Great war interviews on BBC 2 now

[edd]

What a incredible programme to hear from those who went over the top the same as my great great grandad. Amazing men indeed
Edd

[fedex]

I agree, what a terrible waste of young lives. Amazing that the survivors could talk about it so frankly. I visited some of the graves a few years ago while travelling through france. Brought a tear to my eye. what a sacrifice they all made for us!.

[Guest]

Such a poignant period of history and one I am massively fascinated in. I have been to the Battlefields many times, and saw the last two of our Tommies back in 2004 during one ceremony at Thiepval I think it was.

My Great Grandaddad was regular Army at the time and was at first Mons, the Somme and other places. He was gassed but survived the war and lived till old age, but really I am from a Naval family and had another Great Granddad and a Great Great Uncle killed at the battle of Jutland in different ships.

The programme was great and I have seen those, and other, interviews before but that doesn't diminish them one iota.

[iani]

Aye, amazing people, amazing times, my Grandad was a stretcher bearer, he had joined up at 15. I only remember him as a grumpy old guy who told me off a lot when I was young, I wish I could have spoken with him more at an older age.

Ian

[DJT]

My Great Grandaddad was regular Army at the time and was at first Mons, the Somme and other places. He was gassed but survived the war and lived till old age

Hi Ian,

My Paternal Grandfather was also at first Mons. Having joined up in 1900 and spending 6 years in South Africa 1902-1908 he finished his service in 1912, but was called up again in 1914. Among the first to go to France in August 1914, he was shot in the leg at Mons a week later. Spent the rest of the war back in England but died in 1922.

My Maternal Grandmother's first husband (a New Zealander) and elder brother are buried in France, both having died there in 1918, and I intend going over sometime soon to visit - the first from our family to do so.

[edd]

My Daughter found my great grandfathers name in the registration book in france whilst on a school visit . Maybe oneday a trip abroad in the stag to see it myself . The programe relected on the volunters non conscripts which i think is so brave , hands up who wants to go to Afganistan. I have watched lots of programes on both wars but never seen this footage and as said above taking so frankly about it. So its stag related as a trip to battle fields is a very popular destination .
Edd

[Guest]

Hi Ian,

My Paternal Grandfather was also at first Mons. Having joined up in 1900 and spending 6 years in South Africa 1902-1908 he finished his service in 1912, but was called up again in 1914. Among the first to go to France in August 1914, he was shot in the leg at Mons a week later. Spent the rest of the war back in England but died in 1922.

My Maternal Grandmother's first husband (a New Zealander) and elder brother are buried in France, both having died there in 1918, and I intend going over sometime soon to visit - the first from our family to do so.

Hello Dave,

That's really interesting - does anyone in the family still have his medals? My G. Grandfather (materneral) was in the Artilliary and obviously like yours, part of the BEF but no one now seems to know which regiment so I haven't ever been able to trace any of his records as there is confusion over his name. My Mum remembers he kept his medals and a few bits and bobs in a tin on his sideboard but that my G. Grandmother wouldn't let him "scare the children" by telling her and my Uncle about what he did - quite typical of that generation in not passing on detail.

I first went out there in 1999 - but not been since 2008 - and in that time alone saw a remarkable upsurge of interest and some of the really nice relatively unmolested sites change to have quite sophisticated visitor centres. This year the battlefields are going to be very full being the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. If you deceide to go I would recommend one of the tours run by Leger Travel or others as they are a great way to get to know the battlefields before you go out on your own because otherwise all you do is look at cemetery after cemetery and risk missing the other elements.

One of the "must do's" is to attend the Last Post Cemetry in Ypres which happens every night in the Menin Gate and the road is shut and the Fire Brigade buglers do the ceremony and some names of the fallen are read out. They have done this every night since about 1920 except during WW2 when it was occupied by the Germans - work out how many times that equates too - as they won't forget the fallen and remain extremely grateful to us for all we did. The most poignant thing though - for me- is to read the perosnal inscriptions on some of the headstones in the cemeteries. All of our colonies Governments were happy to add whatever inscription the next of kin wanted, BUT Great Briatin made the next of kin pay 6d a letter - given how poor so many people were it is sobering to think what they then sacrificed to have put onto the gravestone of their loved one and some inscriptions move even those with granite hearts to tears. The other thing is that you will see rose bushes planted amongst the graves and the idea for this was that, at some point in each day, the shadow of an English rose will fall across each and every grave.

It really takes you back to the time when Great Britain meant something around the world and to it's population.

[DJT]

Hi Ian,

I've tried to find out what happened to his medals, but no-one in the family (only his grand-children left now that my Dad's generation has passed) has them. They may not have been claimed, and it is now too late to do so. He was in the Royal Field Artillery/Royal Horse Artillery.

[edd]

Hello Dave,

That's really interesting - does anyone in the family still have his medals? My G. Grandfather (materneral) was in the Artilliary and obviously like yours, part of the BEF but no one now seems to know which regiment so I haven't ever been able to trace any of his records as there is confusion over his name. My Mum remembers he kept his medals and a few bits and bobs in a tin on his sideboard but that my G. Grandmother wouldn't let him "scare the children" by telling her and my Uncle about what he did - quite typical of that generation in not passing on detail.

I first went out there in 1999 - but not been since 2008 - and in that time alone saw a remarkable upsurge of interest and some of the really nice relatively unmolested sites change to have quite sophisticated visitor centres. This year the battlefields are going to be very full being the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. If you deceide to go I would recommend one of the tours run by Leger Travel or others as they are a great way to get to know the battlefields before you go out on your own because otherwise all you do is look at cemetery after cemetery and risk missing the other elements.

One of the "must do's" is to attend the Last Post Cemetry in Ypres which happens every night in the Menin Gate and the road is shut and the Fire Brigade buglers do the ceremony and some names of the fallen are read out. They have done this every night since about 1920 except during WW2 when it was occupied by the Germans - work out how many times that equates too - as they won't forget the fallen and remain extremely grateful to us for all we did. The most poignant thing though - for me- is to read the perosnal inscriptions on some of the headstones in the cemeteries. All of our colonies Governments were happy to add whatever inscription the next of kin wanted, BUT Great Briatin made the next of kin pay 6d a letter - given how poor so many people were it is sobering to think what they then sacrificed to have put onto the gravestone of their loved one and some inscriptions move even those with granite hearts to tears. The other thing is that you will see rose bushes planted amongst the graves and the idea for this was that, at some point in each day, the shadow of an English rose will fall across each and every grave.

It really takes you back to the time when Great Britain meant something around the world and to it's population.

We still have all his medals and the killed in action letter. He left 5 sons one of them being my grandad who saw action in italy in ww2 and also maintained and trained servicemen in the tank regiment. My great great grandad must have started very early to have so many children .
Edd

[Kingswood90]

I have both of my Grandfathers WW1 medals, my Mum and Dads WW2 medals, and my Brothers medals.
All of the miniatures are mounted in a case in my living room, where I often look at them with pride.
It's unusual to have three generations medals displayed, esp as one of my Dads and one of my Brothers are given at the Monarchs discretion.
Me? All I ever got was a St Christopher's and a CDM!