Paschendaelle. Here we see members of the Canadian force the day before another stage of this battle began. The machine gun crew were all dead by the end of the next day bar the man based at the gun itself. They were employed in firing over the lines, I suppose in an effort to prevent the enemy bringing up reinforcements to the battle line. This picture was taken sometime in October if my memory serves me well. The battle itself did not end until early November. Consider the state of the ground by that time, the difficulties is manoeuvring guns, men or wounded into position, and the long trek back for the survivors or the prisoners.
Operation Pedestal was one of the most famous convoy operation of the second world war. The situation in North Africa and the future of the war in general depended at that time on Malta being secured. This dramatic convoy saved the day but left its mark on those who served. I met a member of this convoy a few years ago and as we spoke of the events tears were in his eyes. Old men find such emotions difficult after so many years. he later went from the sun drenched Mediterranean to the Soviet Union on the Arctic convoys. Lucky boy!
After the war the British Empire collapsed. Independence was demanded everywhere and British troops were in action every year. In fact British forces have been in action in every year since 1945 with only one exception, 1968, and then the Irish troubles broke out! Men fought and died in Israel, India, Kenya, Cyprus and the debacle of Suez which ended Anthony Eden's time as Premier. Ignored by many, even at the time some did not realise 'our boys' were fighting in Korea, few give any thought to the conscripts who saw the 'end of Empire' yet they suffered just as surely as those who endured two major wars.
Today I believe 3 Para are once again walking the dangerous roads of Afghanistan. No longer in Sangin or protecting the Kajaki Dam they none the less face roadside bombs, sniper fire and suicide bomber. Some may be on their third tour and one wonders what this will do to their minds? Shell shock is an old term now replaced by the ugly Post traumatic stress disorder but the effects are the same.
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5 comments:
Like you, I'm overawed by the situations these men found themselves in.
Yesterday, I was going to post something about remembrance day, and started opening up the draft chapters of my dad's unfinished book, on his experiences in Singapore, and those of his friends.
So I didn't get to post anything, because.... because.
I went to Thailand, and to Singapore. My dad had planned the trip, but was stopped from travelling by suspected pneumonia.
So I, and my brothers and sister were entrusted with a task. A list of names. A list of war-graves. We were to visit and photoraph each one.
And say our father's last goodbyes to those friends he left there. "They shall not grow old, As we that are left, grow old"
There they still are. nineteeen, twenty, twenty four... young men, boys.
I'm not normally an overly sentimental person, but tears streamed down my face.
I remember an old song called, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" 'way back when I was still alive. It always ended with "When will they ever learn?"...
Well, "they" still haven't learned. One lives in hope.
Excellent post, my good man.
I can remember seeing my dad literally jumping out of his skin every time a loud thunderclap was heard. Much to my chagrin, I did not appreciate at the time what had happened to make him that way.
On a more personal note, for a cantankerous old coot, you sure can lay down some beautiful prose. Methinks you are getting a lot of Spiritual help.
S, It's very easy to be overwhelmed in such situations. That's not sentiment, that's being human, a man!
Max, Thucydides wrote his history of the Peloponesian war to show folks what happened because he claimed these things will happen again, "...human nature being what it is.
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