@andrewkenworthy It wasn't just the British, the Americans and the French did it. One more point, 90% of all death sentences given at a courts marshall were abolished by Field Marshall Haig and downgraded to lesser punishments. Even the USA executed a private in WW2, when everyone else had learnt from history and they still execute now, although only convicts some of which are classed as retarded with mental ages of 10. The USA are the only "first world" country still to do this. All of the
for all the propaganda spat out by the brits about the germans,, they were an incredible army..they gave better conditions for their troops,,concrete bunkers etc..but in ww1 they werent executing their own like the brits did,, shell shock was understood by the germans, assholes were running the british show, assholes with no worth for human life..
Shot by the enemy or shot by your own side. War is insane. It reminds me of that scene in Blackadder where he realizes he can't escape going over the top by pretending to be mad because, "Who else is going to notice another madman around here?"
Hell ya these people didn't deserve to be shot. What about the coward leaders giving orders from the safety of their mansions? Those are the ones who deserve to be shot.
Bastard Officer class of the british army. The "other ranks" are the cream of the working class. Adolf Hitller once said of the British army "tigers led by donkeys." NO change there then!
In the Australian (1903 defence act) the death penalty was abolished.Consequently no Australian soldier was ever executed in either ww1 or ww2.There are several reasons for the abolition of the death penalty for servicemen,most notably that all Australian soldiers were for the duration of the war, volunteers We provided 5 divisions to the western front and several more to the middle east.Since AIF troops appear to be not lacking in courage especially in ww1 it makes executions seem terribly B.S
Bear in mind that a large proportion of those 300 were convicted of offences that were capital offences in civvy life too ie rape and murder. And that although British generalship is ripe for criticism we should remember that although the war is portrayed as a bloodbath the British and Commonwealth forces got off quite lightly during the Great War. The butcher's bill in France and Germany was many times higher.
Get a sense of perspective please. 300 men were "shot at dawn" out of a total of 6.5 million who served in British and Commonwealth forces over a 4 year period when the future of civilisation itself was at stake. Hardly widespread, in fact exceptional and tiny price to pay in comparison to for example the 24,000 Soviet soldiers executed out of hand at Stalingrad a quarter of a century later when the stakes were every bit as high.
Get a sense of perspective please. 300 men were shot at dawn out of a total of 6.5 million who served in British and Commonwealth forces over a 4 year period when the future of civilisation itself was at stake. Hardly widespread, in fact exceptional and tiny price to pay in comparison to for example the 24,000 Soviet soldiers executed at Stalingrad a quarter of a century later when the stakes were every bit as high.
Governments, they order young men to go and die for nothing. >_< It's no accident that a lot of ww1 vets are very anti war, i wish we'd all stop with the wars ;/
Shameful to execute a shellshocked victim of war. That's akin to killing a child as to how at risk and unable to protect themselves they are. But, we shall (all countries) prove ourselves to be selfish, greedy, immoral barbarians. History should be taught in public schools, but it isn't, along with not much else. We'll repeat our wars, we're doomed to.
Going over the "top" was stupid. Running straight into machinegun fire and mortar. The polititions shouldve been shot for stupidity, and a soldier a medal for using common sense by staying in the trench. The polititions outta be on the front lines leading the charge. "THEY" are the true cowards
Biggest cowards are the kings and queens who wanked in their castles while sending these young men to die.
Not to mention the war profiteers. Churchill would have crapped his pants at Verdun or Somme. Adolf Hitler was probaly the only major political leaders in WW2 who saw the actions in the most deadliest places.
How ever I must say de Gaulle leader of the french resistance fought at Verdun so he must be respected for that. He was not a pussy.
Eisenhower and Patton sure as hell did. There were others too. I have not read any soviet officers being in a serious front.
I guess Stalin in some way felt inferior that they were going to sent him to the front but than rejected him because of medical reasons. I don"t know if soviet historians rewrote facts about Stalin during WW1.
Yea dude. It's all about "me". Cuz it's a different time, you aren't expecting it to be another world war, are you? I sound confusing, well, so does your statement
This is a very controversial subject as many forums dedicated to this subject will reveal and much disinformation That post for example, was not used for any executions. The opinions vary . that is all i am writing. It is rather difficult to assess the actions taken at that time in light of present sensibilities.
I'm in the military, and I can't imagine what it must feel like to have to serve on a firing squad. I don't know if I could have done it, at least not in that situation. There were so many injustices done by the Allies in WWI and WWII, but most of the time our governments refuse to acknowledge them. Pvt. Eddie Slovik was shot for merely saying he might desert. Every US president since Eisenhower has been petitioned for a posthumous pardon for Slovik, and each one has refused.
@johnpindar my mistake, i had read his name in an essay and Jack Babcock's name was in it along with Harry Patch. I just accidently mixed up the names. Babcock was Canada's last surviving WW1 veteran
The army had more than enough soldiers in 1914 but they wanted more cause they new this was going 2 happen and why kill soldiers that were scared of war we should all be so why kill people that were decent people with family so I agree political outrage..........R.I.P
To be honest, I think that to send millions of people off to die in a political rage and not think about it, is cowardice. If you concentrated on just one man, finding out about his life, what he has gone through, then you would feel terrible to send them into war. Then try doing it a million times more. That, my friends is the only way you can be sure a politician or leader really wants to go to war. It makes me so upset. :(
War?...what is it good 4.....For God and country, my foot. Its a polititions chess game, while they sit back in saftey and send thousands of men, fathers, brothers and husbands to die for a reason they tell you and get you to believe in so you will fight for their cause...which usually boils down to money and power.
Harry Patch was certainly a man of great insight and wisdom. He had a kind and gentle mind/heart. Oh, if only men in power would listen to his words these days and gain truth from it. RIP Mr. Patch.
What saddens me is the number of views on this video . These are the things we need to teach our children . What pisses me off is a video of a man lighting his ass on fire with a 300,000 views !!!!!! I mean , common people . When are we going to start taking accountability for all the stupid fowl things we have created and harbor as if they are original .
@WannabePFC I totally agree, Shame how generations change; kids these days dont give a damn about these sorts of the things and like you said said theres a loada crap on youtube that gets 500,000 ++++ views, and while this has only 66k :/
Im guessing you were Russia? They had more people but they were not industrialized, so they suffered the most losses. They failed, but you must admire all their bravery.
They may have held their front, but this had nothing to do with their great tactics and firepower. Their officers were incompetent fools and some soldiers were only allowed 3 bullets a day. Their defense had everything to do with the Russian Winter. The unprepared Germans were not ready to handle the weather. Notice how after Russia withdrew in 1917, Germany did not advance? They did not want to venture back into that wintery hell. They held their ground, but 5 million casualties says something
britain only consists of a couple small islands so theres not that many people to be sent to war as there is in the us or the rest of any of the european countries. at that time there probably wasnt even 8.5 million men in britain but as far as percentage goes im sure there was just as many britains fighting as any other country and possibly more.
They shot children. 17 and 19 is still a child. Some were as young as 14. they should all be pardoned and Haig and all the rest of the field marshalls that ordered their executions and murder wholesale should be dug up and burried face down in unmarked graves. That's my feeling when it comes to shooting children for desertion.
