Friday 2 July 2010

Dead Racists.

This is an expanded comment that I would have left at The BigD however memory failed me at the time and events swept over the day since.

A long time ago when I did my research on The First Earl Haig this thorny fact lodged in my brain.

The jist is that it can be stated, with no argument given or accepted, The Ulstermen and The South African Men gave more than anyone else.

For five days the South Africans conducted a bitter battle among the trees and water filled shell holes. Despite every effort, part of the wood remained uncaptured when the South Africans were relieved on 20 July. It was not finally cleared until 27 August.

In the fighting, the South African Brigade lost over 2,300 men and in October 1926 the South African National Memorial was unveiled in Deville Wood.



At no time while they had fought did the soldiers from the old Province of Ulster receive help from the Divisions of either flank. Over 2,000 of them died at Thiepval and over 2,700 were wounded. As an indication of the fierceness of the combat only 165 were taken prisoner.

Of the nine Victoria Crosses which were awarded for outstanding bravery on that day, four were won by men of the Ulster Division:

Captain E N F Bell, 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers; killed on 1st July and who has no known grave.

Lieutenant G S Cather, 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers; killed on 2nd July and who has no known grave.

Private W F McFadzean, 14th Royal Irish Rifles; killed on 1st July and who has no know grave.

Private R Quigg, 12th Royal Irish Rifles who died in 1955.

All along the British trenches chaos was the master.. They were filled with the wounded and the dead, fresh soldiers who had come up to continue the battle but who could go no further forward, and with the shattered remnants of the troops who had attacked but who had now retreated back to supposed safety.

With darkness the cries of the wounded and frightened continued. Men walked, crawled, or were carried back to their own lines. Stretcher bearers who had laboured heroically under fire through the day continued with their errands of mercy during the night.



Stark but true.

C4. Go and fuck yourselves right royally with a hot wire brush and Jeyes fluid.

You tick boxes you are enemy.