@Phil McCrevice Same with my Great Grandfather and his brother. I always knew about my great grandfather as my dad knew him in the 1960s (dad born 1958) and he died sometime around then but my dad knew he fought in the war and lost his thumb. Later few years ago my dad dug into him and found his war papers etc and found out his was in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (I'm /dad and he are from Dublin, he joined the army in 1910 on 29th December). Like your grandfather Derek he also fought in Gallipoli and then had to be transported to Egpyt as well as Greece before returning home (that was on his military passport and also on the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers history of where they fought). He then fought in the Somme being one of the only Irish regiments to fight in it and well he survived otherwise I wouldn't be here otherwise. But what I found out the other week via a free trail on ancesrtry .com was that he had a young brother who also joined the army the same day as him and fought alongside him and his death record , July 1st 1916 , France 23 years old. My dad heard his name mentioned and one of my dad brothers (he has 8 lol) was actually named after him but none of his family really knew since it was never spoken of too much. I just can't believe my grandfather along with his brother fought all that way together for one to be lost in the Somme. Great grandfather lost his finger in that battle and later returned in 1917 and fought till the end. He died in the 1960s so never met him and my dad was only a kid too. His name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and I'm going to try get my dad to come visit Thiepval Memorial and the battlefield to pay my great uncle a visit and we're going to try put a plaque with his name back here home in ireland beside his brother and if i can find his wives grave. Same thing then happened with you as when my grandfather returned he didn't receive much and my dad grew up in a flat with 8 brothers and a sister with 2 bedrooms in it. Amazing generations and I can't wait to visit and pay my respects

My great grandfather was in the Saskatchewan Regiment during WW1 and his brother was a Sapper with the 3rd Canadian Tunnel Co. My great grand uncle went overseas early, he spent most his time in Ypres, he was shot and was gassed to. He died a few years after the war from complications. On his Western Union telegram to my great grandfather all it said was Oliver died awaiting instructions for war. He had bad nerves and suffered, when my great grandfather was asked what happened he said he died a horrible death and never bring it up again, for him to snap like that was not common, very soft spoken man. My great grandfather was told his brother was very sick, he was getting stuff together to go see him, he got the telegram just before he was going to leave to see him.

Always wondered if there were many veterans who took part in battles on different fronts and survived the war or if there were many who survived from the first to last day throughout entire war

Same with my nans dad he came home and he died when she was 7. Bloody mustard gas

Jesus your grandpa was an actual superhero

Well said. Thanks for sharing.

TomTom a lot of the Germans and British thought we should have been fighting together against the french and Russians as they are Saxons and we are Anglo Saxons think there was actually a German sign threat was put on top of a trench saying ‘we are Saxons you are Anglo Saxons. If you don’t shoot we won’t either’

@@HT-gv1be True, they would even warn each other when they were "ordered" to show a bit more aggression, by signalling the other side when a shell was going to be sent over. This policy didn't prove too popular with the top brass, as can be imagined and regiments found to be indulging in this sort of thing would be rotated and replaced by those who would show more martial spirit. The Guard regiments from both side tended to do things by the book in this respect. The Prussian and Bavarian regiments tending to be the least "popular."

Any way you could share the photo with the world?

Both world wars were a waste of human life for most of the nations of Europe. The German people suffered more from ww1 than anyone else.

It belongs to somme of the bloodiest battles ever!

rbf100 very sad day for all

And the Essex men who went forward with them and suffered just as much

Totally useless and incompetent senior officers should have been arrested and court marshalled, but of course they considered British working classes as close to subhuman and only worthy of being cannon fodder anyway....

July 1 is normally a day of celebration in Canada - but for Newfoundland it’s Remembrance Day for all the young men lost. RIP. Always remembered. ❤️

The nauseating incompetence of military leadership of sending those fine men into certain death is so infuriating. Those poor men didn't want to be mourned or cried over or memorialized -- they wanted to LIVE!

Peter Nicholsonu let us not celebratie, nevertheless I Will remember their efforts.

Hear hear. The vast majority of the Dead in the Great War (including about 60% of British soldiers) were press ganged into the war against their will. (if you have to be drafted it is, by definition, against your will. The Great War was a disaster for Europe.

beeldpuntXVI definitely. But honor the poor wives and girlfriends left alone for a lifetime.

