July 1 ... also on this day

[gweilgi]

 

Today is not only the birthday of Canada.

Today is also Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador.

That is because today is also the 101st anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.

On this one single day in 1917, British forces suffered 57,000 casualties, of which more than 19,000 were fatalities.

Also fighting was the Royal Newfoundland regiment which suffered 90% casualties and was essentially wiped out.  

It is for this reason that today I not only swig a dram of rye for our cousins across the pond but a second one for the Newfies ... and why I shall fire up a Behike tonight.  To me, it is this day more than any single other -- more indeed than Armistice Day -- which symbolises our losses, our bravery in the face of hell on Earth, and the sacrifices and dedication of every man jack and jill who ever stood up to serve in the thin red line.  Never forget.  

[dvickery]

@gweilgi

every day is Remembrance Day 

Aye ... the ghosts of Beaumont Hamel .

derrek

[Randy956]

 

Today is not only the birthday of Canada.

Today is also Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador.

That is because today is also the 101st anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.

On this one single day in 1917, British forces suffered 57,000 casualties, of which more than 19,000 were fatalities.

Also fighting was the Royal Newfoundland regiment which suffered 90% casualties and was essentially wiped out.  

It is for this reason that today I not only swig a dram of rye for our cousins across the pond but a second one for the Newfies ... and why I shall fire up a Behike tonight.  To me, it is this day more than any single other -- more indeed than Armistice Day -- which symbolises our losses, our bravery in the face of hell on Earth, and the sacrifices and dedication of every man jack and jill who ever stood up to serve in the thin red line.  Never forget.  

I simply cannot imagine loss of life in those numbers in single battles these days. It's difficult to think of 19,000 soldier being killed in a single battle.


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[Ken Gargett]

not our remembrance day specifically but it does remind one of the horror. aussies lost around 23,000 there (around pozieres mostly, i believe). kiwis lost a couple of thousand as well. grandfather was there, i believe, and a couple of his brothers. he was gassed and one brother didn't make it back. another also injured. grandfather got a military cross and bar, the first one for jumping in a german machine gun nest and taking them out. not sure what the other was for. i cannot begin to imagine that. and of course, that is just one of many thousands of acts of courage.

[Randy956]

Thanks Ken for posting that.


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[Fuzz]

31 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

not our remembrance day specifically but it does remind one of the horror. aussies lost around 23,000 there (around pozieres mostly, i believe). kiwis lost a couple of thousand as well. grandfather was there, i believe, and a couple of his brothers. he was gassed and one brother didn't make it back. another also injured. grandfather got a military cross and bar, the first one for jumping in a german machine gun nest and taking them out. not sure what the other was for. i cannot begin to imagine that. and of course, that is just one of many thousands of acts of courage.

24,000+ casualties, with nearly 7000 KIA. The Somme was one of our most, if not the most, costly battle for Australia. In a little less than 2 months, we lost more troops than the 8 months in Gallipoli.