@baroose67 first of all they lied about their age, second in a time of war you have to have military discipline because soldiers are made to do things that are horrible and without compulsion would not do them. 90% of all death sentences were not carried out, those that were involved repeated desertions or murders (which would have met the death penalty anyway) and were given chances. #you need to do your research, sorry but your comment is a bit naive and simplistic
@baroose67 It was a different age. Wars are fought by boys. Many of the junior lieutenants in WWI were only 17 year olds. None of the senior officers were keen to sign death warrants with Haigh and French always ready to agree to a lesser punishment. And the usual arrangement was to leave the condemned man alone with a couple of bottles of rum before his execution with the result that they were often shot sitting in chairs because they were too drunk to stand.
@baroose67 I mostly agree with you, but 19 is not a child, at least not by law. A lot of countries have compulsory military duty at 18, and you can still be shot for traitorous behaviour or actions that will put anyone else in serious danger, though it is not often done, luckily. If you can be tried as an adult in countries that still retain the death penalty, then serious war offenses are surely not different. I don't agree with shooting for desertion, but 19 is an adult age. Just my view.
@Norwification I respect your view. And I thank you for respecting mine. My grandfather was in WWI at 14 years of age. I know 18 and definitely 19 is the legal age of adulthood in most countries, but I still feel that any teenager is still a child. Maybe it's because now that I am older and have my own children I feel this way. Also in other studies I have done on this a lot of them were shot for the "moral" of the men, to keep they're courage up. When what these guys had was PTSD.
@baroose67 True, most are not as mature as their "fully adult" selves when in their teens. My point was merely that in the army and the judicial system, the legal age is really all that matters because the line has to objectively be drawn somewhere. Tragic case about your grandfather. (About respecting your view - I always try to when I comment on videos, I frankly think YouTube commenters have a tendency to be quite rude). WWI was not a humane war, if such an oxymoron can be permitted.
@Electchu What does it matter? Executed for "cowardice" No, the 17 years old under aged! I know at that age I would of done the same thing and ran off. Imagine yourself under constant bombardment, been shot at knowing each day could be your last! Men dying all around you, lice, starvation! Losing your twin brother weeks before!
I agree with you to the extent that I believe they should dig up war criminals like Haig, Robertson, Foch and Joffre, but I wouldn't bother re-burying the pricks. I'd scatter what's left on municipal rubbish dumps. They don't deserve any consideration at all.
@baroose67 You are applying 21st century values to a world 100 years ago. 17 and 19 were not children, they weren't treated as such, and didn't live as such. Boys left school at 14. You can't take an emotional, modern view about 100 years ago. In fact, the evidence shows only 10% of all death sentences were carried out, and of those many were for murder, which would have carried the death sentence anyway in England. Some were for cowardice, but you have to make an example in war, sadly.
@baroose67 Sorry, that is just a soundbite. At the time these things took place, it was accepted as military justice by the soldiers. If you bother to read their accounts, many say that they all knew the consequences of cowardice and that the army would have disintergrated without the threat of the ultimate punishment. Please refer me to the high morals you talk of that were represented in 1916?
And where is your evidence that a 14 year old was shot (or plural - you say "some"). Where?
@baroose67 Sorry, that is just a soundbite. At the time these things took place, it was accepted as military justice by the soldiers. If you bother to read their accounts, many say that they all knew the consequences of cowardice and that the army would have disintergrated without the threat of the ultimate punishment. Please refer me to the high morals you talk of that were represented in 1916?
And where is your evidence that a 14 year old was shot (or plural - you say "some"). Where?
Though they may not have sacrificed their physical lives, these men however did sacrifice their minds.
Anyone who calls them cowards and claim they let their buddies down are idiots. In the military YOU DO watch each other's back, but that includes their mental well being. If he begins to suffer "shell-shock", he becomes a casaulty, combat ineffective and (no offense intended) a burden to the rest of the team.
It's a combat injury, one that requires medical treatment... Not bullets.
true, a mentally damaged guy is no more good on a battlefield than a physically damaged guy and in many cases a mentally damaged guy does more harm than good to himsesf and his fellow troops. i guess the mentality of leaders at that time was that they could see a physical injury but not a mental disorder and it only exists if they can see it. a shame really. too bad there wasnt a diagnoses for ptsd back then but the men still didnt deserve to be shot for it.
no Australian soldier has faced the firing squad since the Bore war they tried to pressure the Australian Govt to have it overturned but because Australia was a volunteer army it was never granted
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I don't agree with killing in any sense but one has to come to the realization that an entire continent is at war and the only way to achieve victory is to fight. If soldiers were allowed to walk away then everyone would walk away. It's a harsh reality but they were right for shooting deserters.
You are a silly misguided fool. Some Brits that were shot were suffering from what we would now call PTSD and many of the men shot had already proven themselves in conflict during previous battles in WW1.
You are too flippant of human life and not understanding enough of the horrors of WW1 with stupid comments like that. Much like the 'donkeys' who enforced idiotic decisions, like executions, onto our 'lions'.
true, many and probably most were far from cowards, and your right about ptsd or shellshock. its a diagnoses today(not cowardness) and even if those men were cowards they still didnt deserve to be shot. they were kids and didnt wanna die no more than anyone else but when someone has ptsd the stress translates to fear and is uncontrollable. great point and im glad you pointed it out!
In the Italian Army during World War One they actually used the system of Decimation.
What is Decimation?
It was collective punishment issued by High Command to a unit that mutiny in face of the enemy and it meant that every ten soldiers the tenth got shot by firing squad.
Good for you. Than why are you sickened when one man runs away from his job? His job was to fight and look after his buddies backs now that poor lad in the trenches that day might have stumbled upon a grenade thrown into the trenches and because that man wasn't there to watch his back he got blown apart.
That's their problem. Their buddies relied on them to watch their backs.
Cowardice has never been accepted in the army. Maybe it's easier for military type people to understand this than common folk. So my bad if you don't see my logic.
@TFCtheLegend07 hey mate i was in the army and i think what those idiots of generals did was stupid and to have shot young kids is a war crime did'nt see haig and the rest of the rea echelon mother fuckers going over the to did you, you moron
you havent been in the millitary do you? those soldiers who got shot by the firing squad had shell shock and every man gets shell shock, some might be able to take a bit more then others but if youve got shell shock you had done more then your job and you deserved a tricket back to england
I met a WWI trenches veteran with my brother when he gave a lecture in my school library. He was a nice bloke, I feel honoured to have met him. Sadly I don't remember his name.
At 3:00 is an old soldier "Harry Patch". He was the last surviving soldier who actually fought in the trenches of WW1. He died this year in July. There are still 2 or 3 others known to be alive around the world, but they weren't in combat. Harry was the last living link to those legendary horrors. Millions of men marched to the battlefields in that war and after almost 100 years, the last one has finally fallen.
wow 109 what is his secret for living that long he lived to see it all from ww1 to 9/11 in america wow a living history book and a ww1 vet respect to that man
ranchai, you are an idiot, a bafoon, a complete ill educated fool. 9/11 was a walk in the park compared to going over the top at the somme. Its no suprise to me that an american is posting on here without having a clue about the subject. Get an education on the subject to which you are commenting on!!
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if you join the army be prepared to fight to the death.what did these cowards think was going to happen,have tea and crumpits?cowardice in the face of the enemy is treason and quite frankly,the punishment fit the crime
You ignorant fool, they weren't told what they were fighting for, they were told it would be over by Christmas, if you look at the posters from the time it was made out it would be a holiday. Also many were executed when they actually had shell shock!!!