Stephen Lane I lost my darling of 46yrs 3yrs ago. Those wives and sweethearts grieved the rest of their young and older lifetimes. They should have been honoured.

Very impressive when you visit the place

TheFunkhouser chur bro🇦🇺🇳🇿

Did he ever talk about it? How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?

If you have some stories to share?

My great grandfather was a British imperial force soldier and medic, dying in Oct 18, Balkans, can only imagine the scenes he witnessed over 100 years ago, bless him

My great grandfather was also a medic for 1st Canadian div..wounded in1918.just finding out about him and don't know much it all..hope to learn more soon

Katina Howard it’s a special place.

Thanks Trevor. Well said.

Thanks for the comments. It really is an emotive place.

How amazing that we featured his name in the doco. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, im in shock.

Wow that’s like a romance movie

Hi. For your info, the Border Regiment recruited in what is now Cumbria. The Tyneside Scottish were four battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers, who recruited in Northumberland and to a lesser extent County Durham.

Have you watched Chris.Tarrant.Extreme Railways Series 6 Ep1? He talks about the Tyneside Scots in some detail.

god bless him and you my friend! much love

Gordon McKenzie My pleasure Gordon.

Great story Dan. Thanks for sharing.

Well said.

I to have a great uncle buried in Meaulte I'm planning to visit very soon. Although never known to me He will never be forgotten.

Often forgot. My grandad didn’t though from ww2 used to say they was just doing as they told. With exceptions of course. He used to show me the war graves we have here many are German names

Yes, does anyone think that those German boys and men woke up one morning and thought "Gee, wouldn't it be fun to go to war with people I don't know, who never did anything to me, and maybe will kill me." War is just the way of the world - since men evolved and decided they wanted more of what somebody else had. Makes no sense to me, that's for sure.

Ehm

Austria-Hungary too

Czechs and Russians - everyone

Respect to your great grandfather.

Thanks!

Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom..... Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom

@@GMan-yg1og Reading John McCrae's poem gave me goosebumps. Reading yours gave me shellshock.

McCrae threw it away for a reason. Insipid Doggerel.

I paid my respects at his grave last time I was over there

@@NeverTakeNoShortcuts Philistine

Well said. 👍🏼

@Bruce Sanders Thank you, sorry I just saw your reply now. We remember...

It interesting that u say that,the exact descendent lone pine tree still grows today in a ex military training base in Oatley,southern Sydney.

You sir, are an exceptional gentleman. Keep up the good work.

@@wreckt2751 There are many trees that people claim to be descendants of trees from Lone Pine. Most are nice stories, but the only ones with a verifiable provenance are the McDowell trees in Warrnambool, Terang, Wattle Park, and the Shrine.

Thank you!

My grandfather was wounded at cantingy in ww1 in his right kneecap greetings from the usa

@@charlesuplifted5216: If war has taught us one thing, it's that we are all connected as one in the end.

Darren Walsh thank you!

Thank you! I appreciate the comment.

Thanks Jeff!

Thanks for the comment. I am actually aware of the proud history of the Newfoundland Regiment, but misspoke in that part of the video. I've been corrected many times!

@@MatMcLachlanHistory Cheers!

Cheers James. 👍🏼

Thank you!

Thanks!

Thank you!

Thanks Frank. 👍🏼

Thank you, I appreciate your comments.

My pleasure.

Thanks Gail!

Thank you Sam. That’s very kind. It’s a labour of love!

Thanks!

Thank you!

Thank you! Tell your friends! 😂

Thank you!

Thanks!

Much appreciated!

Thank you kindly!

ww2 fanatic Thanks! And you should definitely do it - it will change your life.

@@MatMcLachlanHistory visited the Somme yesterday but hadn't that much time... visited the lochnager crater, thiepval memorial and the newfoundlanders park.... especially the newfoundlanders park was really nice, seeing all those preserved trenches

ww2 fanatic It certainly is a special place.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks Les. I’ve been to Devonshire Trench many times. What a tragic tale.

Thanks Jan

Thanks Jeff. 👍🏼

Thanks Phil. Enjoy - it’s a special place.

Cheers Alexander.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

superbia75es Thank you! It really is a special place.

Thanks!

Thank you! More episodes coming out in the new year!

Thank you!

Thanks Derek. Well said.