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Rob Sawyer
1 Posted 01/07/2016 at 10:20:28
Pete, first class research and writing as always. Very poignant. Well done and thanks.
Dr David France
2 Posted 01/07/2016 at 10:37:52
Tremendous research. Many thanks for dedicating your beautifully crafted article to Tony Heslop. Sincere congratulations to everyone involved.
Simon Lloyd
3 Posted 01/07/2016 at 11:07:14
Pete
A fitting tribute. Their memory has well and truly been honoured.
Eugene Ruane
4 Posted 01/07/2016 at 11:10:17
Superb.
Frank Bortoli
5 Posted 01/07/2016 at 11:39:49
Very poignant article and a great piece of research

How our perception of what was acceptable in war then and now has totally changed, thank god for that. Hopefully we will never see this number of dead again in the life of mankind.

They must never be forgotten.

Paul Andrews
6 Posted 01/07/2016 at 11:44:24
Lions led by Donkeys was a very apt phrase.

If you ever get the chance to go to the cemeteries and battlefields don't hesitate. The last post at the Menin Gate is an unbelievable experience. I doff my cap to the lions.

Ged Simpson
7 Posted 01/07/2016 at 12:13:11
Brilliant and so poignant. Never again.
Martin Nicholls
8 Posted 01/07/2016 at 12:13:22
Brilliant piece. RIP all those brave men.
Peter Mills
9 Posted 01/07/2016 at 12:42:21
May I echo Dr David's words regarding Tony Heslop, a friend from a very early age.

May I also remember my Grandad today, he was badly wounded at The Somme but recovered to see W R Dean score his 60th, attend the 1933 FA Cup Final, take me to the first game I remember (a 4-0 win over Man Utd in the Charity Shield at Goodison at the start of the 63-64 season), and signed off at Goodison by attending the North Korea v Portugal game in '66.

Superb article, thank you Pete. Lest we forget.

Andy Williams
10 Posted 01/07/2016 at 12:43:41
Brilliant piece!!!
Mike Hughes
11 Posted 01/07/2016 at 13:07:22
One of the best articles I've ever read on ToffeeWeb. Very well researched, structured and written.

I've just been watching the Somme memorial service on the BBC. Extremely moving and humbling.

It shows how fortunate recent generations have been. Or how unlucky older generations were and how we are duty-bound to remember them.

RIP.


Trevor Lynes
12 Posted 01/07/2016 at 13:12:24
Fantastic article.My father born in 1889 was one of the original 'Pals' volunteers.Liverpool was the city that formed the first four battalions of Pals.Noel Chavasse who was the son of the Bishop of Liverpool was WW1's only double V.C winner.

I must admit I get miffed at how Liverpool is left out of any mention when WW1 anniversary's are held.The above article illustrates the true part played by our City.My father was badly wounded and taken prisoner, but he was with the 20th battalion in the battles mentioned in the article.He was exchanged through Switzerland with wounded German soldiers and discharged with a wound medal and pension in 1917.He never talked about his experiences with any of his children and I only found out more about him after he died through my own efforts.He came originally from Anglesey and moved to Liverpool to box professionally.He lost all the meta carpal bones from his left hand and suffered severe head injuries.I felt I needed to put these things on paper as I know that Liverpool seems to be a forgotten city when exploits of WW1 are wrote about.I must say I feel better after getting these things off my chest.

Jim Burns
13 Posted 01/07/2016 at 13:18:55
Pete, an absolutely first class piece of writing and clearly the result of much research, effort and care – congratulations!

It's impossible to truly understand or appreciate those terrible times and the nightmare that embraced our world – and I can't help but contrast the horror of that, and the sacrifice and immense pain that those lads and girls suffered, with the 'so called', and at times, unsavoury political upheaval of the last week.

We could all do to remember what real political turmoil is, and the hell of those times should remind us all how damn lucky we are.

Well done Pete and thank you.

Trevor Lynes
14 Posted 01/07/2016 at 13:36:41
By the way the Liverpool Pals battalions were the 17th,18th,19th and 20th.My dad was in the 20th.

Instead of the normal Kings regiment badge, Lord Derby gave them silver cap badges bearing his Eagle and Child crest. These silver badges were often made into brooches and pendants and given to girlfriends and wives.Many of these Pals battalions were billeted and trained at a watch factory in Prescot before heading out to France.

Mick Naughton
15 Posted 01/07/2016 at 13:44:06
Superb article, well done, Pete.
Don Alexander
16 Posted 01/07/2016 at 14:06:56
Huge respect to the author, and thanks. We must never forget those who died and suffered but we must also never forget that politics based on arrogance, fear and isolationism caused it all.
Alex de Gier
17 Posted 01/07/2016 at 14:07:39
Congratulations to you and all the others who contributed research to this exceptional piece. Thank you for dedicating it to Tony Heslop, as you say, BOTH a gentle man and a gentleman.