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it doesnt matter,Im not trying to insult anyone,my point is when you join the amry,you know that if war comes you must fight.not maybe fight,must fight,otherwise why join in the 1st place.Also I dont dispute that they had shell shock,but thats no excuse,if you run from battle,you discrace yourself and your country.On 911 the fire fighters and police who attended the scene knew they may not be coming home that day,yet they still did what they were trained to do.And they were not soldiers.
Very few of the Soldiers who fought in the war did join up, they were conscripted from 1916 onwards. Also shell shock is an excuse, it left the men confused and disorientated, unable to do anything other than stumble back in the general direction of their trench. As for your 9/11 Firefighters, they joined up knowing the dangers of their job, these soldier either joined when they were conned into it or they were forced to go.
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ok,I stand corrected.I wasnt aware as dumb as it sounds that they were forced to join.I will have to study up on this matter further to get my facts straight.Thanks for correcting my ignorance.
Do NOT even bother comparing the two! There is none! America has enough to answer for!? The nation that loves to go to war & smash the little country's of the world! What has the US learnt about WW1? How to fight better? To use atomic weapons? ICBM's etc..? Nothing's been learnt about humanity by the military..Only war! More & more war!! Fury in the extreme..Foul play? Yes, as I see it but that's just my opinion..
90% of the men in both WWI and WWII were summoned by the government to fightregardless owhether they wanted to or not. They were foreced to live for weeks and months in waterlogged trenches and in freezing temperatures. Everyday they saw only feet in front of them, body parts of their comrades and best friends getting blown away. Bullets screaming over their heads and often very sick through bacterial infections due to excrement and rotting flesh of their friends. FYI 9/11 was an inside job.
Nice post wingbatknickers. FYI and for others, 9/11 was designed to be "a catastrophic and catalyzing eventlike a new Pearl Harbor". I find it hard to believe that it was an 'inside job'. My suspicions lie with our so-called 'friend and ally' which is located closer to the theatre of war where many Americans are now dying.
you arrogant bastard, untill you have faced gunfire in anger you never no what is going to happen, these men were scared, they fought for king and country and were murdered as cowards by the military, the king wanted the cowardly soldiers executed, there last meal was probably tea and crumpets.
"I began to creep back towards the line, through the mud and shell holes, and still there was nobody there. Gradually we congregated in ones and twos, and we mustered forty-three. We started off 1,060. We trained for twelve months, and it took twenty minutes to destroy us." - Corporal Don Murray, 8th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry describing the aftermath of July 1st 1916 as quoted in "Forgotten Voices, The Somme" by Joshua Levine to whom the copyright belongs.
Who are we (or for that matter any stupid world leader, general or despot) to disagree with a statement by the Great Harry Patch - a man who's been to the frontline - not behind a desk, or underneath the safe cover of wealth playing chess with other (usually braver) men's lives?
I can remember studying this in my french history class last semester. Too many french men were boycotting to leave the trenches when ordered so Officers were given the order to kill anyone who refused. It did make the french pull their act together but can you imagine how many ran out there in tears and didnt have their head screwed on right because of emotions?
"You had two choices: go over the top, or be shot."
Not a whole lot of difference, was there?
A.J.P. Taylor writes there came a time when practically every army, having sustained 100% casualties, simply ceased to function. Some, like the Italian and French armies, pulled themselves together. Others, like the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies, didn't.
Haig made a mistake. But he spent all his life afterwards trying to heal the wound. Im in no place to forgive or condemn. But you'd have to be damn ingnorant not to see the regret that he bore for the remainder of his life.
regret my arse. He was made an Earl, whatever that is, and given a fortune by the ignorant fools in the Brit post war government. He lived a good life smoking cigars and drinking scotch and probably died of guill and lack of sleep as the ghosts of the millions of dead laughed at him.and reminded him that he was a common murderer.
he tried to ease his conscience by raising funds for old soldiers and dishing out poppies. Little solace for the thousands of widows and parents of the murdered soldiers.
I condemn. No forgiveness for my Grandfather who coughed and wheezed his life away till he died at an age most men today are enjoying.
Most condemned murderers before their execution show regret, It helps salve the guilt.
Dont think just because you mentionned your grandfather (god rest his soul) I wont talk back. Anybody joining any army accepts that they put their lives in the hands on men like Haig. It doesnt excuse incometence though, and guarranteed the British ruling class were still rather ignorant, they were by no means stupid, so Haig must have done something right to get subsequent rewards. And he did. He and his commanders after the somme
The British officer corps in 1914 to 1918 was composed of lisping dandies who were chosen for their "breeding" and social connections. They distanced themselves from the men, as did the arch criminal Haig who had not the faintest clue what was going on on July 1 1916. In fact he was convinced the Germans were beaten up to 8pm that evening as the remanents of his army retreated.
As a small boy I remember my grandfather coughing and trying to breathe. He refused to speak about the war. He died for France and England.and not for his native land in the distant colonies. He got no knighthood or big reward. His army pension as $20 a month.
God rest his soul and the souls of his comrades who paid the price for Haig's stupidity and disregard for human life.
You did actually, ww1 was my thing for years. Mostly aviation, but also Canadian history during that era. I do see your point though, but it wasnt that im a cocky little shit. More that, I never met someone who said something so stupid before (other then venomfangx and other creationist). Where do I start? The comment was mostly for me to vent frustration. With that out of the way, look at Haigs "accomplishments", who were behind it all, I'll give you a start, Paschendale - Author Currie.
And he did. He and his commanders after the somme were responsible for the reforms of the army, which then led us to an advantage over the Germans. He made a greivous error. But he also made a fantasic recovery. In fact US General of the Armies Jon Pershing said that Haig, "ws the man who won the war." Churchill made a more balanced overview of Haig, by likening him to "a surgeon who had to act dispassionately for the long-term good of the patient, no matter how messy were the short-term means"
Churchill together with Lloyd George was one of Haigs greatest critics. Haig did not win the war. The Germnans were a beaten army and the entry of America sealed their doom. Also was another winning factor was that Germany was starving and ready to revolt.
Haig set the stage for WW2. Aother couple of million dead to his credit.
allow me to set your mind straight on this statement
" "a surgeon who had to act dispassionately for the long-term good of the patient"
A surgeon acts for the short and long term good of his patient. He is caring and passionate about doing no harm. I know this. Please do not compare a heartless butcher to a surgeon
why are the lives of young men always wasted and destroyed by vile and corrupt politicians merely to satisfy the whims of rich men, who neither respect nor mourn the loss of a nation's youth
true as it is that many shell shock victims were executed wrongly because shell shock wasn't fully understood if at all to start with, the fact still remains that desertion did happen and at the time national pride and loyalty took pride of place so who can say shooting a deserter was wrong at the time, as it was in effect treason. the true crime was ordering soldiers to march to there death over the top not run but march!? the fact that no1 saw this was a different type of warefare. god bless.
Haig personaly signed the death warrants of sick men without even speaking to the condemned. He was too busy kissing the arses of the alcoholic king george and Joffre the drunk frog.
Haig will go down in infamy as a murderer. The executed will be remembered as martyrs
waffenlandser. haig is also the person responsible for the poppy. i now have an issue with wearing a poppy now, but still donate money to the appeal;)
you dont punish the executed heroes by not donating to their memorials. That outrageous statue of the butcher Haig should be melted to scrap and the metal be turned into a memorial next to the Cenotaph. Haig will go down in infamy in the years to come.
