What did you do on Armistice Centenary Day?

[KGarrad]

I did what I do almost every year: stayed in and kept my own silence.
I don't attend church, and I dislike the way that these events have become intertwined with religious affairs.
IMHO most wars are started by religious intolerance.

If there was a secular memorial service, I would attend.

Just my (honest) views.

[River Tyne Lass]

Well, thank you for your honest views.  These are welcome too.  You observed the day in your own way.  I do attend Church but I agree that sometimes trouble is started by those misrepresenting religion for their own agendas.

Since you have said what you dislike I will continue with what I dislike ..

I sometimes dislike the phrase that someone laid down their life for their country.  From all I have learned about the Great War I would say that in many cases people's lives were laid down for their country.  I think there is a difference.  I imagine that most people would not want to voluntarily give up their lives and there often doesn't seem to have been much choice when conscription came in and anyone who left could end up shot at dawn.  Not to mention those who were sent over the top seemingly just to use up a bullet sent from the other side - some stood no chance and they likely knew it.  I pity the poor service men who may have been suffering from unrecognized Post traumatic stress.  Some of them mere boys and not long out of school. 

[Gillg]

I also dislike the phrase "made the ultimate sacrifice", as I feel that for many there was no choice at all but to do what they were ordered to do.  This is not to distract from the heroism of those who put their lives at risk for the sake of others.

Not quite on Remembrance Sunday, but on the previous Friday evening our village film club showed the 1969 film "Oh! what a lovely war" as a tribute.  Some disapproved of this because of the attitudes displayed (I remember the shocked response of some when the play was first put on over 50 years ago by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop), but most were moved and at the end sat in silence for a few minutes.

[Kerrill]

Well said River Tyne Lass, if everyone was to know the horror and unwarranted bloodshed that happened and the lies that where told back then and even to this day, I don't think people would be so happy to see WWI  represented as the Great War or even have it dressed up as a proud occasion. I remembered all the young men who lost there lives in a very cruel way.  May they all rest in peace. 

[Maiden Stone]

Well said River Tyne Lass, if everyone was to know the horror and unwarranted bloodshed that happened and the lies that where told back then and even to this day, I don't think people would be so happy to see WWI  represented as the Great War or even have it dressed up as a proud occasion. I remembered all the young men who lost there lives in a very cruel way.  May they all rest in peace.

It was called "the Great War" because it was massive in scale - fought on 3 fronts and at sea, involving millions of combatants from many countries on both sides  -  not "Great" as in magnificent.

Don't forget the women, who were all volunteers.

[River Tyne Lass]

Gillg and KerrillI I agree.  Since reading and researching many Great War stories I personally think it would be be truer to say in many cases - not that so and so had made a supreme sacrifice but rather that they had been 'supremely sacrificed for their country'.  Although, this doesn't have the same 'noble' ring, does it, that no doubt some might have  preferred or perhaps might still prefer.  Due to conscription, pressure to join up (shamed/use of white feathers) and the prospect of being shot at dawn of they left - I do not think we should kid ourselves that our ancestors may have willingly given themselves up to be slaughtered.

Of course, I am still extremely proud of them all.  These people who served were indeed a 'doomed youth' as described by the poet Wilfred Owen.  I am not surprised by those who experienced breakdowns.  I do feel sympathy for many who ended up shot at dawn.  Perhaps they may have been stricken with terror and could not go on and perhaps that is why they deserted?  I do think that not everyone may have been capable of mentally reconciling themselves to certain death and leaving their families behind to their fate.

Perhaps a breadwinner may have worried about if their family might have to go into the workhouse, or their spouse being obliged to remarry/children having to be brought up by a step-parent in the case of their death.  All not nice eventualities to have to contemplate.

I do agree that a lack of sympathy for those who were shot at dawn still seems to persist in some to this day.  However, I think if we try to put ourselves in their shoes by trying to imagine our worst fear and then thinking that we had no choice but to face this perhaps we might get a tiny bit of understanding at least about what they may have gone through.

I have no ancestors who were shot at dawn but I do have some sympathy with those who were, considering our knowledge now of post traumatic stress.  I do now wonder whether instead of thinking about whether we should be asking for a pardon for those shot but rather asking for a pardon for those who arranged this to be done. Perhaps forgiveness is more to be required of them?

