Today, as you may know, marks the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in WWI. Perhaps more than any other battle, it typifies that first world war approach of "throw more men at the guns"-- on the first day, the British forces (including Canadians, Indians, Irish, Scots, and Newfoundlanders, who weren't then part of Canada) suffered 60,000 casualties, with the Germans suffering about the same. By the end of the battle, in October, 1916, somewhere in the neighborhood of a million men had been killed, with no real territorial gains by either side.
On the first day of the battle, the Newfoundland Highland Regiment started out with 810 men. By the end of the day, only 78 were able to answer roll call, with all the rest killed or wounded.
The war to end all wars, they called it.
(picture from www.whatalovelywar.co.uk
also see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5136064.stm
1 comment:
I did not know.
Crazy.
I am reporting for duty.
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