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Anyone interested in the 1914-18 war
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did"
gosh yes,
Im no history buff like but am watching
Hilter on the tv as I type |
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did
Go on then diamond  "
Well i went to a little known fort called leivelles or something. The museum was closed but you could walk right in it and we did the whole walk round and i climbed up to the top of it. I found that interesting.
We went to tyn-cot war cemetry that was really sad, we spent ages going up and down the graves. So many unknown soldiers there and lots with remembrance poppies who obviously still had lots of living family. There was jewish and turkish people buried there as well.
We went to ypres, to in flanders field musuem, which is now so uptodate but a bit to tecnical now every thing is interacted but brilliant. We went down to mening gate and walked all down and over it, looking at all the different regiments. Also as it hadnt long been poppy day all of them where still there. So many from England british legions, fire services and police forces.
Almost run out of places to do in flanders now so we will do Holland next time |
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I also went to antwerp for the day to the old part of the town and down to the river, saw rubens statue and went in the cathedral., then brussels but it was wet the day we went to brussels, saw a few sites but went mainly for the christmas market |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I should imagine it was quite emotion and thought provoking diamonds, we often walk round war cemeteries, we just look in silence, maybe pointing out one or two of the headstones of young soldiers that were killed in action! |
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"I should imagine it was quite emotion and thought provoking diamonds, we often walk round war cemeteries, we just look in silence, maybe pointing out one or two of the headstones of young soldiers that were killed in action! "
Very sad, we all walked in our own directions, it really makes you think especially if you have children that age. It was very quiet as it was sunday and there was only one coach trip there.
Think ive said before, im ashamed to say its only in later years ive really learnt what suffering people went through just for us |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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It is so sad, but my dad served as a medic with the engineers so I grew up on camp.
When I went to Bergen - Belsen, I just cried the whole time.
Auschwitz was a life changing experience for me, but one I still cant talk about  |
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"It is so sad, but my dad served as a medic with the engineers so I grew up on camp.
When I went to Bergen - Belsen, I just cried the whole time.
Auschwitz was a life changing experience for me, but one I still cant talk about "
Ive been to fort breendonk, which was more of a holding camp than an actual concentration camp. I would like to go to aushwitz one day. Not sure im ready mentally for it just yet though |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've been to Auschwitz twice and one to Majdanek (Lublin)
No amount of words can explain what it was like but I'm glad I took the time and effort to visit both camps.
If you go to Auschwitz, I'd recommend that you take 2 days to look around as there are 2 camps to visit - they are very close to each other but there is so much to see and so much to take in that it cannot be done in one day.
Definitely worth a visit though without a doubt.
In fact I hope one day that I'll be able to revisit ... |
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did
Go on then diamond
Well i went to a little known fort called leivelles or something. The museum was closed but you could walk right in it and we did the whole walk round and i climbed up to the top of it. I found that interesting.
We went to tyn-cot war cemetry that was really sad, we spent ages going up and down the graves. So many unknown soldiers there and lots with remembrance poppies who obviously still had lots of living family. There was jewish and turkish people buried there as well.
We went to ypres, to in flanders field musuem, which is now so uptodate but a bit to tecnical now every thing is interacted but brilliant. We went down to mening gate and walked all down and over it, looking at all the different regiments. Also as it hadnt long been poppy day all of them where still there. So many from England british legions, fire services and police forces.
Almost run out of places to do in flanders now so we will do Holland next time"
My Great Grandfather was with Black Watch and went out as part of the BEF in August, 1914. He was killed in France/Flanders on 9 November, 1914 and his name is on a plaque on the Menim Gate. He never saw his daughter, my Grandmother, as she was born on 5 September, 1914. I fully intend to visit Ypres and Flanders in 2014 being the 100th Anniversary of his death.
Well done you for your trip and for sharing. xxx |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did"
Is it just WW1 you're interested in, Diamond...?
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did
Is it just WW1 you're interested in, Diamond...?
