They shall not grow old

Discuss the books you've read, the movies and TV shows you've seen
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bonzo
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They shall not grow old

Post by bonzo »

Peter Jacksons enhancing of old first world war film footage. Powerful stuff well worth a watch.
Those wimin were in the nip.
exile
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by exile »

What I particularly noticed after almost 40 minutes and hundreds of men's voiceover recollections was that there was not a single Irish, Welsh, or Scottish accent - absolutely not one. The impression given was that the trenches were peopled by men exclusively from all regions of England. The old Britain/England thing rarely bothers me any more, but this grated for some reason.
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bonzo
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by bonzo »

You're right exile the opening scenes were all about England going to war but listening to them it gave a little incite to what they went through. Some of the pictures were pretty horrific.
Those wimin were in the nip.
glenshena
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by glenshena »

These poor souls, the majority under 20 according to the war graves I have visited, were as good as being sent into a slaughter house, with no hope of ever going back home alive. What chance did they have in those trenches with only a gun, when the Germans were coming with tanks and bombs. No-one could have possibly survived. Who was the British Prime Minister at the time who sat comfortably in his home ordering these soldiers to go out and die leaving their families in deep despair?
My grandmother lost her father and an uncle in this terrible war. There names are on the war memorials in Fort William and Iona.
If anyone has more information on this war I would be pleased to hear it.
I visited a concentration camp in Germany, Dachau to be precise, and it was a traumitising experience.
I hope there will never again be another war in Europe.
exile
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Re: They shall not grow old

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glenshena wrote: Fri Nov 16, 2018 10:48 am These poor souls, the majority under 20 according to the war graves I have visited, were as good as being sent into a slaughter house, with no hope of ever going back home alive. What chance did they have in those trenches with only a gun, when the Germans were coming with tanks and bombs. No-one could have possibly survived. Who was the British Prime Minister at the time who sat comfortably in his home ordering these soldiers to go out and die leaving their families in deep despair?
My grandmother lost her father and an uncle in this terrible war. There names are on the war memorials in Fort William and Iona.
If anyone has more information on this war I would be pleased to hear it.
I visited a concentration camp in Germany, Dachau to be precise, and it was a traumitising experience.
I hope there will never again be another war in Europe.
Glenshena, I do believe that in 1914, the code of British military "honour" was still stuck in the single-shot 1850s, and simply couldn't recognise the industrial advances in killing in the meantime.
It's instructive that in the last 100 days of the war, when the Allies pretty well routed the Germans, the Chiefs of the Canadian and ANZAC forces had pressured Haig, much against his instinct, to give up on the previous ways of fighting that had cost so many lives.
glenshena
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by glenshena »

Thanks for this information. The war lasted 4 years, and according to the documentaries soldiers were being killed each day in their thousands. Why did Haig and other government members wait 4 years and 20 million dead soldiers later and only after he was advised by other countries, to realise that fighting with guns against bombs at the expense of all these young lives was not winning the battle?
Lest we forget.
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John Donnelly
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by John Donnelly »

Lions and donkeys. :cry:
It's the same arrogant mind-set which is leading us into the Brexit chaos today.
There will always be an England; Britannia rules the waves; the sun will never set on the Empire.
God preserve us from the Colonel Blimps.
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, - 'fog in the channel, continent cut off from England.'

JD.
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bonzo
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by bonzo »

Glenshena, I think the PM's started the war with Asquith and ended it with Lloyd George. It's always interesting to read that Haig was pretty much a hero at the end of the war but as the years went on the realisation within the general public of what happened he was seen as butcher Haig.
Those wimin were in the nip.
glenshena
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by glenshena »

Bonzo, what was the reason for the first world war anyway? I know the second world war was all about Hitler who wanted to possess and rule Europe, but I don't now what started the first world war. Thanks for your information.
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bonzo
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by bonzo »

Those wimin were in the nip.
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brian f
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by brian f »

Near the end of this film, I was shocked to hear, after the demobilisation the brave troops faced discrimination regarding employment .
exile
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Re: They shall not grow old

Post by exile »

Here's a more succinct explanation of how the war started:
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