#WeAreHere pays tribute to the dead in the Battle of the Somme - Polidicks

[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmTCM09XgAAAlaX.jpg:large[/t][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmSqDluWAAAJO1s.jpg[/t][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmSjAYaWIAEKl14.jpg:large[/t][t]https://secure.static.tumblr.com/c6b2f16a0182c1e10f58460d03b537b3/jutfxog/Gson56f60/tumblr_static_ww1-pic.jpg[/t] [quote=BBC]National Theatre head Rufus Norris and artist Jeremy Deller were behind a Somme commemoration project with men dressed as World War One soldiers. The "modern memorial" involved about 1,500 voluntary participants appearing in public spaces across the UK. Photos and reactions to the project quickly spread across social media, connected by the #wearehere hashtag. Each carried a card with the name of the soldier they represented and his age - if known - when he died. The Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest of World War One, began on 1 July 1916. All of the 1,500 men represented died on the first day of fighting. More than one million men were killed and wounded on all sides during the five-month conflict, with the British suffering a total of nearly 60,000 casualties on the first day alone.[/quote] [quote=The Atlantic]On Friday morning, commuters across the United Kingdom found themselves staring very similar people in the face. About 1,500 boys and men in World War I-era British military garb loitered in small groups, in railway stations and public squares across the country. If someone spoke to one of them, he did not speak in response; he would instead offer a card with the name, date of birth, and rank of a man killed on the first day of the Somme. The work was called We Are Here. The men only broke their silence to sing the British marching song from the period, “We’re Here Because We’re Here.” At the Somme, soldiers sang the same song in the trenches[/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36682140[/url] [url]http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/somme-centennial-memorial/489866/[/url] absolutely moving tribute. stuff like this is the reason im into reenacting, keeping that memory alive

[quote]with the British suffering a total of nearly 60,000 casualties on the first day alone.[/quote] jesus, imagine that happening nowadays

[QUOTE=Araknid;50637096]jesus, imagine that happening nowadays[/QUOTE] the scale of the world wars is unimaginable today whats even more sobering about the Somme is that many of those who fought and died had enlisted together in what were known as "Pals Battalions". Workplaces and Schools and other groupings of peoples that all signed up together and were part of the same battalion - many saw their lifelong friends ripped away in front of them. Out of those 60,000 casualties, a third were deaths. nearly 20,000 British soldiers lost their lives that day. here's a recording of the song they sung, this one by a soldier during the war [video=youtube;UA730QtjOBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA730QtjOBE[/video]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoBH-0CMUTI[/media] 38:00 and onwards

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and... Smile... Smile... Smile.

Pretty crazy that some part of the trenches remained fairly uneventful while others racked up massive casualties Also it feels surreal that this is 100 years ago but the last WWI vet lived until a few years ago - the war feels close yet distant at the same time

[QUOTE=Kill001;50637635]Pretty crazy that some part of the trenches remained fairly uneventful while others racked up massive casualties Also it feels surreal that this is 100 years ago but the last WWI vet lived until a few years ago - the war feels close yet distant at the same time[/QUOTE] It's really gotta be awkward for future generations to come - all the old music, motion pictures, etc - that they'll have access too, and to also have to arbitrarily think that both everyone in it is dead and that it was 100+ years ago. [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg/1024px-Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg[/t] Here we are in 1838. Imagine what kids of 2050-2200 are going to think, being able to rewind time 100-200+ years and still see/hear everything in moderate quality.

[QUOTE=Doom14;50637681]It's really gotta be awkward for future generations to come - all the old music, motion pictures, etc - that they'll have access too, and to also have to arbitrarily think that both everyone in it is dead and that it was 100+ years ago. [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg/1024px-Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg[/t] Here we are in 1838. Imagine what kids of 2050-2200 are going to think, being able to rewind time 100-200+ years and still see/hear everything in moderate quality.[/QUOTE] People will be able to watch century old lets plays. That'll be a trip.

[QUOTE=Araknid;50637096]jesus, imagine that happening nowadays[/QUOTE] Today it'd be millions in a matter of seconds with nuclear weapons.

