Thiepval - Memorial to the Missing

When you visit the Tyne Cott visitor centre it is possible to make use of a computer database that lists the names, regiments, and final resting places of all those individuals who perished in the conflict. I curiously entered my own name into the programme and found the details of two men who bore the same name as I but never returned home. Delving deeper into the records I was able to find out where one of the men was from, where he died, and also a brief paragraph that gave some details of his family background. Of the other chap there was only information on the regiment he was with, where he died, and his final resting place, in this case Thiepval. I couldn't find any mention of his family so I presumed that he didn't have any. The thought of his memory passing in to history with no-one to spare a thought for what he endured made me feel melancholic so I decided I would travel to Thiepval, find his name, and pay my respects.

As is the case with most of the major war monuments it it visible from quite a distance away and is an imposing structure that rises from the tree line very sombrely. The names of nearly 74,000 British and French soldiers are inscribed on it with each name representing someone who died in the first battle of the Somme and who have no known final resting place.

After about 20 minutes of searching the columns I found my name sake. It was a sad experience as this man was 8 years younger than me when he died and I could not comprehend the kind of life that he had lived up until that point. Etched just above was his name in stone was "Ancre Heights". Upon further investigation I read that this battle took place in October 1916 and was an attempt to break the stalemate that had been in effect since July of the same year. More information can be found by following this link http://www.cwgc.org/somme/content.asp?menuid=31&id=31&menuname=Ancre%20Heights&menu=main .

I often contemplate what he would of made of my life and I hope that I have done justice to his name. Despite having never met him, last year on the 11th of November I visited our local war memorial and spent a minute thinking of him. I intend to do the same this year.

September 07

Last year we went to Belgium to watch the Grand Prix which was being held at Spa-Francorchamps. The race itself was rather processional but the nature of track made it a joy to watch. The topography of the place made for a unique viewing experience and the enthusiastic crowd, made up of Brits, Germans, Belgians, French, Italians, & Poles all barracked for their respective teams and drivers with great abandon. Perhaps Formula 1 should be considered the UN of the sports world.

Going to Belgium (via France) to watch the race was not the only reason we had for going. For a long time I have had an interest in the first world war and took the opportunity to visit as many war cemeteries as I could. Whilst the events of 1939 - 1945 are fresher in the mind for alot of people I am aware of the fact that the earlier conflict is perhaps fading into history as each member of that generation comes to rest.

I feel that my generation, who have never experienced war on our doorstep, are too quick to dismiss it as something that doesn't affect us and have become numb to the horrors of total devastation. We can see brief snippets from Iraq or Afghanistan on you-tube and then re-enact them on our Xboxes safe in the knowledge that we can respawn at any time

How I see Europe

When I stop to look at the political climate of the UK I have a deep sense of foreboding dread. The ever expanding EU has resulted in a populous who are now living on each others door steps but not passing the time of day with each other. The indigenous population feels hard done by and the imported cultures feel victimised and unwanted. To an extent both sides are correct in their thinking, but neither are proposing any realistic solutions to the problem. There has been much written about the effects of immigration and I for one have become rather fatigued by both sides of the argument.

Europe is a very old place with a jumbled history and many contradictory ways of life. The two world wars at the start of the century have shaped it to such an extent that it can be argued we are still feeling the effects of them. The old guard of Europe, namely, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, & Germany have all have all been shaped by the the events of the early twentieth century and old rivalries are still very much apparent. How many times have you heard of people expressing their disdain for all things German? The joke shared between two Englishmen stating that "France is a lovely place. It's a shame it's full of French" is still met with much laughter. In my opinion this is a good thing as we can all make light of each others differences.

In Britain it is common knowledge that the rest of Europe views us as a nation who are proud to be a pain in the arse. Our present generation is notorious for being the worst behaved when on holiday and our delusion that every English sporting team is better than everyone elses is chortled at in equal to jokes about the Germans in England. A Dutch colleague often jokes that English teams are rubbish at their respective sport, but the English fans make up for it by winning their fights after each game. But we manage to get along and havent had any wars for a long time so I guess we must be doing something right.