The First World War: The Great War

Remember Them More Honestly  (November 2019)

"How long would it have taken for the 886,000 British men killed in the Great War to pass in procession down Whitehall? I think we should find out. The necessary volunteers should be sought, asked to dress in suitably sombre clothing, and then be invited to march at a respectful pace past a stand near the Cenotaph, perhaps containing all the modern politicians who have ever started a war. While we all watch this procession on television, we might pause to wonder how many doorsteps that means on which a newly-made young widow clutched a yellow telegram form and slumped against the wall with no idea of how she should or could live the rest of her life..."

Honouring the Fallen  (11 November 2018)

"At the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns fell silent. A hundred years ago the barbarous folly of the ruling elites of Europe known to us as the First World War or Great War came to an end. The suffering and scars it caused remain long afterwards and changed the world. How should we remember and more importantly honour those of our forebears who endured so much suffering and sacrificed so much? Is it just enough to once a year listen to the hauntingly sad 'Last Post', and watch the poppies falling in the Albert Hall?..."

They Fought and Died For Freedom - And It Was Not In Vain  (11 November 2018)

"We are now at the centenary of the Great War's end. Many will be asking what the war was for, what did it achieve, was it worth the immense, almost unimaginable cost in lives and suffering? These are questions we should pose whenever we ask others to die on our behalf. It would be deeply callous not to..."

Armistice 100: They Shall Not Grow Old  (11 November 2018)

"Black and white is another world: they do not feel because there are no tears; where blood is grey, there is no pain. The grainy ghosts are trapped in trenches or hanging on the old barbed wire. We've seen them, we've seen them... Or have we partially glimpsed and never really care because they aren't quite here?..."

We Shall Remember Them  (11 November 2018)

"Today I, along with my wife and child, will put on our 'Saturday Best clothes' and will brave the rain and head off into our local town for Remembrance Sunday. We will take our places among many others young and old to pay our respects to those who have served the British armed forces over many years. We will remember those who served with distinction and protected this country and in particular we will remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice..."

Soldiers? No, Britain Lost 700,000 Poets, Teachers, Inventors... and Fathers  (11 November 2018)

"What do you think about during the two minutes silence? I used to think of men at war, and hear in my head the shouts and the clash of arms. Now I see a narrow street of small houses at dusk. A young man in army uniform is embracing his wife and little children in a lighted doorway. He will not return..."

The Proud Memories You Will Never Allow To Fade  (11 November 2018)

"Recollections of families' service and sacrifice..."

YOUTUBE:  They Shall Not Be Forgotten  (11 November 2018)

"A video to commemorate those men on both sides of WW1 that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest We Forget."

Preserving God's Image in the Face of Death  (11 November 2018)

"Regardless of what uniform each soldier wore ... underneath [was] an image bearer of God (Genesis 1:27) ... Unfortunately, despite Germany's very blessed past, in relation to the Reformation ... the nation's underlying philosophy had dramatically changed. Darwinism was now clearly Germany's philosophy, which is understood to be an underlying cause in its attitudes to its European neighbours. People such as the biologist, Ernst Haeckel, a devoted Darwinian disciple, had ensured that Social Darwinism had pervaded the thinking of Germany's military, academic, and political leaders, and the populace at large..."

They Loved and Were Loved  (09 November 2018)

"It is said that there isn't any family which hasn't lost at least one of their men in either, or both, of the two world wars... My great-grandmother, Mabel (Ada) Robinson, née Ashby, was one of so many, many women who lost their menfolk in battle. Her husband and both her two brothers died in the Great War..."

The Great War and the Family Ties That Bind Us Together  (06 November 2018)

"The Doiran Memorial stands roughly in the centre of the line occupied for two years by the Allies in Macedonia, but close to the western end, which was held by Commonwealth forces. It marks the scene of the fierce fighting of 1917-1918, which caused the majority of the Commonwealth battle casualties..."

The First World War: One Man's Story  (22 October 2018)

This is just a very short account of just a very small part of the terrible experience of my Great-Uncle Harry on the battlefields of the First World War.

Silence and Sacrifice  (October 2018)

"The last soldiers went 'over the top' at 4.20am on 11th November 1918. The Armistice was signed at 5am in a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne, France. Then, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns of Europe fell silent. The Great War was over..."

World War One Trench Warfare  (07 January 2017)

"On the 28th of July 1914, World War One began and soldiers from both sides of the battle began digging big holes in the ground where they would live, eat, sleep, fight, and die together. The trenches became the battle ground of The Great War and they became the final resting place for millions of young men ... After six weeks of basic training, the young men were sent to war really unprepared for the unimaginable horrors that lay ahead of them..."

YOUTUBE:  The Trenches in WWI  (17 August 2015)

"An overview of experiences in the trenches from History File"

Remembrance Sunday: Sacrifice, Freedom and Peace  (09 November 2014)

"You've probably never been shot by a sniper or blown to bits by a hand grenade, but sacrifice is agony. It might sound golden, but it is hours of fear and loneliness garnished by the weeds of an obscure grave. We only hear the valiant tales of detachment and farewell. But hearts bled, limbs writhed and voices groaned in rivers of bitterness chocking on the stench of trotting flesh ... They were our boys ... they died to save us..."