I'm sure that although this piece has a specific reference in time it will prompt many Evertonians to think for a moment today of ALL Evertonians who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Nathan Rooney
18 Posted 01/07/2016 at 14:51:45
Amazing and heart breaking, superbly written.

This should be required reading for all our secondary schools.

Lest we forget.

Peter Cummings
19 Posted 01/07/2016 at 15:36:40
A wonderfully written and researched piece of historical fact on the supreme sacrifice and futility of war and the 'First Day Of The Somme' in particular, in which our Liverpool 'Pals' Battalions played a significant part along with many other such units from all parts of the UK where towns, cities, even villages, raised, their own volunteers in response to the famous Kitchener 'Your Country Needs You' poster,

Over years I have been fortunate to visit most of the WW1 battlefields both alone and with my wife and sons and am always moved to tears at the family inscriptions at the base of headstones of loved ones in the vast cemeteries which cover all of France and Belgium, none more so than that at Beaumont Hamel where the Newfoundland Regiment was literally wiped out by machine guns, and the Vimy Ridge memorial where the Canadians gave birth to their independence as a nation, where we now live.

Sadly, as we all know, while the instigators of the slaughter that was WW1, principally Douglas Haig, were handsomely rewarded by royalty and the British establishment for their ''Magnificent victory and devotion to duty'' the survivors who formed those lost, mainly working class, battalions were relegated to anonymity poverty and unemployment, while the promise of 'Homes Fit For Heroes' became just a sick joke,


Once again, those of the Heritage Society who took part in the truly exceptional article above should be congratulated on their efforts. Many Thanks to you all.

Brent Stephens
20 Posted 01/07/2016 at 15:43:06
Well worth the read. Thanks, Pete. Things in perspective and all that.
Gerry Quinn
21 Posted 01/07/2016 at 15:59:53
Pete and your fellow authors – superbly researched and presented.

After reading this, I went online and Google Imaged "Lochnagar Crater" – the sheer size of that hole from the initial blast and the schematics are incredible. What a terrible period to have lived in - and, yes, these kind of stories of the brave men should be made compulsory reading in all schools.

Again, Pete, many thanks for all of your interesting and valuable historical efforts.

Trevor Lynes
22 Posted 01/07/2016 at 16:03:51
Actually the ranks who lost the highest percentage were the junior officers who took part in the battles.The Germans aimed for them in attempts to disorganise attacks.

Unfortunately the Somme was needed as the French were in dire distress defending Verdun.The basic idea was for both us and the French to attack in the West whilst the Russians attacked the Germans from the east.This was expected to over whelm the Germans by sheer weight of numbers and artillery therefor bringing the war to a close.Strategically the Somme was a success even though we lost many more than the Germans.After Verdun and the Somme the Germans went totally on the defensive until early in 1918 after the Russian defeat in the east.Unfortunately for them the USA had started to join the fight and the whole balance shifted again.

Steve Hogan
23 Posted 01/07/2016 at 16:17:08
Wow, a piece of work worthy of academic standard. Fills many of the gaps in my own personal knowledge of the Somme battle all those years ago.

Despite the fallacy of the myth 'lions led by donkeys' , what a terrible terrible waste of human life, of (mostly) young men cut down in their prime.
Thanks for a wonderful bit of writing.

Pete Jones
24 Posted 01/07/2016 at 16:19:58
Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate them. At the risk of sounding like teacher giving the class their reading for homework I would recommend the two books I quoted from. General Jack's Diary edited by John Terraine is a remarkable read. Some of his attitudes might jar modern sensibilities and John Terraine as the original defender of Haig will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea, but Jack's intelligent and humane command illustrates the point about the loss of so many officers in 1914 and 15. Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis is one that I have been meaning to read for ages; problem is every time I look it up I get a horoscope........
Trevor Lynes
25 Posted 01/07/2016 at 16:33:01
Maddocks book on the Liverpool Pals is also a great read.

Gerry Morrison
26 Posted 01/07/2016 at 16:38:57
Great stuff. Thanks.
Mike Gaynes
27 Posted 01/07/2016 at 17:04:23
This is a wonderful contribution, Pete. Exceptionally informative to those of us on the far side of the pond who learned little or nothing of the Somme in school... it rates a bare mention in American history classes because it preceded the US entry into the war, so your centenary observance goes unnoticed here.

This article, with its well-researched Everton footy connections (even in Chile!) is a gem. Many thanks.

