastic. So many little subtleties you don't think about. It's good to see footage of them enjoying themselves as well. And the way the veterans tell the stories so casually about the most fucked up things imaginable. Tragic.

And the journey it charted was done very well. Everyone signing up in an excited fit of nationalism, to experieincing absolute horror, to becoming completely blaise about it, to finding out the Germans were decent blokes after all and no-one wanted to be fighting each other, to being gutted the war ended because you felt lost, to being glad it was over, to get getting home to a public that could never understand what you had been through and didn't want to know.

And to think their sons went off to fight another world war twenty years later.

"Where have you been,you been on nights ?"

And the injured fella who robbed all of the pocket watches 

And the guy who tried acting all cool for the camera and almost impaled himself 

[Nitramdorf]

Hope this is ok to post in here. I stumbled across this website - astreetnearyou.org

You can type in your own house or street and it shows the addresses of the poor lads who died local to that address during the first world war.
The shocking thing is it only portrays about half of the boys who died as a lot of addresses were not registered.

[Yorkykopite]

Hope this is ok to post in here. I stumbled across this website - astreetnearyou.org

You can type in your own house or street and it shows the addresses of the poor lads who died local to that address during the first world war.
The shocking thing is it only portrays about half of the boys who died as a lot of addresses were not registered.

Thanks for posting that link. What an amazing site.

[So… Howard Philips]

Hope this is ok to post in here. I stumbled across this website - astreetnearyou.org

You can type in your own house or street and it shows the addresses of the poor lads who died local to that address during the first world war.
The shocking thing is it only portrays about half of the boys who died as a lot of addresses were not registered.

There is an area of terraced streets in St Albans with a small memorial plaque at the end of each road which named any residents who died in WWI? I've never seen this anywhere else. Has anybody come across similar street specific memorials?

[Alan_X]

Fantastic site. My dad's side of the family were all based around Woolwich and a lot were in the forces, especially the Royal Artillery.

Two of my relatives are listed. One died in the Battle of Zanzibar early in the war and is buried on a small island off the coast of Tanzania. The other was buried in Curragh Military Cemetry, Co Kildare.

[Nitramdorf]

There is an area of terraced streets in St Albans with a small memorial plaque at the end of each road which named any residents who died in WWI? I've never seen this anywhere else. Has anybody come across similar street specific memorials?

Hi there, sorry, only just seen your post. Had a quick look and it seems it is unique to St Albans. I'd never heard of it so thank you for mentioning it.

https://thespab.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/war-memorials-st-albans/

This article mentions a village a few miles away from St Albans. Also it seems sadly a few of the plaques have been destroyed in the 60s.

[reddebs]

Remembering everyone who have suffered losses due to armed conflict around the world.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Fortneef]

Ya, and there is a reason they built the maginot line and tried to avoid war with Hitler until it was too late. That goes for England and others too. Chamberlain is seen today as an idiot for waving a piece of paper and declaring peace in our times. But what he did then was popular. Nobody wanted to go back to that hell and tried to stave it off as long as they could. In hindsight it is easy to judge when in fact entire nations and generations were suffering PTSD.

Frances lost 4% of its population and the war was fought mostly in France.

Germany lost almost 4% as well, but seemingly with the opposite effect.

[jymbojetset]

Move him into the sun—
Gently its touch awoke him once,
At home, whispering of fields half-sown.
Always it woke him, even in France,
Until this morning and this snow.
If anything might rouse him now
The kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seeds—
Woke once the clays of a cold star.
Are limbs, so dear-achieved, are sides
Full-nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?
Was it for this the clay grew tall?
—O what made fatuous sunbeams toil
To break earth's sleep at all?

Wilfred Owen

I remember doing this for English literature back in the day - moved me then and moves me now.

My grandfather fought in WW1 (similar story to Alan_X) - Ypres, Somme etc. Awarded Military Medal for outstanding bravery.