100 Facts About World War One - 100 Years After It Began  (08 August 2014)

"This week marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One. Here are 100 facts about that fateful war, 100 years after its beginning..."

Unveiling of the Rothenstein Mural  (20 May 2014)

"The Rothenstein Mural was painted in 1916 as a memorial to members of the British universities serving in the Great War ... 'I happened to be at Oxford where I witnessed the conferring of degrees... The sight of a number of youths, booted and spurred, with their gowns over their khaki, kneeling before the Chancellor to receive their degrees, put me in mind of the age of chivalry, so touching and beautiful were these young figures; and I thought what a fine subject for a memorial painting this would make'..."

YOUTUBE:  WWI Overview  (19 October 2008)

"An introduction to World War I"

Film: They Shall Not Grow Old

They Shall Not Grow Old on BBC Two  (07 November 2018)

"Peter Jackson's highly anticipated First World War archive feature film They Shall Not Grow Old is to receive its broadcast premiere exclusively on BBC Two in Sunday 11 November at 9.30pm, following its world Premiere at the London Film Festival in October ... It is to those that paid the ultimate price over 100 years ago we owe our freedom today..."

'They Shall Not Grow Old'  (20 October 2018)

"I watched the film 'They Shall Not Grow Old' last Tuesday and felt so moved by it. The film covers the lives of the men and boys who heard of the coming war and signed up for King and Country. Some lads were as young as 15 years old, but big for their age. The recruiting officers when told of their age, told them to go outside, have a few birthdays and come back in.  They did this and then signed up. The film has used black and white stills/videos taken at the time, digitally enhanced and converted to colour. The film shows the terrible conditions that our troops had to suffer..."

FILM DOCUMENTARY:  They Shall Not Grow Old  (16 October 2018)

"A documentary about World War I with never-before-seen footage to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war."

YOUTUBE:  How Peter Jackson Brought to Life WWI Footage in His New Film  (10 October 2018)

Viewers' comments:  "These men paid for our freedom with their lives. I wonder how they would view our modern world where people are 'traumatised' and need 'safe spaces' just from words or ideas they personally do not like. Everyone today is a victim or survivor of some minor event ... These men died or suffered terribly and came home and went back to work. No counselling, no safe spaces ... much respect to Mr Jackson for this great work"  /  "Peter Jackson highlights the 'lack of self pity' that the soldiers had after the war. Compare that to rampant 'victim mentality' amongst young people today"  /  "Every school in the UK should show this film"  /  "Probably the UK's best generation of men ... that today is long gone, and will never get back"  /  "God bless them all and God bless you for keeping their memory alive. Thank you."

Videos and YouTubes

YOUTUBE:  Do Not Let Their Blood Have Been Shed in Vain  (11 November 2018)

"They loved God, king, and country. They loved this land and they loved our nation. Yes, they loved you and me. And what I want to ask is, do we return that love? Do we appreciate and remember that great sacrifice? And do we strive every day to preserve our fine civilisation they they made such a sacrifice for? It is time now for the British Lion to rise again..."

YOUTUBE:  Why We Remember - 100 years On From Armistice  (11 November 2018)

Viewer's comment: "Thank you for this truly moving report. I have lain wreathes at Menin Gate several times and visited countless cemeteries. Just like you, I can't help welling up seeing the sheer scale of the sacrifice these brave young men and women made for the defence of our country. It is unforgiveable that our governments past and present are happy to hand over our sovereignty to a foreign dictatorship when so many people suffered hardship and sacrifice for King and country"

YOUTUBE:  Interview: Nigel Farage on WWI  (11 November 2018)

"Nigel Farage gives an exclusive interview on WW1 and its impact today. We talk about the left's attempt to re-write history, mental health, war poetry, and poppies."

YOUTUBE:  The Last Post (Violin)  (27 April 2016)

"Having had our ANZAC Day commemorations and memorial this past Monday, I felt inspired to pay my own tribute to our brave ANZACs, including both of my Great Grandfathers. Sadly, neither of them made it home. To those who served then and to those who serve now, I thank you. Here is my rendition of The Last Post.  Lest we forget..."

Poor Fools...

"Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks.
Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools.
And their grandchildren are once more slaves."

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
    Between the crosses, row on row,
  That mark our place; and in the sky
  The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.  Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
  Loved and were loved, and now we lie
       In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
  The torch; be yours to hold it high.
  If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
       In Flanders fields.

John McCrae, MD,
Canadian Army (1872-1918)

"[T]he foe of which John McCrae wrote were not the people in the opposite trenches.
The foe were tyranny and dictatorship ... our soldiers knew this ...
Yes, we have indeed dropped the torch! Yes, we have indeed broken faith with those who died and lie in Flanders Fields! ...
and yes, we will have to bear the consequences in the years to come..."
[source]

© Elizabeth McDonald     https://www.bayith.org     bayith@blueyonder.co.uk