Skip to main content

A Legacy from the Great War. (WW1)

A Legacy from the Great War.  (WW1)

(I first posted this on the 11th of the 11th, Remembrance day. But as today is Armed forces day and the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme I thought it justifiable to give it a further outing)


   
   I was watching a television trailer, regarding a forthcoming documentary, examining life of those who lived and fought from the trenches. I was struck by the number of film clips that were taken at the front line. That so many have survived for the past one hundred years is quite amazing considering the ease of degradation of the materials used. I had not previously considered such an archive of moving images existed, considering movie making was in its infancy at that time.

   Seeing these short monochrome (mostly although a few colour films were produced) films of men going about their daily lives on the front line, brought the characters of those captured on cellulose to life in a way I did not think possible. In conjunction with this footage was often clear and exceptional commentary.

    A number of factors emerged which I was unaware of; such as staging football tournaments between various regiments, and the front line horticultural competitions for growing vegetables and flowers. These were passionately contested.

     I came to the conclusion, of which I am certain I was aware, but not given conscious thought. It is…….this was the first time we have a recorded and documented history on such a massive scale, yet with meticulous and comprehensive detail covering every aspect of human life during the events.


   Further to this is the fact, this information was collected and collated by individuals as well as all the various states and nations involved, giving us the data we need to conclude a balanced and unbiased account of the true circumstances and conditions of life during the conflict, whether at sea, in the air, or indeed on the Western front.


   Never before have we had so much indisputable evidence of an historic event, even one of this magnitude. Furthermore, this is the first time we, the general public, can see, hear, even feel (to some extent), the character of the ordinary people entangled in the War.


    The events of this War are now ‘beyond living memory’. All those who participated have died. Which means we must learn and teach our young, from the footage, the photography and the written and recorded archives that exist.



    Hopefully this information will, one day, be part of the lesson that shall teach us all...that war has no victors and no winners, ever.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Batang Lalake

Wednesday, April 15, 2015  This post is from my friend Cee Que  who is a terrific poet and writer,as I am sure you will find when you read her words below. Happy 21st Birthday, Joey!!! I cry at these milestones because it reminds me how fast the years have gone by...I don't think my Joey knows I wrote this poem for him a while back... Family Portrait - 2008 - photo by  Peter J. Crowley Batang Lalake (Baby Boy) his speech lagged at three born with babies crying in his ears now man-heavy  his voice: bass and harmonica  as if he were bobbing and reading  sheet music at the same time woolly mornings and stretched tight nights overcrowded him gruff tree against the realm— my boy at man's threshold determined to etch on his coat of arms permanent ink of love and mirth no yardstick no barometer, just him over there in the heart of the labyrinth More of CEE QUE's work can be found  on  http://you...

A Letter to My Father

Originally POSTED ON  JUNE 3, 2015   BY  AMANDALYLE1986 Read the ORIGINAL post https://insidethelifeofmoi.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/a-letter-to-my-father/ I have included this post on Brilliant Blog share because it ENCOMPASSES everything that this blog has set out to discover, basically the most exceptional blog posts around and this post IS exceptional. 229 Dear Dad, It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since I said goodbye. The absence in my heart still yearns louder than ever. A missing piece, forever lost and irreplaceable. All that remains are memories, ever-fading and ragged around the edges. I grasp onto them with all my might, trying to savour each one, but as time trickles by like sand in an hourglass, so do the memories I have of you. Five years on, I still find it hard to look at old photographs without feeling overwhelmed by sadness. I tread cautiously through a minefield of memories in fear of setting off an explosion o...

The Vineyard

A short story by Elizabeth Newton  Originaly published on http://elizabethnnewton.com/2015/07/01/the-vineyard/ Elizabeth Newton has (so far), published two amazing books. 'Riddle' a twisted and interwoven story about murder, betrayal and revenge in a small town. The second is ' View from the Sixth Floor: An Oswald Tale'  which is a story of “what-if's?" What if the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 was a conspiracy? What if accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was innocent? What if....Below is one of Elisabeth's short stories, it may just give you reason to take a look at her books.  The Vineyard   My family has been producing one of the finest wines from the Carmargue region for several generations. Although we are a very small vineyard many have said our grapes are the sweetest and our wine has an indefinable “something”. Of course the distinctive color known as “grey of grey” contributes to the uniqueness of...