"
some world war two, but ive been to more world war 1 places. Im still an amatuer. I did learn while i was away that the belguim didnt have a proper army to start the war with. To start with it was one conscription per son then it was only a few months before the war that it was national service. So they started the war with national service lads and volunteers with a mix matched uniform |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Im dying to tell someone about my holiday but dont wont to bore anyone to death(i know i usually do) but if your interested i will post on here what i did
Is it just WW1 you're interested in, Diamond...?
some world war two, but ive been to more world war 1 places. Im still an amatuer. I did learn while i was away that the belguim didnt have a proper army to start the war with. To start with it was one conscription per son then it was only a few months before the war that it was national service. So they started the war with national service lads and volunteers with a mix matched uniform"
That's because most of Belgians full-time army was in Africa (Belgian Congo). If they'd stayed at home and done to the Germans what they did to the Africans, we wouldn't have had half the job to do...
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"It is so sad, but my dad served as a medic with the engineers so I grew up on camp.
When I went to Bergen - Belsen, I just cried the whole time.
Auschwitz was a life changing experience for me, but one I still cant talk about "
We lived in bergen too, belson will never forget that experience |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I am very interested in WW2 as opposed to WW1 and as my friends often state 'know far too much about it for it to be healthy' 
That's how I spent most of my time in Berlin recently, finding places of interest to me.
When I am next there in January I am off to the German-Russian Museum which is housed in the building where the Germans signed the Unconditional Surrender in 1945.
Is it wrong that I am excited about that ?  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I am very interested in WW2 as opposed to WW1 and as my friends often state 'know far too much about it for it to be healthy'
That's how I spent most of my time in Berlin recently, finding places of interest to me.
When I am next there in January I am off to the German-Russian Museum which is housed in the building where the Germans signed the Unconditional Surrender in 1945.
Is it wrong that I am excited about that ? "
No. But I thought they signed the Unconditional Surrender in Monty's field 'caravan'..?
The formal surrender would, no doubt, have been signed somewhere grander..
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have been to Flanders several times, never ceases to move you to see the sheer waste of life and to be thankful 'we are born when we are' so to speak..
the German cemetery at Langemark is equally moving..
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I am very interested in WW2 as opposed to WW1 and as my friends often state 'know far too much about it for it to be healthy'
That's how I spent most of my time in Berlin recently, finding places of interest to me.
When I am next there in January I am off to the German-Russian Museum which is housed in the building where the Germans signed the Unconditional Surrender in 1945.
Is it wrong that I am excited about that ?
No. But I thought they signed the Unconditional Surrender in Monty's field 'caravan'..?
The formal surrender would, no doubt, have been signed somewhere grander..
"
The surrender at Reims wasn't enough for the Russians !
They stated that their representative in Reims was not authorised to sign the document so they had a secondary - ultimate - surrender later the same night in Berlin so that Zhukov (who did have authority) could sign the document.
The one in Reims was signed for the Germans by Jodl (Chief of the armed forces operations) and in Berlin by Keitel (armed forces chief of staff).
Keitel was senior to Jodl. (not that that made much difference, they were both hung after the Nuremberg Trials) |
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"Did you go to the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Took part in the ceremony when I was in the cadets, very moving expereance. "
Was just talking about it in pm, i didnt go this time but i have been before. I agree very moving and they have played it every night since the end of the war |
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"It is so sad, but my dad served as a medic with the engineers so I grew up on camp.
When I went to Bergen - Belsen, I just cried the whole time.
Auschwitz was a life changing experience for me, but one I still cant talk about
We lived in bergen too, belson will never forget that experience"
One of my nieces as just come back from the camps and has effected her quite a bit. Too not learn from ones past only means that the same mistakes can happen again |
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By *H91Man
over a year ago
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"Did you go to the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Took part in the ceremony when I was in the cadets, very moving expereance.