God Bless all who paid the price for Haig's country house and horse stables
Haig made a mistake. But he spent all his life afterwards trying to heal the wound. Im in no place to forgive or condemn. But you'd have to be damn ingnorant not to see the regret that he bore for the remainder of his life.
100% in agreement. Haig was a monster who murdered his own men and the passage of time will not soften this reality.
Haig being responsible for starting the "Poppy Day Appeal" = an attempt to soothe a guilty conscience, in essence placing the youth of England with colorful flowers.
yes indeed. A cold hearted butcher who shot frightened young boys with shell shock and crazed out of their minds by the horror Haig was unaware of, preferring to swill whiskey and arse lick the royal retards in his warm chateaux.
The British were commanded by senile and mad generals the worst was Douglas Haig, a coward and a moronic arse hole who drank whiskey in his luxurious mansion 20 miles from the front.
Firing squads were not randomly picked, they were taken from the condemned mans regiment and one out of the 6 guns had a blank so everyone could argue they were not the person who killed him.
@andrewkenworthy It wasn't just the British, the Americans and the French did it. One more point, 90% of all death sentences given at a courts marshall were abolished by Field Marshall Haig and downgraded to lesser punishments. Even the USA executed a private in WW2, when everyone else had learnt from history and they still execute now, although only convicts some of which are classed as retarded with mental ages of 10. The USA are the only "first world" country still to do this. All of the
marcs990 1 week ago
How sharp their memory is. They almost remember evey detail they have been through during the war.
voiceforveterans 3 weeks ago
for all the propaganda spat out by the brits about the germans,, they were an incredible army..they gave better conditions for their troops,,concrete bunkers etc..but in ww1 they werent executing their own like the brits did,, shell shock was understood by the germans, assholes were running the british show, assholes with no worth for human life..
andrewkenworthy 2 months ago
Respect for life experience and wisdom of old age , Poor guys , the real cowards were the politicians and royals and elites that sent them to a war!
DecencyPOLICE 2 months ago
I believe some were also shot as young as 14... But I think this was very rare
Craigg639 4 months ago
im a twin myself and i couldnt bear to think about how distraught that boy nicholson would have felt after losing his twin brother.
i myself even now wouldnt think that id recover from the loss of my twin in my life time and this poor guy had no time at all
R.I.P the both of them
iRishhuntZboosters 4 months ago
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WAR IS MURDER!
THOU SHALT NOT KILL!
broadleygreen 6 months ago
I agree.
someonegetsteve 7 months ago
no such thing as fair play when you wear a uniform . god bless every man who ever wore a uniform .
dave2806 7 months ago
so very wrong....let the politicians fight the damned wars.
Greenhornet270 7 months ago
Shot by the enemy or shot by your own side. War is insane. It reminds me of that scene in Blackadder where he realizes he can't escape going over the top by pretending to be mad because, "Who else is going to notice another madman around here?"
squamish4244 8 months ago
Hell ya these people didn't deserve to be shot. What about the coward leaders giving orders from the safety of their mansions? Those are the ones who deserve to be shot.
Sevensixseven78 9 months ago 12
Bastard Officer class of the british army. The "other ranks" are the cream of the working class. Adolf Hitller once said of the British army "tigers led by donkeys." NO change there then!
markstevens10456 9 months ago
In the Australian (1903 defence act) the death penalty was abolished.Consequently no Australian soldier was ever executed in either ww1 or ww2.There are several reasons for the abolition of the death penalty for servicemen,most notably that all Australian soldiers were for the duration of the war, volunteers We provided 5 divisions to the western front and several more to the middle east.Since AIF troops appear to be not lacking in courage especially in ww1 it makes executions seem terribly B.S
carnex333 10 months ago
They say that children grow up faster now than ever before. I would say that today adults stay children now longer than ever before.
63gstone 10 months ago
Ignorant human beings killing innocent young people. What a disgrace.
u2bealot 11 months ago
Bear in mind that a large proportion of those 300 were convicted of offences that were capital offences in civvy life too ie rape and murder. And that although British generalship is ripe for criticism we should remember that although the war is portrayed as a bloodbath the British and Commonwealth forces got off quite lightly during the Great War. The butcher's bill in France and Germany was many times higher.
shaunrobertsonable 1 year ago
Get a sense of perspective please. 300 men were "shot at dawn" out of a total of 6.5 million who served in British and Commonwealth forces over a 4 year period when the future of civilisation itself was at stake. Hardly widespread, in fact exceptional and tiny price to pay in comparison to for example the 24,000 Soviet soldiers executed out of hand at Stalingrad a quarter of a century later when the stakes were every bit as high.
shaunrobertsonable 1 year ago
Get a sense of perspective please. 300 men were shot at dawn out of a total of 6.5 million who served in British and Commonwealth forces over a 4 year period when the future of civilisation itself was at stake. Hardly widespread, in fact exceptional and tiny price to pay in comparison to for example the 24,000 Soviet soldiers executed at Stalingrad a quarter of a century later when the stakes were every bit as high.
shaunrobertsonable 1 year ago
if i was them i would make everyone to shoot the officer
DarkBlueMemories96 1 year ago
Governments, they order young men to go and die for nothing. >_< It's no accident that a lot of ww1 vets are very anti war, i wish we'd all stop with the wars ;/
karl198 1 year ago
@chop11111
I think it was just a news broadcast.
johnpindar 1 year ago
Shameful to execute a shellshocked victim of war. That's akin to killing a child as to how at risk and unable to protect themselves they are. But, we shall (all countries) prove ourselves to be selfish, greedy, immoral barbarians. History should be taught in public schools, but it isn't, along with not much else. We'll repeat our wars, we're doomed to.
usecori 1 year ago
Does anyone happen to know how many WW1 veterns are alive in the entire world rite now?
tuskin4 1 year ago
Going over the "top" was stupid. Running straight into machinegun fire and mortar. The polititions shouldve been shot for stupidity, and a soldier a medal for using common sense by staying in the trench. The polititions outta be on the front lines leading the charge. "THEY" are the true cowards
flesch317 1 year ago
Imagine! Today cowardice is what makes Europe. Immigration, impunity of several "human rights" organizations, etc. We all are cowards!
Lachausis 1 year ago
@Lachausis
Biggest cowards are the kings and queens who wanked in their castles while sending these young men to die.
Not to mention the war profiteers. Churchill would have crapped his pants at Verdun or Somme. Adolf Hitler was probaly the only major political leaders in WW2 who saw the actions in the most deadliest places.
How ever I must say de Gaulle leader of the french resistance fought at Verdun so he must be respected for that. He was not a pussy.
ss90ss444 1 year ago
@ss90ss444 I guess. I think even some US WWII generals or officers saw action during WWI.
Lachausis 1 year ago
@Lachausis
Eisenhower and Patton sure as hell did. There were others too. I have not read any soviet officers being in a serious front.
