Puts modern warfare into perspective perhaps?
 

Like many I heard the news about the ceremony in France where the last soldier's remains were finally laid to rest in the new cemetery for men killed at the Battle of Fromelles in France 94 years ago. The battle itself was just a distracting element with no real goals.

The men were mowed down as they left the trenches. In one day 1500 Australians and 5000 British were killed, injured or captured. in ONE DAY.

This is not, in any way, trying to demean our current sad losses in Afghanistan but it does show how attitudes have changed - for the better I suppose.

"The Battle of Fromelles remained a largely-forgotten episode of World War I for decades, mainly remembered by families of the hundreds of British and Australian soldiers slaughtered in just a few hours there. Scores of relatives will gather later for the dedication of the new Fromelles Military..." - BBC Website.

dl

There was a programme about this last night. :)

I just can't get my head around what it must have been like going over the top to an almost certain death :(

wasnt the somme death toll higher than that btw and yes it does put it into perspective
the ppl in charge of ww1 should have been put up a wall and shot

Absolutely terrifying and I think the Blackadder Goes Forth series was so good in bringing to peoples minds just exactly what those young lads faced. That final episode was one of the best things that's ever been on telly. What a choice, go over the top and be blown to pieces by mortars/artillery/machine gun fire or be court marshalled and shot for disobeying orders.

They wouldn't have known it would be that bad, either at Fromelles or at the Somme. Most would have believed they were doing the right thing. It's only now that we look back and ask what the hell was the 1st WW all about.

J.

As David says in his post, the Fromelles battle was just a diversion. It was meant to stop Gerry moving soldiers from Fromelles to the Somme. It might have worked if one of our officers hadn't been shot, recovered and searched by Gerry... he was found to be carrying the battle plans and gave the game away :(

Yeah in fairness the programme did say the artillery had been shelling Gerry for 4 days beforehand, albeit unsuccessfully.

WWI was just a slaughter really. It was the first war to be fought with modern weapons, but the last to be fought with old style tactics.

This inevitably led to a huge amount of casualties for very little gain.

That said, WWII killed 6 times as many people, so maybe they didn't learn that much after all...... :Suspiciou

Geezer

When it comes to war, the servicemen are considered to be expendable. It has always been that way, very much worse in WW1 with the soldiers considered as and treated like cannon fodder. The political leaders and the generals are well placed of course compared with their men. Sending those poor soldiers over the top in WW1 expecting to gain only a few yards if they were lucky was shameful and selfish and relied on the loyalty and courage of those men. The leaders knew they would get slaughtered and yet they were quite happy to send them to their deaths!

War is obscene as I have often said and when you think about it, wars are started by the leaders and politicians, They have their own mantra which is very different to their people in general.

It is right to defend your own country and people when you are attacked and we were right to go to war to defend our freedom during those wars. To go about it such that you unnecessarily lose so many of your mens' lives to little avail at the time is wrong though.

It looks as though thinking may be changing these days, but is it right to send men on such dangerous foot patrols when they should have been transported by air which is very much safer. The lack of positive thought towards better protection for our men is seriously incompetent.

Our men were sent into Iraq with a serious lack of nuclear,biological, and chemical protective clothing as well as inferior basic equipment when we were told by the liars that we were all threatened by WMD within 45 minutes. Where is the justification for employing our soldiers under such dangerous threats?

I remember our great leader of the moment saying that he got a personal thrill at sending our troops to war!

I know that 321 losses so far in Afghanistan seems a small number compared with earlier times. I can't help thinking about most of those lads in their 20's coming back in coffins though. Haven't even seen many politicians showing any respect as they are carried off the plane yet!

Les :(