Was just talking about it in pm, i didnt go this time but i have been before. I agree very moving and they have played it every night since the end of the war"
Ye, even during WW2 they did it in England somewhere instead. Couldn't imagine what it would be like for some of the soilders. Glad they are remembered the way they should be. |
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"Did you go to the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Took part in the ceremony when I was in the cadets, very moving expereance.
Was just talking about it in pm, i didnt go this time but i have been before. I agree very moving and they have played it every night since the end of the war"
local fire fighters carry out the ceremony..
they even did it as there was still fighting going on in the town when it was being liberated in WW2..
respect.. |
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"Did you go to the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Took part in the ceremony when I was in the cadets, very moving expereance.
Was just talking about it in pm, i didnt go this time but i have been before. I agree very moving and they have played it every night since the end of the war
Ye, even during WW2 they did it in England somewhere instead. Couldn't imagine what it would be like for some of the soilders. Glad they are remembered the way they should be."
It is the only thing that really chilled me to my bones. Where ever I have been in the world it has stopped me in my tracks. Thank you could never ever be enough |
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"I am very interested in WW2 as opposed to WW1 and as my friends often state 'know far too much about it for it to be healthy'
That's how I spent most of my time in Berlin recently, finding places of interest to me.
When I am next there in January I am off to the German-Russian Museum which is housed in the building where the Germans signed the Unconditional Surrender in 1945.
Is it wrong that I am excited about that ? "
And I thought I was interested in WW2 because I'd read 3 Antony Beevor books in the last couple of months !!
Not wrong to be excited about it though.
We discovered a Holocaust Memorial/Museum in Sherwood Forest recently that we didn't know existed. |
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
Nothing can quite prepare you for the first time you drive round a bend in the road in Flanders and are confronted by countlesss white crosses.
The Flo'ers of the Forest are a' wede away. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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One of the saddest 'War Graves' is actually closer to home than you might imagine.
Has anyone been to North Wales on holiday and passed the granite church on the A55 ?
There are around 80 Canadian servicemen buried in the church yard there who died during a rebellion in a local army camp in 1919.
Their story is as follows :
They were among 17,400 who were held at the Kinmel Park Camp when the First World War came to an end and for months afterwards. Most (c.15,000) had served in France and were moved to Britain to await ships home.
Many soldiers died from an outbreak of influenza in the camp, but for some their end was even more tragic.
The Canadians became increasingly frustrated at being kept in Britain for so long after hostilities had ended.
They were bored, their diet was monotonous and they had little or no money to buy things like cigarettes.
In late February 1919, troops at the camp learned that large ships earmarked to take Canadians home had been re-assigned to troops from the USA who had seen relatively little service on the Continent.
On 4 and 5 March 1919, disturbances broke out at the camp, and local residents feared the rebels would loot Rhyl.
Five Canadian solders were killed (according to official accounts) and 28 wounded.
At least one eyewitness said the number killed was higher.
By the end of March, ships had been provided to take c.15,000 Canadians from Kinmel home.
When large numbers of angry young men returned to Britain from the fighting, the British Government feared that a Communist revolution, copying the 1917 Russian revolution, could begin in Liverpool.
There is a theory that Canadians were kept at Kinmel to quell such a rebellion.
However, they may have simply been victims of a demobilisation system which was overwhelmed at the war’s end.
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
On New Year's Day 1919, over 200 sailors who'd served during WWI were drowned a few yards offshore near Stornoway when the Iolaire, taking them home to Lewis, foundered on rocks.
The men were in uniform and wearing heavy boots making it dificult to swim ashore. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"On New Year's Day 1919, over 200 sailors who'd served during WWI were drowned a few yards offshore near Stornoway when the Iolaire, taking them home to Lewis, foundered on rocks.
The men were in uniform and wearing heavy boots making it dificult to swim ashore."
You're running a close second to me now Onny |
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read an article yrs ago about the losses on the last day of the 1st world war when the American heirachy decided to push ahead with planned assaults despite everyone knowing at 11am it was over...
the Germans facing them were totally bemused but had to open fire on them, one German NCO recalled crying as he ordered his machine gun section to fire...