Maiden Stone , thanks for mentioning the women - the women also played a huge part in the Great War - either serving or keeping things running on the home front.

[Caw1]

River Tyne Lass your comments have a great resonance that I'm sure others feel too, I certainly do.

When I think of all those young men who lost their lives in such a futile way it makes you want to sit down and cry. They were effectively lambs to the slaughter by being given orders by people who sat in Whitehall being untouched by the reality of what the actual conditions these soldiers were in.

So many young men who joined up in the first place who thought it was going to be a bit of fun and over by Christmas how their hearts must have sunk when it just continued on until 1918.

Those who did return must have felt completely shattered by their experiences and no counselling in those days for PTSD just get on with life! I had two gt uncles who joined up in 1914, one lost his life finally in July 1918 having survived being gassed twice and the other survived the war, my cousin his daughter said that he was a shell of a man and mourned the loss of his brother and felt he'd not done his job of keeping him alive, a terrible thing to live with like so many others.

As you say for those poor souls who deserted they must have been at their wits ends and to then be shot a terrible way to have their lives ended.
Mans inhumanity towards their fellows is barbaric and in war situations seems to become far worse.

I feel we owe it to all those who died such terrible deaths to remember them always.

Caroline

[Maiden Stone]

Maiden Stone , thanks for mentioning the women - the women also played a huge part in the Great War - either serving or keeping things running on the home front.

I attended a beach commemoration  - "Pages of the Sea" on the morning of 11th November.
A huge sand scuplture of the face of a well-known person who had a connection to the area was created. Folkstone's was Wilfred Owen because he embarked there. The face on another beach was of a woman who was a nurse, I think.
Participants could also make life-sized figures in the sand to represent people who left Britain's shores. Templates in the shapes of "tommies", kilted soldiers, nurses etc. were provided. I chose a tommy outline because I was remembering my GF, his cousins and my uncle, who were all soldiers. Anyone who didn't have a personal connection could select someone from the "Pages of the Sea" website if they wanted or just do a generic figure. A young woman said she wanted to make a female figure.
 The foldable templates reminded me of stretchers. One of grandad's cousins was in army medical corps so he would have seen many stretchers. 
 Walking through the serried rows of figures when leaving the beach, I tried not to step on their "bodies".
The crowd taking part on Sunday were of all ages including families with children.

I attended the service at the war memorial, a few minutes walk from the beach. Rain poured throughout the service; the clergyman remarked at the end that it was appropriate weather and that we had to put up with the rain and mud for only a short time, not for weeks on end, year after year like the people of a century ago.

I returned to the beach to bid farewell to the sand-ghosts. Tide was half in and the giant face sand scupture had gone. Two people rode horses past me along the beach. I was momentarily upset that the horses were walking over our people. That feeling was immediately replaced by the thought that it was appropriate for horses to play their part.

Although I was soaked and the contents of my pockets and bag were sodden by the time I arrived home, the poppy on my jacket wasn't affected by the rain.

[River Tyne Lass]

Thanks for these posts Caroline and Maiden Stone.  My thoughts exactly, that they were lambs to the slaughter.  Many I am sure would have had no clue of the reality they were going to face.  That is very sad to read about your Great Uncle's stories.  This goes to show that even when the war was over the effects could be devastating and lingering for the 'survivor' and their families.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6376869/Portrait-Wilfred-Owen-carved-sand-UK-beaches-tribute.html

Maiden Stone - those sand exhibits were amazing!  I didn't know about this before hand and didn't get to see these until I saw some of these in the local papers. What a poignant write up you have written of your days events!

What took place during your day does sound timely and meaningful to the event.  I think the clergyman was right to point out that the weather on the day of the Centenary needed to be out up with in light of what conditions were endured by those who served during the war.  Also, the horses walking over the ghosts in the sand must have served,  as a remembrance of those poor horses who also went to the slaughter both during and after the war when a decision was taken apparently that it would be too costly to try to get them back home.

I have attached a link which will hopefully show some images of those marvellous sand exhibits.