I guess Stalin in some way felt inferior that they were going to sent him to the front but than rejected him because of medical reasons. I don"t know if soviet historians rewrote facts about Stalin during WW1.
ss90ss444 1 year ago
@ss90ss444, Churchill did see combat. Many WWII political & military leaders saw combat in WWI, colonial wars, interventions etc.
christof139 1 year ago
@christof139
The fatty was at Gallipoli I hear. So how did that work out for him. LOL
ss90ss444 1 year ago
Thats nothing. He should ask what happend to those people in Imperial Russia who refused to serve in the army.
ss90ss444 1 year ago
Yea dude. It's all about "me". Cuz it's a different time, you aren't expecting it to be another world war, are you? I sound confusing, well, so does your statement
dancruz93 1 year ago
This is a very controversial subject as many forums dedicated to this subject will reveal and much disinformation That post for example, was not used for any executions. The opinions vary . that is all i am writing. It is rather difficult to assess the actions taken at that time in light of present sensibilities.
bagueley 1 year ago
THAT DUDES 109!!!!!
crutchedproductions 1 year ago
@crutchedproductions he died at 113
jordler 1 year ago
All wars are childrens crusades........Vonnegutt
MrBexdem 1 year ago
Sad That Young Boys Were Shot...By Their Own Side...Still They Are Heroes None The Less...Both Sides Had This Happen...
I Agree They Should Be Pardoned After Learning Of ShellShock Today They Would Be Known As Having PTSD or S.Shock...So Sad For The Young Men
BLUTundGermany 1 year ago
Sad That Young Boys Were Shot...By Their Own Side...Still They Are Heroes None The Less...Both Sides Had This Happen...
BLUTundGermany 1 year ago
I'm in the military, and I can't imagine what it must feel like to have to serve on a firing squad. I don't know if I could have done it, at least not in that situation. There were so many injustices done by the Allies in WWI and WWII, but most of the time our governments refuse to acknowledge them. Pvt. Eddie Slovik was shot for merely saying he might desert. Every US president since Eisenhower has been petitioned for a posthumous pardon for Slovik, and each one has refused.
pqwilrj 1 year ago
R.I.P. Henry Allingham, Harry Patch and Charles Wheeler.
GusF 1 year ago
Harry Patch was born in Combe Down near Bath , Somerset very much in England :)
rukkus99 1 year ago
i believe Harry Patch was the last living Canadian veteran to have actually seen combat
wrzoller47 1 year ago
@wrzoller47 Canadian???? I believe he was from the South West of England!
johnpindar 1 year ago 22
@johnpindar my mistake, i had read his name in an essay and Jack Babcock's name was in it along with Harry Patch. I just accidently mixed up the names. Babcock was Canada's last surviving WW1 veteran
wrzoller47 1 year ago
@wrzoller47 John Babcock passed away last February..
xzyza2000 1 year ago
@xzyza2000 key word in what i wrote "was"
wrzoller47 1 year ago
@johnpindar Correct! He was an Englishman.
peterkar 1 year ago
@wrzoller47 he wasnt canadian he served in the duke of cornwalls light infantry
Command0666 1 year ago
@Command0666 i acknowledged that mistake in a previous comment.
wrzoller47 1 year ago
@wrzoller47 i dint know canadians where fighting in ww1??
klote2314 1 year ago
@klote2314 then read a history book, cause the Germans were afraid of us
wrzoller47 1 year ago
@wrzoller47 There was a Canadian, but it wasn't Harry.
TheMeanSgtPlaysPiano 1 year ago
For the exicutions , im guessing tehy wouldent put a blank in one of the guns like hey use to ?
acdc133 1 year ago
The army had more than enough soldiers in 1914 but they wanted more cause they new this was going 2 happen and why kill soldiers that were scared of war we should all be so why kill people that were decent people with family so I agree political outrage..........R.I.P
ypes123 1 year ago
To be honest, I think that to send millions of people off to die in a political rage and not think about it, is cowardice. If you concentrated on just one man, finding out about his life, what he has gone through, then you would feel terrible to send them into war. Then try doing it a million times more. That, my friends is the only way you can be sure a politician or leader really wants to go to war. It makes me so upset. :(
GamerGuyM 1 year ago
War?...what is it good 4.....For God and country, my foot. Its a polititions chess game, while they sit back in saftey and send thousands of men, fathers, brothers and husbands to die for a reason they tell you and get you to believe in so you will fight for their cause...which usually boils down to money and power.
flesch317 1 year ago
OMG I never knew about this. British is even cowarder than other omg those innocent lives......
ForTheFS 1 year ago
Every single person who fought in world war 1 is now dead. Rest In Peace and THANKYOU for fighting for our freedom.
JAMamation 1 year ago
Harry Patch was certainly a man of great insight and wisdom. He had a kind and gentle mind/heart. Oh, if only men in power would listen to his words these days and gain truth from it. RIP Mr. Patch.
Welshbluesman 1 year ago
Empires colliding. Ordinary people die. Corrupt capitalists make money. Shameful.
MrRedFredSaid 1 year ago
What saddens me is the number of views on this video . These are the things we need to teach our children . What pisses me off is a video of a man lighting his ass on fire with a 300,000 views !!!!!! I mean , common people . When are we going to start taking accountability for all the stupid fowl things we have created and harbor as if they are original .
WannabePFC 1 year ago 50
@WannabePFC I totally agree, Shame how generations change; kids these days dont give a damn about these sorts of the things and like you said said theres a loada crap on youtube that gets 500,000 ++++ views, and while this has only 66k :/
TheMonsterLegends 1 year ago
@WannabePFC Shows you where people's priorities are today, right?
pqwilrj 1 year ago
Different times ,different attitudes ,wrong to compare the thinking of the day with the way we think today .
We to will be judged by future generations as bieng wrong.
ruzphi 2 years ago
How many british soldiers were fighting in world war 1?
My country sent 8.5 million to war.
Martin1983CSS 2 years ago
Im guessing you were Russia? They had more people but they were not industrialized, so they suffered the most losses. They failed, but you must admire all their bravery.
DukeofWiltshire 2 years ago
@DukeofWiltshire they failed? if i wasnt for russia the central powes would have ruled the allies on all (other) fronts! (note im not russian)
mitsokostas 2 years ago
They may have held their front, but this had nothing to do with their great tactics and firepower. Their officers were incompetent fools and some soldiers were only allowed 3 bullets a day. Their defense had everything to do with the Russian Winter. The unprepared Germans were not ready to handle the weather. Notice how after Russia withdrew in 1917, Germany did not advance? They did not want to venture back into that wintery hell. They held their ground, but 5 million casualties says something
DukeofWiltshire 2 years ago
@DukeofWiltshire but u cant deny the strategic prowess of the brusilov offensive. it was the beggining of the end fo the K.u.k. army.
mitsokostas 2 years ago
@mitsokostas
Russia dropped out of the war early because of the communist revolution. They couldn't have played a big role in defeating the central powers.
StephenNguyen 1 year ago
britain only consists of a couple small islands so theres not that many people to be sent to war as there is in the us or the rest of any of the european countries. at that time there probably wasnt even 8.5 million men in britain but as far as percentage goes im sure there was just as many britains fighting as any other country and possibly more.
dirtyjew1974 2 years ago
A disgrace
Sidslotm 2 years ago
They shot children. 17 and 19 is still a child. Some were as young as 14. they should all be pardoned and Haig and all the rest of the field marshalls that ordered their executions and murder wholesale should be dug up and burried face down in unmarked graves. That's my feeling when it comes to shooting children for desertion.
baroose67 2 years ago 35
@baroose67 first of all they lied about their age, second in a time of war you have to have military discipline because soldiers are made to do things that are horrible and without compulsion would not do them. 90% of all death sentences were not carried out, those that were involved repeated desertions or murders (which would have met the death penalty anyway) and were given chances. #you need to do your research, sorry but your comment is a bit naive and simplistic
THthefirst 1 year ago
@baroose67 It was a different age. Wars are fought by boys. Many of the junior lieutenants in WWI were only 17 year olds. None of the senior officers were keen to sign death warrants with Haigh and French always ready to agree to a lesser punishment. And the usual arrangement was to leave the condemned man alone with a couple of bottles of rum before his execution with the result that they were often shot sitting in chairs because they were too drunk to stand.
oarfrost 1 year ago
@baroose67 I mostly agree with you, but 19 is not a child, at least not by law. A lot of countries have compulsory military duty at 18, and you can still be shot for traitorous behaviour or actions that will put anyone else in serious danger, though it is not often done, luckily. If you can be tried as an adult in countries that still retain the death penalty, then serious war offenses are surely not different. I don't agree with shooting for desertion, but 19 is an adult age. Just my view.