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"yAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...
(just cos nobody else has done it) hehehe x
oops, and THIS is a swinging site!"
so why the hell open thread. there are plenty of others without you being so damned rude |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Oh and forgot to add I have a tattoo booked for mid January as my own personal tribute to those - from all sides - lost to War.
It will simply read 'Vergissmeinnicht' which translates as 'Forget me not'
It is taken from a poem that I first heard read by Laurence Olivier on the programme 'The World at War' and it has just stuck with me.
The poem was written by a guy called Keith Douglas (who was later killed in battle himself) about the human cost of war on a basic level.
It reads :
Three weeks gone and the combatants gone
returning over the nightmare ground
we found the place again, and found
the soldier sprawling in the sun.
The frowning barrel of his gun
overshadowing. As we came on
that day, he hit my tank with one
like the entry of a demon.
Look. Here in the gunpit spoil
the dishonoured picture of his girl
who has put: Steffi. Vergissmeinnicht.
in a copybook gothic script.
We see him almost with content,
abased, and seeming to have paid
and mocked at by his own equipment
that's hard and good when he's decayed.
But she would weep to see today
how on his skin the swart flies move;
the dust upon the paper eye
and the burst stomach like a cave.
For here the lover and killer are mingled
who had one body and one heart.
And death who had the soldier singled
has done the lover mortal hurt.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"yAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...
(just cos nobody else has done it) hehehe x
oops, and THIS is a swinging site!
ooh you troll...it shows a complete lack of respect to what this thread is about"
It was a joke, and Ive actually just been remembering and reading up on bismark diamond...so I dunno where lines are being blurred on what was a joke and like someone joked before about being known as 'boring'.If uve ever read any of my other posts u would possibly know I do not have the attitude that because this is a swinging site that we cant talk about other things despite sex(see my thread on the blond rescued dog)...
pretty offensive u think I'm being disrespectful to anything or anyone.
try not jumping to immense conclusions. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"yAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...
(just cos nobody else has done it) hehehe x
oops, and THIS is a swinging site!
ooh you troll...it shows a complete lack of respect to what this thread is about
It was a joke, and Ive actually just been remembering and reading up on bismark diamond...so I dunno where lines are being blurred on what was a joke and like someone joked before about being known as 'boring'.If uve ever read any of my other posts u would possibly know I do not have the attitude that because this is a swinging site that we cant talk about other things despite sex(see my thread on the blond rescued dog)...
pretty offensive u think I'm being disrespectful to anything or anyone.
try not jumping to immense conclusions."
the puppy was blind in fact lol |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"yAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...
(just cos nobody else has done it) hehehe x
oops, and THIS is a swinging site!
ooh you troll...it shows a complete lack of respect to what this thread is about
It was a joke, and Ive actually just been remembering and reading up on bismark diamond...so I dunno where lines are being blurred on what was a joke and like someone joked before about being known as 'boring'.If uve ever read any of my other posts u would possibly know I do not have the attitude that because this is a swinging site that we cant talk about other things despite sex(see my thread on the blond rescued dog)...
pretty offensive u think I'm being disrespectful to anything or anyone.
try not jumping to immense conclusions."
I did read it as a joke.
As for 'Fiona' (as if the dog, didn't have enough problems eh ?)
Well, since you introduced us to it, I have made several grown ups cry by showing them said clip.
It's me mums turn tonight - she hasn't seen it yet |
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Have been several times, extremely moving ceremony. Also found relatives grave too.
I picked up some live 303 ammo, forgot it was in my bag and flew to Belfast for work, with it still in my bag. Never got stopped.
The Devonshire regiment took a pounding, there is a stone to them at "The Devonshire Trench"
Hopelessly out numbered they held their line until being over run and killed. They were buried there The inscription says;
"The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still" |
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"yAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...
