The Somme

**Skyryder** · 1st July 2007, 21:42

There's a History doco on this battle this week sometime. I think it's the History chanel.

The map is from this site.

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/Somme/mapsomme.htm

**Hitcher** · 1st July 2007, 21:48

Originally Posted by Skyryder

I think it's the History chanel.

Chanel No 5?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_somme

**T.W.R** · 1st July 2007, 21:53

A theatre of mass annihilation, no thanks

only time the numbers of human deaths had been replicated since Napoleon & the French got their butts kicked in Russia

**Sanx** · 1st July 2007, 23:27

Here's an image to provide you with some idea of what it must have been like, and the scale of the destruction that went with it. It was later than the Battle of the Somme - from the Third Battle of Ypres. The village is (was) Passchendaele. The first pic is an aerial view from before the battle; the second from after. The scale and alignment are slightly different in each photo, but the outline of the village, the roads and the remains of the two major buildings can clearly be seen.

**Albino** · 2nd July 2007, 07:54

A visit to some of these old battlegrounds is a sobering experience. Particularly harrowing are the cemeteries full of hundreds of thousands of white crosses. It looked to me like every third or fourth cross was labelled "unknown soldier".

**Timber020** · 2nd July 2007, 11:50

There are to things on earth that makes me relise that man is pointlessly obsessed with needless distructive power and ultimately screwed.

War and GSXR's

**Hitcher** · 2nd July 2007, 13:02

Originally Posted by Timber020

There are to things on earth that makes me relise that man is pointlessly obsessed with needless distructive power and ultimately screwed.

War and GSXR's

Three things: War, GSXRs, and spelling and grammar...

**SPman** · 2nd July 2007, 13:53

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Three things: War, GSXRs, and spelling and grammar...

Four - there are four things.....

**James Deuce** · 2nd July 2007, 14:10

I'll go out and come in again.

Did anyone see the Gallipoli Documentary on Maori TV last night? Very well done and and very objective. Narrated by Jeremy Irons and Sam Neill.

**Hitcher** · 2nd July 2007, 14:15

Originally Posted by Sanx

the roads and the remains of the two major buildings can clearly be seen.

Tui poster: “Artillery lends dignity to what might otherwise be a vulgar brawl.”

**SARGE** · 2nd July 2007, 14:24

Originally Posted by SPman

Four - there are four things.....

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3ZQI0Xm29To[/YOUTUBE]

**SPman** · 3rd July 2007, 18:26

Originally Posted by Jim2

I'll go out and come in again.

Did anyone see the Gallipoli Documentary on Maori TV last night? Very well done and and very objective. Narrated by Jeremy Irons and Sam Neill.

I believe Maori TV have some excellent programs - put the "regular" channels to shame (not that it would be that hard)

**kiwifruit** · 3rd July 2007, 18:28

Originally Posted by SPman

I believe Maori TV have some excellent programs - put the "regular" channels to shame (not that it would be that hard)

yep, good docos

**janno** · 3rd July 2007, 18:34

Originally Posted by Sanx

Here's an image to provide you with some idea of what it must have been like, and the scale of the destruction that went with it. It was later than the Battle of the Somme - from the Third Battle of Ypres. The village is (was) Passchendaele. The first pic is an aerial view from before the battle; the second from after. The scale and alignment are slightly different in each photo, but the outline of the village, the roads and the remains of the two major buildings can clearly be seen.

Holy effin crap! I've never seen anything like that before . . . very sobering.