Norwification 10 months ago
@Norwification I respect your view. And I thank you for respecting mine. My grandfather was in WWI at 14 years of age. I know 18 and definitely 19 is the legal age of adulthood in most countries, but I still feel that any teenager is still a child. Maybe it's because now that I am older and have my own children I feel this way. Also in other studies I have done on this a lot of them were shot for the "moral" of the men, to keep they're courage up. When what these guys had was PTSD.
baroose67 10 months ago
@baroose67 True, most are not as mature as their "fully adult" selves when in their teens. My point was merely that in the army and the judicial system, the legal age is really all that matters because the line has to objectively be drawn somewhere. Tragic case about your grandfather. (About respecting your view - I always try to when I comment on videos, I frankly think YouTube commenters have a tendency to be quite rude). WWI was not a humane war, if such an oxymoron can be permitted.
Norwification 10 months ago
@baroose67 Why would we dig up the decayed remains of someone and rebury them in a different position? That seems like a pointless ritual.
CambridgeHeights 10 months ago
@baroose67
hello
nineTEEN
sevenTEEN
fourTEEN they not child, the TEENagers
notice i marked the word TEEN in caps -,-
Electchu 7 months ago
@Electchu What does it matter? Executed for "cowardice" No, the 17 years old under aged! I know at that age I would of done the same thing and ran off. Imagine yourself under constant bombardment, been shot at knowing each day could be your last! Men dying all around you, lice, starvation! Losing your twin brother weeks before!
MeinDeutsch1 5 months ago
@MeinDeutsch1
i know under-aged people joined the army, u called teenages children, they were officially teens. deal with it
Electchu 5 months ago
@baroose67
I agree with you to the extent that I believe they should dig up war criminals like Haig, Robertson, Foch and Joffre, but I wouldn't bother re-burying the pricks. I'd scatter what's left on municipal rubbish dumps. They don't deserve any consideration at all.
Boutiquez 4 months ago
@baroose67 You are applying 21st century values to a world 100 years ago. 17 and 19 were not children, they weren't treated as such, and didn't live as such. Boys left school at 14. You can't take an emotional, modern view about 100 years ago. In fact, the evidence shows only 10% of all death sentences were carried out, and of those many were for murder, which would have carried the death sentence anyway in England. Some were for cowardice, but you have to make an example in war, sadly.
THthefirst 4 months ago
@THthefirst No, I am applying human virtues and high morals which have been around for generations.
baroose67 4 months ago
@baroose67 Sorry, that is just a soundbite. At the time these things took place, it was accepted as military justice by the soldiers. If you bother to read their accounts, many say that they all knew the consequences of cowardice and that the army would have disintergrated without the threat of the ultimate punishment. Please refer me to the high morals you talk of that were represented in 1916?
And where is your evidence that a 14 year old was shot (or plural - you say "some"). Where?
THthefirst 4 months ago
@baroose67 Sorry, that is just a soundbite. At the time these things took place, it was accepted as military justice by the soldiers. If you bother to read their accounts, many say that they all knew the consequences of cowardice and that the army would have disintergrated without the threat of the ultimate punishment. Please refer me to the high morals you talk of that were represented in 1916?
And where is your evidence that a 14 year old was shot (or plural - you say "some"). Where?
THthefirst 4 months ago
@baroose67 In the UK you are an adult at 16. Noone should be executed tho even if they are cowards which these men wern't!
clintdelicious 3 months ago
Though they may not have sacrificed their physical lives, these men however did sacrifice their minds.
Anyone who calls them cowards and claim they let their buddies down are idiots. In the military YOU DO watch each other's back, but that includes their mental well being. If he begins to suffer "shell-shock", he becomes a casaulty, combat ineffective and (no offense intended) a burden to the rest of the team.
It's a combat injury, one that requires medical treatment... Not bullets.
CaScA 2 years ago 3
true, a mentally damaged guy is no more good on a battlefield than a physically damaged guy and in many cases a mentally damaged guy does more harm than good to himsesf and his fellow troops. i guess the mentality of leaders at that time was that they could see a physical injury but not a mental disorder and it only exists if they can see it. a shame really. too bad there wasnt a diagnoses for ptsd back then but the men still didnt deserve to be shot for it.
dirtyjew1974 2 years ago
no Australian soldier has faced the firing squad since the Bore war they tried to pressure the Australian Govt to have it overturned but because Australia was a volunteer army it was never granted
jonwvin 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I don't agree with killing in any sense but one has to come to the realization that an entire continent is at war and the only way to achieve victory is to fight. If soldiers were allowed to walk away then everyone would walk away. It's a harsh reality but they were right for shooting deserters.
emericaman20 2 years ago
emericaman20: "If soldiers were allowed to walk away then everyone would walk away."
Sounds like "problem solved" to me.
I reckon if a bunch of corrupt old bast@rds want to have a war, they should very well do it themselves and leave the rest of us out of it.
chumpychumpychump 2 years ago
You are a silly misguided fool. Some Brits that were shot were suffering from what we would now call PTSD and many of the men shot had already proven themselves in conflict during previous battles in WW1.
You are too flippant of human life and not understanding enough of the horrors of WW1 with stupid comments like that. Much like the 'donkeys' who enforced idiotic decisions, like executions, onto our 'lions'.
frankophille 2 years ago
true, many and probably most were far from cowards, and your right about ptsd or shellshock. its a diagnoses today(not cowardness) and even if those men were cowards they still didnt deserve to be shot. they were kids and didnt wanna die no more than anyone else but when someone has ptsd the stress translates to fear and is uncontrollable. great point and im glad you pointed it out!
dirtyjew1974 2 years ago
@dirtyjew1974, you are just plain stupid
ottawasens19 1 year ago
then why dont you get shot instead to prove your stupid point. hell....i guess youd be brave for it huh?! lol a brave dead guy isnt much use either.
dirtyjew1974 1 year ago
At least they were granted a trial.
In the Italian Army during World War One they actually used the system of Decimation.
What is Decimation?
It was collective punishment issued by High Command to a unit that mutiny in face of the enemy and it meant that every ten soldiers the tenth got shot by firing squad.
TopoRoger1 2 years ago
so they shot people who chose life and peace? I'm sickened to the core of my very being.
92451721921892113 2 years ago
You don't know much about the military do you?
TFCtheLegend07 2 years ago 3
the core of ANY military is killing.
the military doesnt protect me
I protect me
My protection and self defense starts with me
I dont need another man dying for me
I dont need another man living for me
92451721921892113 2 years ago
Good for you. Than why are you sickened when one man runs away from his job? His job was to fight and look after his buddies backs now that poor lad in the trenches that day might have stumbled upon a grenade thrown into the trenches and because that man wasn't there to watch his back he got blown apart.