(just cos nobody else has done it) hehehe x
oops, and THIS is a swinging site!
ooh you troll...it shows a complete lack of respect to what this thread is about
It was a joke, and Ive actually just been remembering and reading up on bismark diamond...so I dunno where lines are being blurred on what was a joke and like someone joked before about being known as 'boring'.If uve ever read any of my other posts u would possibly know I do not have the attitude that because this is a swinging site that we cant talk about other things despite sex(see my thread on the blond rescued dog)...
pretty offensive u think I'm being disrespectful to anything or anyone.
try not jumping to immense conclusions."
i try not to read too much of what you write. we all see things with different eyes, so i will take your word that you jumping in a poignent thread and yawning was a joke |
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Re what was said about walking in own directions I've done this with friends when visiting the American Cemetery for the D Day landings and also at a plce called Oradour Sur Gloane (sic). A village that was almost wiped out by the uccupying Germans and then burnt almost to the ground. But it was left as it was on that fateful day. You can still see the mayors burnt out car. The new village was built next to it and the most awful thing is that the gravestones in the chuechyard all bear the same date |
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By *utmegsMan
over a year ago
Closer than you think |
"The poem was written by a guy called Keith Douglas"
Keith Douglas is one of the few famous war poets of WWII, and a member of the Nottinghamshire (SR) Yeomanry, a predecessor of my own regiment. As well as the poetry, he wrote an interesting book about his service in the western desert called Alamein to Zem Zem. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Have been several times, extremely moving ceremony. Also found relatives grave too.
I picked up some live 303 ammo, forgot it was in my bag and flew to Belfast for work, with it still in my bag. Never got stopped.
The Devonshire regiment took a pounding, there is a stone to them at "The Devonshire Trench"
Hopelessly out numbered they held their line until being over run and killed. They were buried there The inscription says;
"The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still""
Am assuming you're talking about WW1 here? My Dad was in The Devonshires in WW2.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Re what was said about walking in own directions I've done this with friends when visiting the American Cemetery for the D Day landings and also at a plce called Oradour Sur Gloane (sic). A village that was almost wiped out by the occupying Germans and then burnt almost to the ground. But it was left as it was on that fateful day. You can still see the mayors burnt out car. The new village was built next to it and the most awful thing is that the gravestones in the chuechyard all bear the same date"
The only good thing (??) to come out of what happened in Oradour is that the SS troops who carried out the massacre were all dead within 12 weeks themselves. They were re-deployed to the Eastern Front soon after and came up against some of the crack Russian troops. Poetic justice...??
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"Re what was said about walking in own directions I've done this with friends when visiting the American Cemetery for the D Day landings and also at a plce called Oradour Sur Gloane (sic). A village that was almost wiped out by the occupying Germans and then burnt almost to the ground. But it was left as it was on that fateful day. You can still see the mayors burnt out car. The new village was built next to it and the most awful thing is that the gravestones in the chuechyard all bear the same date
The only good thing (??) to come out of what happened in Oradour is that the SS troops who carried out the massacre were all dead within 12 weeks themselves. They were re-deployed to the Eastern Front soon after and came up against some of the crack Russian troops. Poetic justice...??
"
Actually some of the surviving SS troops were later tried for the massacre a few years after the war.
Over 40 others survived the war but were never tried as they were in the new East Germany by that time. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Re what was said about walking in own directions I've done this with friends when visiting the American Cemetery for the D Day landings and also at a plce called Oradour Sur Gloane (sic). A village that was almost wiped out by the occupying Germans and then burnt almost to the ground. But it was left as it was on that fateful day. You can still see the mayors burnt out car. The new village was built next to it and the most awful thing is that the gravestones in the chuechyard all bear the same date
The only good thing (??) to come out of what happened in Oradour is that the SS troops who carried out the massacre were all dead within 12 weeks themselves. They were re-deployed to the Eastern Front soon after and came up against some of the crack Russian troops. Poetic justice...??
