The few short excerpts I have seen do give a greater sense of now,the old grainy film footage ,even after the speed had been sorted out so the movements were not jerky had distance,but were still hard watching.
This will seem so much more real,especially to younger people used to a technicolour world.
What a shame it is not more available,just hope everyone who would like to see it manages to do that on November 11th.
There is a great deal going on on Belgium at least,not sure about France.
The service from St Marten’s Cathedral will be relayed on to a huge screen in
the Grote Markt,the big square where the Cloth Hall is and which leads to the Menin Gate with its 35,000+ names of the missing from the four year long fighting in that area,and along past Hell Fire Corner and the road to Passchendaele and the huge Tyne Cot cemetery.
I don’t know how near we will be or what we will see but to be there will be
well ....wonderful,heartbreaking,thankful,words are not enough.
I heard first hand from my Dad , just an ordinary man,well teenager when he was called up,having been in The Derby Scheme he was almost 19.
Just after the Somme and he was captured just before Passchendaele which probably saved his life as The Kings Liverpool saw heavy action in the Hoogh
area ,a cemetery lies just behind the new Hoogh Chateau.
Not entirely sure of exact dates but he did serve albeit for only about 9 months.I have the form informing his family of him being missing ,perhaps just separated from his unit or captured but not necessarily killed.
To look at that unassuming quiet man you could not believe he could charge with fixed bayonet,but he would have done.
He has my lasting admiration,we will go back toHill 60 where his ashes were
scattered at his request.I have not been for a long time.
I am looking forward to the next day when hopefully we will get to some of the cemeteries when not so crowded.
Viktoria.