Heartbreaking when you read his war diary and the "matter of fact" way they dealt with the death of their close friends and comrades. (https://www.lizandarcy.co.uk/newpageb63b453a - if anyone wishes to have a read).

 

[stevo7]

To my grandads that fought in Burma & Italy, and nans who were in the land army. RIP

[RF]

Is right .

My Grandad was a Lancashire Fusilier and me Da is 3 Para as you all know .  One of my Great Uncles was stuck in the battle for Caen and came unstuck in Holland ( I can't think of his Regiment but something to do with tanks ) . Me Nan use to go and visit his grave every now and then.

We think we've got it hard . Just for one second imagine what these went through. What every Soldier has gone through when there getting bombed and shelled for no gain.

Lest We Forget .

My great grandad was in the Lancashire Fusiliers. 10th Battalion. Unfortunately he didn't make it back. Died of his wounds in 1917.

[Yorkykopite]

Respect.

Uncle Jim who was wounded in Italy in 1944. Uncle Maurice who was wounded in Belgium in 1944. Uncle Herbert who died in Eritrea in the Battle of Asmara in January 1941. My dad who fought in the RAF 1939-1945.

And millions of others.

[24/7]

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jimsharman_they-shall-not-old-as-we-that-are-left-activity-6996784491008540672-fL0E?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

- Laurence Binyon,
September, 1914.

Whatever your thoughts are on warfare, whether you are a pacifist or an activist, today is about remembrance......of all who have fallen in conflict.

All life is precious......and I look forward to the point in humanity where we have ceased to murder each other for selfish gain and there is no longer any need to kill in order to defend ourselves from such selfish ambitions by aggressors.

Peace to you all today, at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month......

......and for every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year to come.

🤍 💙 🙏 💛 🤍

[24/7]

I posted on my old blog (now deleted) a year ago. Feels also appropriate here.

November 11th 2021 (Thursday)

"When you make peace with yourself, you make peace with the world."
- Maha Ghosananda

Today is known as ‘Armistice Day’, when a ceasefire of hostilities was declared in Europe in 1918, eventually leading to the end of the First World War. These articles though are about positivity and motivation, so let’s not talk about war today, but instead about peace.

It’s generally recognised that conflict is often a result of fear - whereas peace comes about when love is remembered and embraced by all sides involved in said conflict. That sense of peace doesn’t always come about automatically though; it often requires a concerted and deliberate act of self-examination, self-recognition and absolute honesty with each other.

However, when we are in conflict with ourselves, the only way we can bring about the peace we seek is from within ourselves; not always an easy thing to do. It takes courage to cease conflict (we’ve spoken before about how courage comes from the heart - literally!) and, if it takes an act of love to bring about peace, that first act must be with oneself.

One way to make peace with yourself is to stop carrying around baggage called ‘guilt’ or ‘shame’. The heavy burden of this places too much strain on both your body and your soul. You may well have made mistakes in life but the important thing is to demonstrate that you have learnt from them. Success there represents the most powerful form of personal growth.

Seeking forgiveness for your mistakes doesn’t just involve the people you affected, it includes yourself. When you do that, when you show sincere contrition, you are more likely to be forgiven. Thus you make peace not only with yourself but also with the world.

What peace eludes you at the moment? Where can you apply this act of compassion and love that will ultimately bring you that peace? Do you need to start with yourself first?


Addendum:
Interestingly, given this is being written in Estonia, it just occurred to me that the word “Armistice”, deriving from the Latin “armistitium”, or “the stopping of arms”, is remarkably close to the Estonian word “armastus”, which means......“love”. ❤️.

No coincidences, right?!


Love and light,
🙏

[reddebs]

♥️

[Red Beret]

.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

RIP

[Yorkykopite]

Respect.

[andy07]

Really poignant day for all those who fought and died for freedom.  I really hope we have an impeccable silence at Anfield tomorrow.

[Cali]

Really poignant day for all those who fought and died for freedom.  I really hope we have an impeccable silence at Anfield tomorrow.

Ofc there will be why wouldn’t there