Actually some of the surviving SS troops were later tried for the massacre a few years after the war.
Over 40 others survived the war but were never tried as they were in the new East Germany by that time."
Didn't know that. I understood they'd all copped it. Hope they hung them. The Commanding 'Officer' who gave the orders for the massacre was certainly dead just a few weeks after. Can't remember how (needs a bit of googling...)
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Really good post Karen..Oradour sur glane well worth a visit, it's preserved in it's ruined state..a sad, sad atmosphere.
The Douaumont Ossuary at Verdun contains the mixed remains of a hundred and thirty
thousand German and French soldiers and is a poignant reminder of the terrible price of war. |
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I have been interested in WW1 for many years now, every so offen I try to imagine life in the trenches, the fear people went through, knowing that they could very easily be killed, the hardship as well. I've read many a war diary, how they marched for days, sleep was a luxury and more often than not they slept in the middle of a field with just their great coats as cover.
I find the saddest thing of all about WW1 is the fact that it happened because of pride. The Austria/Hungarian empire was insulted by Serbia (or so it thought) and wanted revenge, it brought Germany on its side for fear of the Russians protecting Serbia, who in turn brought Fr ance into the War, Germany had secret ambitions to increase its empire cos compared to Great Britain and France it was a small empire.
Britain, having no agreement with France or Russia decided to join France cos it seemed the best bet to contain german empire intentions... Germany decided to attack British and French Colonies and... before you know it, the whole world was involved. No one really knowing why.
Oh, and old scores were settled between countries too (or tried to be anyway). Which leaves the question.. Why? what was it all for?
So many people suffering and dying. Mistakes continued to be made after the war. Having suffered for 4 long years the allies were determined to make Germany pay. Germany was desperate for peace and would have signed anything. The armistice was so bad for Germany that one of the French generals said this isnt peace, its a 20 year cease fire. He was wrong by 6 months.
Germany returned to its pre 1914 borders, the Armistice conditions were so harsh that it created a humiliated nation that was once proud, a people that were now in poverty and a shattered economy, payments being made to the allies for war repatriation. This created the perfect atmosphere for political parties such as the Nazi party to rise to power with leaders such as Adolf Hitler.
I think we are still making the same mistake in some small way today, we are creating a country where asylum and imigration is easy and so people like Nick Griffin are voted in by disgruntled voters.
oops, gone off topic now lol. I better shhhhh before I send everyone to sleep, sorry
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"I also went to antwerp for the day to the old part of the town and down to the river, saw rubens statue and went in the cathedral., then brussels but it was wet the day we went to brussels, saw a few sites but went mainly for the christmas market"
Diamond thank you for bringing this thread to the forum. Glad it was a good visit for you with many differing emotions. My particular interest is ww2 simply because my father was involved. Antwerp was one of the places I was going to visit with him but he passed away in 1993 whilst we were planning the trip. He was with RAF Regiment but the past two hours I have discovered so much on the internet - even a description by a Belgian national of an incident on 27 November 1944 of a V2 rocket attack on the city centre that dad described to me word for word. He would have liked to have seen this info himself. Anyway thanks again and I have some more good memories of the old fella  |
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
Anyone in Scotland* seeking info on or a photograph of a War Memorial bearing the name of an ancestor, comrade or friend killed during or since WWI (and before in some cases) might check of the Scottish War Memorials Project.
The more info you have re name, location, regiment, ship etc, the better your chance of finding their name.
*you don't have to be in Scotland to look. |
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"Have been several times, extremely moving ceremony. Also found relatives grave too.
I picked up some live 303 ammo, forgot it was in my bag and flew to Belfast for work, with it still in my bag. Never got stopped.
The Devonshire regiment took a pounding, there is a stone to them at "The Devonshire Trench"
Hopelessly out numbered they held their line until being over run and killed. They were buried there The inscription says;
"The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still"Am assuming you're talking about WW1 here? My Dad was in The Devonshires in WW2.
"
Yes WW1 |
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