# 1st world war



## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

Today is the 100th anarversery of the 1st world war.

As a gesture for those troops that fought in it most public places including parliment will turn the lights out for a few moments tonight at 11pm.

There are many memorial services going on all over the countryt.

We went to see a play based on a family of 8 brothers who went to war in which only 5 returned it was very well done it should there life and the effects on there family

think some 1.4 million lost there lives in it

Have been following a programe also on what effects zepplins had on the area when it bombed ports and citys in on the east coast .They would probably be seen as a joke today but they terrorised the population destroying quite a large area in parts. You would think with the aircarft even then they would shot them down but the bullets they shot at them just went straight through it and it was only at the end of the war they found out how to ignite the gas inside by useing something like a flare bullet to explode them.


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## MJC4 (Mar 6, 2014)

The History channel had a special on the WW1 a couple weeks ago, showing the 1st use of tanks, the Zeppelin blitz of England and the use of chemical war fare. The first gas attacks were truly awful stuff as nobody had any gear, thousands died.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

They say it was the birth of moderen warfare , pretty bad stuff.

what a miserable existance they had mud up to the waist thousands dying for a few yards ,coumtless men died on the barbed wire suffering for hours .

something like 1.5 million hoarses slaughted

Didnt teach mankind much even today men are still going throught it from vietnam to ukranie nothing much changedperhaps freedom

I dont know how many amercans where killed but a significant amout


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

If I remember the history right it was some thing like 300,000 military killed and wounded in WW1. The battles were brutal. In many thousands dying in one day of battle. My Grandfather was a pilot In France in WW1. He would not talk much about it.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

Most pilots didnt last long as the didnt use parachutes. but like most things dont think the troops get the credit they deserve


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## gdenby (Apr 27, 2013)

I don't suppose the impact of WW1 on Europeans can be imagined by most Americans. 60000 casualties in a single day for the British at the Battle of the Somme. For those that have read J.R. Tolkien's works, the horrors of the Dead Marshes is a good depiction of his lifelong memory of the battle. A million or more from all sides by the end. Gallipoli, and another half million. Million of Russians lost. Etc.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

i dont suppose most american civillans would relise the devastaion of war , but after vietnam it would give them a insight to it .Its only when they saw so many american troops being bought home in body bags did it dawn on them.Mainly due to the propagander shed out by those in power. It was like no other war anywhere .

I dont think the troops that went and returned where given due credit for what they sacrificed


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

I am a Vietnam vet ,USMC, 18 months in country. We lost many but it was not nere the looses of ww1 or ww11. And they were much shorter conflicks than Vietnam. Combat is combat. When the meat meets the steel it does not make any differant how big the battle your fight is where your standing. The shame of Vietnam for our country is the way returning vets were treated when they came home. The public treats the new vets better thank god! But our goverment still threats vets as a pain in its back side. Sorry a issue at my house!


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

I am aware of the issue over vietnam i dont understad it but i think that lies with the goverment at the time but its pretty bad how they vets where treated then much to the shame of politicians and not of the troops .Being thrown into a conflict is never easy and troops take there lead from goverment


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

cobalt said:


> I am aware of the issue over vietnam i dont understad it but i think that lies with the goverment at the time but its pretty bad how they vets where treated then much to the shame of politicians and not of the troops .Being thrown into a conflict is never easy and troops take there lead from goverment


Sadly the way the troops were treated on our return was as much the public as the government. But this conversation could go on for a long time and nothing would change. So I will get back to WWI. History Channel over here will have special again this coming 
Monday.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

enjoy the history lesson . i also watch these types of programmes where possable on the bbc channels so none of those dam adverts


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