[video=youtube;v48BK5CuBrY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v48BK5CuBrY[/video] These guys go through week by week analyst of ww1 pretty decent watch

There's been talks about doing something similar with the 155th Gettysburg in 2018. I know a few Confederate units actually march all the way from Virginia to Pennsylvania to mimic Lee's invasion every year before the battle.

[QUOTE=Doom14;50637681]It's really gotta be awkward for future generations to come - all the old music, motion pictures, etc - that they'll have access too, and to also have to arbitrarily think that both everyone in it is dead and that it was 100+ years ago. [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg/1024px-Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg[/t] Here we are in 1838. Imagine what kids of 2050-2200 are going to think, being able to rewind time 100-200+ years and still see/hear everything in moderate quality.[/QUOTE] Fun fact: the reason the only person visible in the image is the guy getting his shoes polished is because he was the only person would stood still enough to be exposed onto the image. Crazy to think how far technology has come in almost 200 years, we store images using electric switches and lights and can even scan, save and print a 3D image.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFoqtpUFY8[/media] A fitting tribute from the late Lemmy Kilmister.

Any good netflix docs on World War I? I can only find World War II shit.

[QUOTE=Rebi;50637703]People will be able to watch century old lets plays. That'll be a trip.[/QUOTE] maybe it'll feel too detached for someone in 2116 because of the media type being too old and slangs being incomprehensible :v: "this excerpt from this history book is too vague! I won't understand with just text!" (100 years later) "this archival youtube video doesn't feel like a real person! Why didn't they have REALVISION 5D recording devices so the speaker addresses me by name!? What does rekt even mean??!"

[QUOTE=Doom14;50637681]It's really gotta be awkward for future generations to come - all the old music, motion pictures, etc - that they'll have access too, and to also have to arbitrarily think that both everyone in it is dead and that it was 100+ years ago. [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg/1024px-Boulevard_du_Temple_by_Daguerre.jpg[/t] Here we are in 1838. Imagine what kids of 2050-2200 are going to think, being able to rewind time 100-200+ years and still see/hear everything in moderate quality.[/QUOTE] See I find it kind of weird that older cites seem to turn more and more into works of art as time goes by. Like you almost can't believe there was a time where things looked that... well picturesque.

It's strange to me to imagine how different the world was before 1914 and how much it changed in four years, and then it happened again barely 30 years later. [editline]3rd July 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Megadave;50638084]Any good netflix docs on World War I? I can only find World War II shit.[/QUOTE] I don't know if any of them are on netflix and I can't check cause I don't have it, but see if World War 1 In Colour, Apocalypse: WW1 or The Great War are on there!

No, found diaries of the great war, but the former 2 are both the WWII versions. link for source [url]https://www.netflix.com/watch/80002613?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C8907ad84e168dc9f232185812fb2fc294747886d%3A9abfa1d6ff91643656797bd281370bf476512230[/url]

[QUOTE=bdd458;50637147]the scale of the world wars is unimaginable today whats even more sobering about the Somme is that many of those who fought and died had enlisted together in what were known as "Pals Battalions". Workplaces and Schools and other groupings of peoples that all signed up together and were part of the same battalion - many saw their lifelong friends ripped away in front of them. Out of those 60,000 casualties, a third were deaths. nearly 20,000 British soldiers lost their lives that day. [/QUOTE] Our World War, available on Netflix and presumably some other sites ([URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022wq83"]here if you're in the UK[/URL]), is a fantastic drama series based on eyewitness accounts (much like Band of Brothers) that deals with this exact thing in it's second episode, of three. I think it's a must watch for anyone interested in WWI.

[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CmSjAYaWIAEKl14.jpg:large[/t] That's me, sitting right there in the middle with the helmet on. Edit: In front of another guy with a helmet, who's standing in front of a pillar. (just to be specific) The whole project was a pretty good experience (and something to put in my creative CV) and I'm happy that we got so much attention, whole point was to remind people of such terrible events so they wouldn't happen again. But holy Hell, 12 hours straight of walking with those hard boots on was intense for all of us.

