In Memory of Harry Patch

This video is a tribute to Harry Patch, the last British veteran of the First World War, and the last man to have seen action in the trenches at Passchendaele (also called the Third Battle of Ypres). Harry died this summer and will be buried on the 6 of August 2009.

The song is called Harry Patch (in memory of) by Radiohead. Radiohead's frontman, Thom Yorke, was inspired to write the song after hearing a radio interview by Harry in 2005. the lyrics (based on Harry's own words) are:

"I am the only one that got through
The others died where ever they fell
It was an ambush
They came up from all sides
Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
I've seen devils coming up from the ground
I've seen hell upon this earth
The next will be chemical but they will never learn."

The song can be downloaded from the Radiohead website at:

http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/did.html

All proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion.

Harry's autobiography (assisted by Richard Van Emden) called 'The Last Fighting Tommy' is published by Bloomsbury Books (2007). It's worth reading.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Harry
• Patch
• Great
• War
• First
• World
• 1914
• 1918
• British
• Tommy
• Passchendaele
• Third
• Ypres
• Trenches
• gas
• attack
• tanks
• veteran

[Youkinyin]

Dear mr. Patch

Rest In Peace.

I'm sorry to say that your experience has been voor naught. We're still making the same mistakes.

We (the young) still die for the money and the power that old men yearn.

Fuck it.

I accept your gift of peace.

I respect the cost it took.

[CairngormMcWomble]

RIP Harry ,Back with your Mates

NEVER Forgotten,ALWAYS Remembered

[johnson1095]

i wish somebody coulda saved his brain

[berserker276]

@miiiikku That's depressing but true

[miiiikku]

@berserker276 As WWI is forgotten, soon our lives will be aswell . Quite soon no one will remember even the greatest events of our time.

[berserker276]

@miiiikku Truly The Lost Generation now. I wish WWI was more.. known. Like there are barely any WWI films or TV shows or games about it, it's all WWII and modern wars, WWI doesn't seem to get as much attention, if you know what I mean.

[miiiikku]

@berserker276 Yes. I also started to keep tabs on last survivors of the war after finding out about death of Harry Patch. They are all gone now.

[berserker276]

@miiiikku Florence Green was the last WWI veteran but she didn't see combat like Harry did, she died a few days ago almost 111.

[berserker276]

@CairngormMcWomble Lest We Forget.

[sfasilver]

' All war is bad war. "...This guy made a pact with his mates after the first week of his fighting that they would never shoot to kill. He never spoke about it until just before he died. " If politicians want to make war then give them guns and let them sort it out for themselves " G. Bless you Harry Patch.

[carlmilton1981]

reach up mankind, unless we all get alongthen we are all fuc ked one assemes mmmmmm..........

[brian1679]

"I am the only one that got through

The others died where ever they fell

It was an ambush

They came up from all sides

Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves

I've seen devils coming up from the ground

I've seen hell upon this earth

The next will be chemical but they will never learn."

STUNNING!