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Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 5:54:28 AM

RCdc

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Harry Patch died in July this year aged 111.
For those who have no idea who he was, he was the last survivor of the 'carnage of the western front'.

He was an apprentice plumber, leaving school at the age of 15. But war broke out a year later and he was conscripted at the age of 18.

Anyone who has seen him or heard him interviewed, knows just how 'ordinary' he was. How gentle.

Sent home after a shell exploded wounding him and killing some of his commerades - and whilst convelescing- Armistice was signed. He was too old to fight in WWII and instead, became a firefighter, defending buildings and land against german air raids.
He didn't partake in Remembrance Day on the 11 November each year, instead, his chosen day was 22nd September. The day he lost his three best friends and 'his' war ended.
Today, Britain, salutes him in remembrance.

Radiohead have written and released a song entitled 'Harry Patch - In memory of '. It is an MP3, downloadable from

http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/did.html

You pay a pound. The proceeds then go to the Royal British Legion. Please remember to click 'yes' to the gift aid option when you download.

Thanks for all your time reading this.

the.dark.

quote:

"Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims"
Harry Patch

http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/MoreInfo.html

< Message edited by Darcyandthedark -- 8/6/2009 5:58:34 AM >

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 6:02:05 AM

slaveboyforyou

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I read about him in a article earlier. My great-grandfather was in the First World War. I actually have his helmet; my grandmother gave it to me. I never did meet him, he died long before I was born. My grandmother told me that I reminded her of him. She had a story that he told her about the war. He had come up out of a trench to advance on a German machine gun. He was scared and he knelt down to pray. A mortar shell landed about 5 feet from him; it was close enough to knock him over. He yelled, "Goddamnit!" and got back on his feet. He figured God was telling him to get up and get moving.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 12:27:26 PM

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As with many WW1 veterans he didn't speak of his experiences to anyone until he was 70 years old.

Imagine a world where you're advancing to the enemy trench and your platoon is decimated by a direct shell hit: it didn't happen to him but it did to Ernst Junger - 63 of a 178 strong German platoon were killed on the spot. Imagine that - arms and legs flying everywhere right in front of your eyes. Unimaginable unless there.

Every war since the dawn of time has been fought for 'honour and freedom'. How come every country think it's more free and honourable?

Harry Patch was adamant that wasn't worth it - not one death was worth it in his own words. Not politically economically socially - and definiely not in terms of human life.

Best thing you can do to support Harry Patch is to oppose war.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 12:37:48 PM

RCdc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NorthernGent
Best thing you can do to support Harry Patch is to oppose war.

Agreed.
There were no weapons allowed at his funeral. No knives, swords or weaponary of any kind.
But we can also support the memory and at least try to make sure that people don't forget. That is what the British Legion tries to do caring for the welfare, interests and memories of those that serve. Those that choose to serve and those that were conscripted.

the.dark.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 12:38:59 PM

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Anyone travelling to Normandy should take the time to visit the trenches. It is a chilling experience standing in the museum and seeing helmets and cutlery dug up from the surrounding area. Or visit the war cemetries in the area and it will bring home the number that were lost during that time.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 12:45:11 PM

RCdc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: susie

Anyone travelling to Normandy should take the time to visit the trenches. It is a chilling experience standing in the museum and seeing helmets and cutlery dug up from the surrounding area. Or visit the war cemetries in the area and it will bring home the number that were lost during that time.

I also watched who do you think you are with Chris Moyles a couple of weeks back, visiting the fields of Ypres after discovering his great grand father was there. Very moving. Just walking the fields, you can still just find belt buckles and buttons just lying on the soil.

the.dark.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 12:56:27 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

Those that choose to serve and those that were conscripted.

the.dark.

Not sure how much you know of WW1 but the professional British Army was minute compared to their Russian/French/German counterparts. Our money was poured into the Navy and it was widely believed that we could tilt a continental war in our favour by controlling the seas blocking the ports and generally bringing a foreign nation to its knees by controlling goods entering that nation.

So most of the British soldiers were volunteers - cooks/clerks/gardeners/miners etc. Even more remarkable when you consider that 49 French divisions/Saxon and Wurrtemburg units/the whole Russian army mutinied - and the professional German army cracked in 1918 with huge numbers of men surrendering and deserting. While the British Army made up of non-professionals kept their discipline.

My Grandma's dad was killed at Ypres (not sure which of the battles). She went to Belguim to try and find his grave about 25 years ago. Turned out that he didn't have a grave so was one of the unknown soldiers who was obliterated miles away from home and wasn't even given a grave - probably because there wasn't much left to bury. My Grandma was Scottish and her Mother was made homeless after WW1 due to the head of the home being killed in WW1 so she came down to the North East to try and find some sort of work and was put in a poor house. Not nice but I suppose it shows how even in the most desperate of circumstances life goes on and children are born who live and lives and have other children. But if life will go on regardless then what's the point of war?

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 1:02:45 PM

RCdc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NorthernGent

quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

Those that choose to serve and those that were conscripted.

the.dark.

Not sure how much you know of WW1 but the professional British Army was minute compared to their Russian/French/German counterparts. Our money was poured into the Navy and it was widely believed that we could tilt a continental war in our favour by controlling the seas blocking the ports and generally bringing a foreign nation to its knees by controlling goods entering that nation.

So most of the British soldiers were volunteers - cooks/clerks/gardeners/miners etc. Even more remarkable when you consider that 49 French divisions/Saxon and Wurrtemburg units/the whole Russian army mutinied - and the professional German army cracked in 1918 with huge numbers of men surrendering and deserting. While the British Army made up of non-professionals kept their discipline.

My Grandma's dad was killed at Ypres (not sure which of the battles). She went to Belguim to try and find his grave about 25 years ago. Turned out that he didn't have a grave so was one of the unknown soldiers who was obliterated miles away from home and wasn't even given a grave - probably because there wasn't much left to bury. My Grandma was Scottish and her Mother was made homeless after WW1 due to the head of the home being killed in WW1 so she came down to the North East to try and find some sort of work and was put in a poor house. Not nice but I suppose it shows how even in the most desperate of circumstances life goes on and children are born who live and lives and have other children. But if life will go on regardless then what's the point of war?

My gran and great gran were placed in the poorhouse after my great grandfather (who was in the Navy) was lost overboard during battle.

the.dark.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 1:11:34 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

My gran and great gran were placed in the poorhouse after my great grandfather (who was in the Navy) was lost overboard during battle.

the.dark.

Jutland?

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/6/2009 1:49:54 PM

RCdc

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NorthernGent

quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

My gran and great gran were placed in the poorhouse after my great grandfather (who was in the Navy) was lost overboard during battle.

the.dark.

Jutland?

No, Heligoland Bight.

the.dark.

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RE: Harry Patch (1898-2009) - 8/8/2009 10:21:40 AM

susie

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Darcyandthedark

quote:

ORIGINAL: susie

Anyone travelling to Normandy should take the time to visit the trenches. It is a chilling experience standing in the museum and seeing helmets and cutlery dug up from the surrounding area. Or visit the war cemetries in the area and it will bring home the number that were lost during that time.

I also watched who do you think you are with Chris Moyles a couple of weeks back, visiting the fields of Ypres after discovering his great grand father was there. Very moving. Just walking the fields, you can still just find belt buckles and buttons just lying on the soil.

the.dark.