Tom Barton
28 Posted 01/07/2016 at 17:16:20
To read this quote in the above article,

'Greater love hath no man but this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' just makes me think how badly these immensely brave men were treated.

I am blessed with a lovely family, my best friend Steven, I love and respect without thought, if I were challenged to give my life I would hope I am brave enough to do so, but for strangers? it is just unbelievable and very very humbling.

To the author, thank you for your time and effort.

Very much put professional football in its place but perhaps it is just right to be happy that we are blues, follow one of the proudest clubs in the world and, most of all, we ourselves do not have the worry of facing what some of our parents, grand & great grandparents had to endure that we should be safe.

Take care, Blues.

Dean Peamum
29 Posted 01/07/2016 at 18:51:20
Fantastic informative and insightful article. Thanks. Lest we forget.
Peter Cummings
30 Posted 01/07/2016 at 19:27:09
Trevor #25, I have a signed Graham Maddocks book on the Liverpool Pals and as you say it's a great read, we were good friends for several years before I emigrated having the same interests in WW1 history, he had a wonderful collection of German pickelhaubes many of which he expertly renovated in between taking school parties to the battlefields himself, I was really saddened to hear of his passing, I hope his school has given him suitable recognition for his dedication as a teacher and true believer of recognising the debt we all owe to those thousands of teenagers who never came home.RIP mate.
Brian Denton
31 Posted 01/07/2016 at 20:39:55
Great piece, and thanks for dedicating it to my friend of 40 years, Tony Heslop.

Another book which is worth reading is The Pity of War by Niall Ferguson.

I've been to the Somme battlefields a couple of times. Lochnagar Crater is incredible, and the little museum in Albert does what it does very well. Thank God none of us have had to go through such an experience. Or even worse, being a parent and imagining my son facing such a hell.

Paul Hughes
32 Posted 02/07/2016 at 10:36:15
Brilliant piece of writing, with wonderful detail. It brings me to remember my granddad, who went over the top with the 16th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers – another 'Pals' battalion.

The old hero finally 'faded away' in 1991 aged 101.

We will remember them.

Derek Thomas
33 Posted 02/07/2016 at 14:05:17
Magic piece, tragic story... needed telling... again and again. Should be compulsory in schools.
Gerry Morrison
34 Posted 02/07/2016 at 14:17:23
Great read. Thanks.
Trevor Lynes
35 Posted 02/07/2016 at 15:05:18
Peter those dress pickelhaubers are really valuable. I tried to buy one in Prague and it was over £1000....!!

They gave no protection from bullets and that is why the Germans switched to the bucket helmets that gave the best protection. This German helmet has been slightly altered and now is used everywhere.

The black leather Pickelhauber was basically a dress helmet and they even made them in small sizes for officers' children to wear.

Fantastic article which brought back so many poignant memories.

Dave McCoy
36 Posted 03/07/2016 at 00:47:44
I am lost for words to applaud your research.Thank you for a brilliant memorial.
Andy McShane
37 Posted 03/07/2016 at 22:08:28
Andy McShane
38 Posted 03/07/2016 at 22:12:31
Well done Pete
A tremendous article. It shows the high quality of research you have put into preparing this. I am very appreciative of your efforts.
Paul Birmingham
39 Posted 03/07/2016 at 23:15:05
Inspiring and an epic summary.
Ian Pilkington
40 Posted 04/07/2016 at 16:37:05
Pete,

Thank you for such a superbly researched article, another fine example of the work of EFC Heritage Society.

I have been to the battlefield area several times and recognise the locations where the three men fought. My great uncle was killed at Bazentin le Petit, and I am visiting again next month to coincide with centenary of his death.

I will certainly look up the names of Frank Docherty and Malcolm Fraser on the Thiepval Memorial. My great uncle is commemorated there as well. He lived just a few hundred yards away from Goodison Park.

David Booth
41 Posted 05/07/2016 at 12:09:05
A singularly stunning piece of writing, that takes one's breath away at the callous waste of human life and the amazing bravery, heroism and friendship of those who fought, fell and survived.

Sadly, a century later the human race is still sitting, trigger-happy, over the self-destruct button.

We never learn do we?

Dale Rose
42 Posted 06/07/2016 at 12:46:33
A really outstanding piece. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
David Ellis
44 Posted 13/07/2016 at 11:52:55
Great piece. But for the grace of God there go I. We are lucky to be alive now and not then. Things were definitely not better in them days.

My grandfather and his three brothers all fought in WW1. 3 came back. The one that didn't (Corporal Arthur Ellis) died in the Somme – he was mildly mentally retarded but still signed up. It leaves me cold.


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