Very nice of them.

[QUOTE=TheNerdPest14;50638335]Very nice of them.[/QUOTE] Thank you!

Had a family member (great great grandfather) die during the somme, before going to war he had a photograph taken with his father whilst in his uniform, all very well to do and such and it hangs in my grandmothers study. Max respect to you and your friends for doing that gleb.

I've been reading the book 'Beneath Hill 60' and just watched the movie as well. Who knew that the ground under no man's land was so riddled with tunnels and fucking mine galleries. Men digging away under candle light.

[QUOTE=GlebGuy;50638349]Thank you![/QUOTE] You're welcome. Wish I could go Over There as a yank to remember ours, we had a role don't forget. Glad we could help.

[QUOTE=Megadave;50638084]Any good netflix docs on World War I? I can only find World War II shit.[/QUOTE] Diaries of the Great War is fantastic [QUOTE=Kill001;50637635]Pretty crazy that some part of the trenches remained fairly uneventful while others racked up massive casualties[/QUOTE] A lot of it really had to do with how men were shuffled in and out of the Trench System, with a majority of their time by a long shot not being in the front "fire" trench. [QUOTE=GlebGuy;50638316] That's me, sitting right there in the middle with the helmet on. The whole project was a pretty good experience (and something to put in my creative CV) and I'm happy that we got so much attention, whole point was to remind people of such terrible events so they wouldn't happen again. But holy Hell, 12 hours straight of walking with those hard boots on was intense for all of us.[/QUOTE] Hey, that's pretty awesome!

[QUOTE=Araknid;50637096]jesus, imagine that happening nowadays[/QUOTE] I don't think the social impacts of the World Wars are comprehensible to the average person in 2016. The casualties from the War on Terror are a small fraction of those incurred during the first World War and even now war deaths are given fairly widespread media coverage. It would have a massive impact on our society if a war like that were to happen during the internet. Just imagine 20,000 Facebook profiles belonging to suddenly dead people, in one day.

And if i remember correctly, there are still live shells and mines in verdun and the somme

[QUOTE=Ignhelper;50639776]And if i remember correctly, there are still live shells and mines in verdun and the somme[/QUOTE] Most parts of the western front still have live ammunition buried, yeah. It's a very real danger for anyone doing any sort of digging - from farmers to Archeaologists.

I just want this to be remembered, every year, since the end of WW1, [url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/30/somme-iron-harvest-will-take-500-years-to-clear-say-bomb-disposal]farmers have been still finding artillery shells that failed to detonate at the Battle of the Somme.[/url] At this current moment in time, it is estimated that it will take [I]500 years[/I], before the battlefield is entirely cleared of unexploded ordnance. [t]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2016/06/30/IMG_3047-large_trans++EDjTm7JpzhSGR1_8ApEWQA1vLvhkMtVb21dMmpQBfEs.JPG[/t] This is some of the stuff just found this year! Another thing which is crazy is that on some battlefield like Verdun, Cambrai, Saint Quentin, and Arras are so dangerous in some areas, that you are physically disallowed by the French government to enter said areas. Hell, some areas have such toxic ground soil, that most plants are simply incapable of growing or have massively stunted growth. [t]http://static.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/oliviersainthilaire_le_poison_inconnu-161-930x620.jpg[/t] These areas are known as Zone Rogue or rather Red Zones. Just to give you an idea of the scale of how bad it is: [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Red_Zone_Map-fr.svg/1421px-Red_Zone_Map-fr.svg.png[/t] Anything which is red is strictly closed/locked off. Yellow areas are places where ongoing cleanups happen, and in certain cases you have innocent people killed by unexploded ordinance. Remember, it'll take [B]500 years[/B] in order to clean up some of the battlefields of WW1. This is with constant funding and digging, which at the moment isn't really that big of a thing in France anymore. It's usually left to farmers and metaldetecting hobbyist to deal with. WW1 was simply insanity at it's finest.