TFCtheLegend07 2 years ago
so executing them is better than letting them abandon the battle field?
some of these young men were forced in to this they didn't volunteer
they get shot for doing something they didn't want to do or be apart of
its a waste of ammo to shoot your allies like that
that bullet could have been better off being used to kill the enemy
what kind of dumb ass argument are you trying to make TFC
you fucking tool you are fucking idiot
92451721921892113 2 years ago 6
That's their problem. Their buddies relied on them to watch their backs.
Cowardice has never been accepted in the army. Maybe it's easier for military type people to understand this than common folk. So my bad if you don't see my logic.
TFCtheLegend07 2 years ago
dont get childeren
DutchPetriot 2 years ago
@TFCtheLegend07 hey mate i was in the army and i think what those idiots of generals did was stupid and to have shot young kids is a war crime did'nt see haig and the rest of the rea echelon mother fuckers going over the to did you, you moron
arwel63 2 years ago
you havent been in the millitary do you? those soldiers who got shot by the firing squad had shell shock and every man gets shell shock, some might be able to take a bit more then others but if youve got shell shock you had done more then your job and you deserved a tricket back to england
DutchPetriot 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
kill yourself :)
ele90 2 years ago
How do you remember your username?
Sasabonsam 2 years ago
I met a WWI trenches veteran with my brother when he gave a lecture in my school library. He was a nice bloke, I feel honoured to have met him. Sadly I don't remember his name.
390904902 2 years ago 2
At 3:00 is an old soldier "Harry Patch". He was the last surviving soldier who actually fought in the trenches of WW1. He died this year in July. There are still 2 or 3 others known to be alive around the world, but they weren't in combat. Harry was the last living link to those legendary horrors. Millions of men marched to the battlefields in that war and after almost 100 years, the last one has finally fallen.
Lest We Forget.
Kauwhaka 2 years ago 6
Actually, Harry Patch is also seen at the beginning of the clip. Do a search on his name.
Kauwhaka 2 years ago
wow 109 what is his secret for living that long he lived to see it all from ww1 to 9/11 in america wow a living history book and a ww1 vet respect to that man
phoenixfade 2 years ago
ranchai, you are an idiot, a bafoon, a complete ill educated fool. 9/11 was a walk in the park compared to going over the top at the somme. Its no suprise to me that an american is posting on here without having a clue about the subject. Get an education on the subject to which you are commenting on!!
georgiebasford 2 years ago 6
Please don't compare two horrible events. 9/11 was no walk in the park. Neither was going over the top.
Shaster20 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
911 inside job
Garbonzo07 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
if you join the army be prepared to fight to the death.what did these cowards think was going to happen,have tea and crumpits?cowardice in the face of the enemy is treason and quite frankly,the punishment fit the crime
ranchai100 2 years ago
You ignorant fool, they weren't told what they were fighting for, they were told it would be over by Christmas, if you look at the posters from the time it was made out it would be a holiday. Also many were executed when they actually had shell shock!!!
JustMyTwoPence 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
it doesnt matter,Im not trying to insult anyone,my point is when you join the amry,you know that if war comes you must fight.not maybe fight,must fight,otherwise why join in the 1st place.Also I dont dispute that they had shell shock,but thats no excuse,if you run from battle,you discrace yourself and your country.On 911 the fire fighters and police who attended the scene knew they may not be coming home that day,yet they still did what they were trained to do.And they were not soldiers.
ranchai100 2 years ago
Very few of the Soldiers who fought in the war did join up, they were conscripted from 1916 onwards. Also shell shock is an excuse, it left the men confused and disorientated, unable to do anything other than stumble back in the general direction of their trench. As for your 9/11 Firefighters, they joined up knowing the dangers of their job, these soldier either joined when they were conned into it or they were forced to go.
JustMyTwoPence 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
ok,I stand corrected.I wasnt aware as dumb as it sounds that they were forced to join.I will have to study up on this matter further to get my facts straight.Thanks for correcting my ignorance.
ranchai100 2 years ago
Quite alright. It's a facinating and broad subject which shaped the world as we know it today.
JustMyTwoPence 2 years ago
Do NOT even bother comparing the two! There is none! America has enough to answer for!? The nation that loves to go to war & smash the little country's of the world! What has the US learnt about WW1? How to fight better? To use atomic weapons? ICBM's etc..? Nothing's been learnt about humanity by the military..Only war! More & more war!! Fury in the extreme..Foul play? Yes, as I see it but that's just my opinion..
Waitingforriki 2 years ago
90% of the men in both WWI and WWII were summoned by the government to fightregardless owhether they wanted to or not. They were foreced to live for weeks and months in waterlogged trenches and in freezing temperatures. Everyday they saw only feet in front of them, body parts of their comrades and best friends getting blown away. Bullets screaming over their heads and often very sick through bacterial infections due to excrement and rotting flesh of their friends. FYI 9/11 was an inside job.
wingbatknickers 2 years ago
Nice post wingbatknickers. FYI and for others, 9/11 was designed to be "a catastrophic and catalyzing eventlike a new Pearl Harbor". I find it hard to believe that it was an 'inside job'. My suspicions lie with our so-called 'friend and ally' which is located closer to the theatre of war where many Americans are now dying.
wozza2341 2 years ago
no, 9/11 wasnt an inside job, need proof, PM me.
S4LAm4ndr 2 years ago
Comment removed
austastica 2 years ago
you arrogant bastard, untill you have faced gunfire in anger you never no what is going to happen, these men were scared, they fought for king and country and were murdered as cowards by the military, the king wanted the cowardly soldiers executed, there last meal was probably tea and crumpets.
booneboon 2 years ago
Comment removed
Waitingforriki 2 years ago
they were just children
gourmetcoffeee 2 years ago
"I began to creep back towards the line, through the mud and shell holes, and still there was nobody there. Gradually we congregated in ones and twos, and we mustered forty-three. We started off 1,060. We trained for twelve months, and it took twenty minutes to destroy us." - Corporal Don Murray, 8th Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry describing the aftermath of July 1st 1916 as quoted in "Forgotten Voices, The Somme" by Joshua Levine to whom the copyright belongs.
gordon2d 2 years ago
"...they weren't cowards."
Who are we (or for that matter any stupid world leader, general or despot) to disagree with a statement by the Great Harry Patch - a man who's been to the frontline - not behind a desk, or underneath the safe cover of wealth playing chess with other (usually braver) men's lives?
Drosoaldo 2 years ago
As Harry says - they should be pardoned. Rest in Peace Harry - you are an inspiration to us all!
Gilvray75 2 years ago 2
....Just like Private peaceful
dyfman31 2 years ago
why didnt they just let them go??
JnOProductions 2 years ago
I can remember studying this in my french history class last semester. Too many french men were boycotting to leave the trenches when ordered so Officers were given the order to kill anyone who refused. It did make the french pull their act together but can you imagine how many ran out there in tears and didnt have their head screwed on right because of emotions?
cloud75x 2 years ago
"You had two choices: go over the top, or be shot."
Not a whole lot of difference, was there?
