Battle Somme rememberance

[obmcfc]

"I am not an Ulsterman, but yesterday, the 1st July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the whole world"

Captain Wlifred Spender
After the Battle of the Somme
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In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Remembering all those sent over the top never to return

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Here's to the derrys

 

[boabcelt]

Thank Christ that we are unlikely to see such large scale butchery again. Over a million men on both sides wiped out. 420000 British soldiers killed for a gain of 2 miles!!!!!! Absolute madness. Ireland lost 50000 dead during the great war, Scotland 150000, Britain in total 885000 (not counting empire troops) Kind of puts modern warfare into perspective. The sooner all conflict is resolved and our lads and lassies get home, the better.