"O God, I could be bounded in a nut shell and count myself
a king of infinite space,
were it not that I have bad dreams."
- Hamlet Act II scene ii
11 November 2026
Eleventh
How dank and still the air has been these past few days. A few autumn leaves hang on without a whiff of wind to disturb them. It was like that on the morning of November 11th 1918 when George Ellison was shot dead by a German sniper at Mons. He was the last British soldier to be killed on the battlefield in The Great War. What was so "great" about it I wonder? All accounts suggest that it was truly awful - not great.
As I usually do, I walked up to the simple war memorial next to All Saints Church and stood there in quiet remembrance as the bells chimed eleven times. There were two people from the cafe and about twenty small children from the church playgroup with their leaders. Those children stayed remarkably quiet.
I put a beach stone on the plinth. I had written "Thank You" on it with a permanent black marker and a single poppy too.
Normally, when I am standing there, my thoughts wander to my Uncle Jack and all the other young men who never came home. What a terrible waste it all was. But this year my thoughts also drifted to Ukraine and the Russian threat and how the peace we have taken for granted for so many years is now in jeopardy.
I took a diversion home through the churchyard and spotted the grave of Lieutenant Joseph Austin Sorby. He died on April 4th 1918 here in Sheffield but not I believe from war wounds. It was a duodenal ulcer that got him - with associated complications. He belonged to the Australian Field Artillery.
All those young men - mostly men anyway - they did not make the wars they died in. They were made by other men far from the front line, far from the battlefield. Of The First World War it was said that it was "the war to end all wars" but of course the century that has followed proved that not to be the case - again and again.
When will they ever learn?
As I walked home via the graveyard this song by Pete Seeger came to mind. He first wrote it in 1955 after reading "And Quiet Flows The Don" by Mikhail Sholohkov. Over to you Joan...
It certainly feels like we'll never learn about the many costs of war. My boyfriend and I watched a documentary about WWI (since my grandfather was in the US Army in France) and it blew our socks off. "They Shall Not Grow Old"--highly recommended.
I think the "Great" part simply refers to the fact all countries were involved, differing from the "small" wars between just two countries that now are raging in the middle east and between Ukraine and Russia, and possibly a few others we don't know about.
Agreed and don’t get me going on Mr Secretary of War getting reprimanded by an Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - good for that guard calling him out
Joan Baez...the unforgettable voice of anti-war and civil rights movements in the '60s. We, the "regular folk" wish for peace. Our leaders just don't seem to understand that.
In my three last school terms (1968-69) I read and reread two books by Barbara Tuchman : AUGUST 1914 and THE PROUD TOWER.
The latter is a portrait of the world between 1890-1914. The title's from from Edgar Allan Poe : * While from a Proud Tower in the town/ Death looks gigantically down. *
Ms Tuchman ended her book with the words of a Belgian poet. * With emotion to the man I used to be. * Emile Verhaeran (1855-1916).
For 50 years I was haunted by Verhaeran's words. Who was he ? His was the first name I looked up on my first laptop, thanks to the Internet. Having survived the trenches he died in a railway accident in Rouen.
President Kennedy was reading August 1914 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He said that once a war begins it's impossible to stop it.
Now there's a song, an artist and a theme that I recognise from my early teens when I was beginning to understand enough English to also try and "interpret" lyrics... ;)
Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.
I believe "Great" in "The Great War" was used as a synonym for huge or big. I don't think the term "World War" had been invented yet.
ReplyDeleteI was aware of the double meaning of "great" Debra.
DeleteIt certainly feels like we'll never learn about the many costs of war. My boyfriend and I watched a documentary about WWI (since my grandfather was in the US Army in France) and it blew our socks off. "They Shall Not Grow Old"--highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip Margaret. It's so nice that you have a "boyfriend" and not a "partner".
DeleteI think the "Great" part simply refers to the fact all countries were involved, differing from the "small" wars between just two countries that now are raging in the middle east and between Ukraine and Russia, and possibly a few others we don't know about.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like New Zealand's war upon Australia?
DeleteShame on us as a species for still not having learned how to get along and enjoy this beautiful planet we call home.
ReplyDeleteAs a race we seem determined to obliterate ourselves.
DeleteThe loss of young men in WWI by Australia was horrific, and those who did return weren't treated terribly well.
ReplyDeleteA very nice post, YP.
I am so glad that I never had to go to war.
DeleteIt is depressing. Forget “Lest we forget” should be “May we learn” would be better.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, as always.
We say, "Lest we forget" but warring leaders like Putin and Trump clearly have forgotten.
DeleteAgreed and don’t get me going on Mr Secretary of War getting reprimanded by an Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - good for that guard calling him out
DeleteMay the world find true peace.
ReplyDeleteWar. What a waste since those who wage it never actually fight it, but sends others to do their dirty work.
ReplyDeleteJoan Baez...the unforgettable voice of anti-war and civil rights movements in the '60s. We, the "regular folk" wish for peace. Our leaders just don't seem to understand that.
ReplyDeleteIn my three last school terms (1968-69) I read and reread two books by
ReplyDeleteBarbara Tuchman : AUGUST 1914 and THE PROUD TOWER.
The latter is a portrait of the world between 1890-1914.
The title's from from Edgar Allan Poe :
* While from a Proud Tower in the town/ Death looks gigantically down. *
Ms Tuchman ended her book with the words of a Belgian poet.
* With emotion to the man I used to be. * Emile Verhaeran (1855-1916).
For 50 years I was haunted by Verhaeran's words. Who was he ?
His was the first name I looked up on my first laptop, thanks to the Internet.
Having survived the trenches he died in a railway accident in Rouen.
President Kennedy was reading August 1914 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He said that once a war begins it's impossible to stop it.
I've always loved that song. It really captures the cyclical futility of war. I love Joan, but my favorite version is the Kingston Trio's.
ReplyDeleteNow there's a song, an artist and a theme that I recognise from my early teens when I was beginning to understand enough English to also try and "interpret" lyrics... ;)
ReplyDelete