A.J.P. Taylor writes there came a time when practically every army, having sustained 100% casualties, simply ceased to function. Some, like the Italian and French armies, pulled themselves together. Others, like the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies, didn't.
moogamax 2 years ago
Haig made a mistake. But he spent all his life afterwards trying to heal the wound. Im in no place to forgive or condemn. But you'd have to be damn ingnorant not to see the regret that he bore for the remainder of his life.
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
regret my arse. He was made an Earl, whatever that is, and given a fortune by the ignorant fools in the Brit post war government. He lived a good life smoking cigars and drinking scotch and probably died of guill and lack of sleep as the ghosts of the millions of dead laughed at him.and reminded him that he was a common murderer.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
he tried to ease his conscience by raising funds for old soldiers and dishing out poppies. Little solace for the thousands of widows and parents of the murdered soldiers.
I condemn. No forgiveness for my Grandfather who coughed and wheezed his life away till he died at an age most men today are enjoying.
Most condemned murderers before their execution show regret, It helps salve the guilt.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
Dont think just because you mentionned your grandfather (god rest his soul) I wont talk back. Anybody joining any army accepts that they put their lives in the hands on men like Haig. It doesnt excuse incometence though, and guarranteed the British ruling class were still rather ignorant, they were by no means stupid, so Haig must have done something right to get subsequent rewards. And he did. He and his commanders after the somme
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
The British officer corps in 1914 to 1918 was composed of lisping dandies who were chosen for their "breeding" and social connections. They distanced themselves from the men, as did the arch criminal Haig who had not the faintest clue what was going on on July 1 1916. In fact he was convinced the Germans were beaten up to 8pm that evening as the remanents of his army retreated.
waffenlandser 2 years ago 2
As a small boy I remember my grandfather coughing and trying to breathe. He refused to speak about the war. He died for France and England.and not for his native land in the distant colonies. He got no knighthood or big reward. His army pension as $20 a month.
God rest his soul and the souls of his comrades who paid the price for Haig's stupidity and disregard for human life.
waffenlandser 2 years ago 2
"Haig must have done something right to get subsequent rewards."
How naive can you get?
ryko26 2 years ago
Anyone can get naive but that statement i can prove.
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
Haig wasnt a good General, but good enough to get the job done just about.
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
god your dumb
starbucks3954 2 years ago
If you think so then say something good back. Nobody ever got anywhere other than in pain going around calling people dumb.
But thats the beauty of youtube. Every little cocky shite can go around saying whatever he wants.
But perhaps i judge you to soon...
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
You did actually, ww1 was my thing for years. Mostly aviation, but also Canadian history during that era. I do see your point though, but it wasnt that im a cocky little shit. More that, I never met someone who said something so stupid before (other then venomfangx and other creationist). Where do I start? The comment was mostly for me to vent frustration. With that out of the way, look at Haigs "accomplishments", who were behind it all, I'll give you a start, Paschendale - Author Currie.
starbucks3954 2 years ago
And he did. He and his commanders after the somme were responsible for the reforms of the army, which then led us to an advantage over the Germans. He made a greivous error. But he also made a fantasic recovery. In fact US General of the Armies Jon Pershing said that Haig, "ws the man who won the war." Churchill made a more balanced overview of Haig, by likening him to "a surgeon who had to act dispassionately for the long-term good of the patient, no matter how messy were the short-term means"
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
Churchill together with Lloyd George was one of Haigs greatest critics. Haig did not win the war. The Germnans were a beaten army and the entry of America sealed their doom. Also was another winning factor was that Germany was starving and ready to revolt.
Haig set the stage for WW2. Aother couple of million dead to his credit.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
allow me to set your mind straight on this statement
" "a surgeon who had to act dispassionately for the long-term good of the patient"
A surgeon acts for the short and long term good of his patient. He is caring and passionate about doing no harm. I know this. Please do not compare a heartless butcher to a surgeon
waffenlandser 2 years ago
how would you like it if a surgeon "made a mistake" and his mistake cost you a loved one? I am sure your response would be similar to mine.
Now multiply your loss by 500,000 and see if you dont get my point.
If I, as a doctor killed a member of your family because of ignorance and poor judgemental skills,. you would call me a butcher too.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
Now you're just letting personal greivance cloud your judgement. The fact is that the war would never have been won by either side without Haig.
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
why are the lives of young men always wasted and destroyed by vile and corrupt politicians merely to satisfy the whims of rich men, who neither respect nor mourn the loss of a nation's youth
JarimDihsar 2 years ago 12
Very well said.
kingsteve55 2 years ago 5
R.I.P. lads, you will not be forgotten
UndeadGoober 2 years ago 3
true as it is that many shell shock victims were executed wrongly because shell shock wasn't fully understood if at all to start with, the fact still remains that desertion did happen and at the time national pride and loyalty took pride of place so who can say shooting a deserter was wrong at the time, as it was in effect treason. the true crime was ordering soldiers to march to there death over the top not run but march!? the fact that no1 saw this was a different type of warefare. god bless.
sumblindguy 2 years ago
why does the older one look more heather than the one 3years younger
GameCenter2009 2 years ago
when you have lived over 100 years i dont think a few years means much
patlyon 2 years ago
Haig killed 20,000 soldiers on the first day of the Somme. He will be remembered as the greatest criminal in British military history.
The execution of sick soldiers is a black mark against Britain. There is no pardon as they did nothing wrong.
Fucking disgrace. We will remember the men shot at dawn. Heroes killed by cowards and drunks like Haig.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
Haig personaly signed the death warrants of sick men without even speaking to the condemned. He was too busy kissing the arses of the alcoholic king george and Joffre the drunk frog.
Haig will go down in infamy as a murderer. The executed will be remembered as martyrs
waffenlandser 2 years ago 2
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wilddogsamca 2 years ago
waffenlandser. haig is also the person responsible for the poppy. i now have an issue with wearing a poppy now, but still donate money to the appeal;)
RoryGarbutt 2 years ago
you dont punish the executed heroes by not donating to their memorials. That outrageous statue of the butcher Haig should be melted to scrap and the metal be turned into a memorial next to the Cenotaph. Haig will go down in infamy in the years to come.
God Bless all who paid the price for Haig's country house and horse stables
waffenlandser 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Haig made a mistake. But he spent all his life afterwards trying to heal the wound. Im in no place to forgive or condemn. But you'd have to be damn ingnorant not to see the regret that he bore for the remainder of his life.
Hamdaman101 2 years ago
100% in agreement. Haig was a monster who murdered his own men and the passage of time will not soften this reality.
Haig being responsible for starting the "Poppy Day Appeal" = an attempt to soothe a guilty conscience, in essence placing the youth of England with colorful flowers.
wilddogsamca 2 years ago
yes indeed. A cold hearted butcher who shot frightened young boys with shell shock and crazed out of their minds by the horror Haig was unaware of, preferring to swill whiskey and arse lick the royal retards in his warm chateaux.
we will remember them.
rest easy young heroes.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
if you were 16 do you think a few years might not mean much...
ROWD711ie 2 years ago
The British were commanded by senile and mad generals the worst was Douglas Haig, a coward and a moronic arse hole who drank whiskey in his luxurious mansion 20 miles from the front.
waffenlandser 2 years ago
god i would hate to have shellshock!
Remebering my best friends dying
TheOldSchoolPlaya08 2 years ago 3
Firing squads were not randomly picked, they were taken from the condemned mans regiment and one out of the 6 guns had a blank so everyone could argue they were not the person who killed him.
Gr8Guy1 2 years ago