Category Archives: Our History

The Opening Day of the Somme

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Today is the one hundredth anniversary of one of the most tragic days in the history of our country, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme when, in a matter of hours, nearly 20,000 men lost their lives, with another 40,000 men wounded or missing.

This was no ordinary battle however. This was not a battle fought by professional soldiers (very few had survived the previous two years of the war) but was instead the day when the volunteer armies, recruited from all parts of Great Britain and Ireland (and, of course, from different parts of the old Empire) first faced military action. These were men and boys who, in a spirit of adventure, patriotic duty and youthful idealism signed up in the early days of the First World War to fight for their country.

They joined up together in their thousands (some youngsters lying about their age so as not to miss the adventure) from villages and towns throughout the land with many formed into “Pals Battalions” proudly taking on the name of their home towns, particularly in the north of England.

All of this helped to create and foster a strong spirit of camaraderie and loyalty. Tragically, it also meant that, when these young men were killed in action, whole communities would be devastated by their loss and women, waiting back home, would learn that they had lost their husbands, brothers and sons in one single day.

To put some perspective on the scale of the tragedy, the total British military deaths in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan amounted to 178 and 453 respectively. In fact, the total British deaths in all conflicts involving Britain since the end of the Second World War in 1945 amount to 7,145 (Figures produced by the Ministry of Defence, November 4th, 2014).

So, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916, nearly three times as many British men lost their lives as in the past 70 years combined. It is a sobering statistic and one that, in its enormity, is almost impossible to comprehend. It puts our own pampered lives and “troubles” in true and sharp perspective, that’s for sure.

False Credit

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Of all the recent nonsense spoken about Europe one of the standout pieces was the assertion by our Prime Minister that credit for the lasting peace on the continent since the end of World War II lies with the European Union.

The European Union may well provide comfort to France, which by 1940, had, on three separate occasions since 1870, suffered the indignity and humiliation of seeing German troops marching happily on French boulevards. It undoubtedly provides comfort too to a reunified German nation coming to terms with its brutal and savage past.

But as for providing the peace and security enjoyed by us all over the last 70 years Cameron needs to look west rather than east since the only reason a devastated post-war Europe was able to resist the Soviet Union and avoid further conflict was the strength and presence of the USA.

Today is the 72nd anniversary of D Day (June 6th 1944) the day when a huge force of Americans, aided by British and Canadian troops, began the invasion which, less than a year later, would bring peace to the continent and an end to Nazi tyranny. The cemeteries of Normandy bear witness to the sacrifice made by those men. Europe’s politicians would do well to not lose sight of that fact.

 

Mods and Rockers

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Last Sunday I was witness to the wonderful sight of groups of scooter riders heading along the highway to some reunion or other. There must have been well over a hundred of them, nearly all dressed in the traditional Parkas adorned with Union Flags, RAF roundels, The Who stickers and other memorabilia from the 1960s. These were the descendants of the 1960s Mods, proudly carrying the mantle handed down to them by parents and grandparents.

I remember, as a child, the Mods and Rockers on the seafront on hot 1960s sunny Bank Holiday Mondays. Bank Holidays were always hot and sunny in the ‘60s, weren’t they? Or do our memories play tricks with us as the years advance, causing us to remember only that which we wish to remember, forgetting about the bad?

Well, I remember those days well enough and remember too, the parental warnings to stay away from the Lambretta-riding Mods, dressed in the latest ‘60s fashion and their rivals, the scruffier Rockers, on their Triumphs, Nortons and BSA motorbikes. There was certainly no love lost between the two who seemed intent on knocking seven shades of whatever out of each other whenever they met up!

The question always remained though, and I thought of this as I watched those Mods last weekend, “Are you a Mod or a Rocker?” Both had their attractions and maybe it was best to reply, as Ringo Starr once famously did, “I’m a Mocker!” meaning neither one nor the other or both!

However, yesterday I saw a pristine black and silver Triumph Bonneville, a truly beautiful English machine, gleaming in the sunshine and, like an epiphany, I knew instantly which one I would have chosen – had I been old enough, of course!

American Irony

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In April, 1775, American colonists rebelled against the British Crown, declaring independence on July 4th, 1776 and freeing themselves of the shackles of empire.

When the war was finally over in 1783, hundreds of thousands, of the estimated one-third of colonists who had remained loyal to the Crown, fled the new country with many crossing the border to Canada.

Without doubt, the War of Independence proved to be an inspired success, with the USA developing into the most powerful, important and influential nation in the world.

How ironic that, nearly 240 years later, some American citizens, according to reports in the US media, are considering emigrating to Canada (thus submitting themselves once more to the British Crown!) so disenchanted are they by next November’s candidates in the Presidential election.

George Washington would be turning in his grave!

 

 

Happy Saint George’s Day!

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This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

(Taken from the speech by John of Gaunt, King Richard The Second, Act 2 Scene 1 by William Shakespeare who was born on this day 1564 and died 52 years later on the same day, 1616).

 

Mere Semantics

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There’s evidently been a bit of a to do Down Under following the decision by lecturers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney to no longer refer to Captain Cook’s voyage of exploration and its aftermath as a “discovery” but as an “invasion”. Some have accused the University of  political correctness but I’m not so sure.

I think we in the West can occasionally be guilty of viewing our past through rose-tinted spectacles although it is a natural human trait to try and paint ourselves in the best possible light. Using the British as an example (though it applies equally to France, Holland, Germany, the USA or any other imperialist power) we were taught that when things happened to us it was bad and when we did it to others it was good.

Thus, the Romans did not “discover” Britain, they “invaded” it. The Vikings did not “discover” the British Isles, they “conquered” large parts of the land following their sea-borne raids. However when the British sailed across the world to Australia or parts of Africa and then settled the land following their military defeat of indigenous peoples it was referred to as “discovery”.

It is no more than mere semantics with different words used to describe the same action and effect. It is also rank hypocrisy and political correctness has got nothing to do with it.

Jackass

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“It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes”

Those words, sadly so accurate, were spoken by Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the USA, nearly 200 years ago. They are both timeless and universal in nature and scope.

It was the anniversary of his birthday earlier this week and if his name doesn’t readily stand out to non-Americans it really should, particularly as far as the British are concerned for it was General Andrew Jackson who led the Americans to a famous victory over the British at New Orleans in January, 1815. Personally, I prefer to think of him as the face that graces the US $20 dollar note, not that I’m a bad loser or anything like that!

Jackson really was a larger than life character, a lawyer, a soldier, a gambler, a politician and a serial duellist. Reports vary as to how many duels the fiery tempered Jackson fought but it was well into double figures and, following one duel in which he killed his unfortunate opponent, he spent the remainder of his life with the man’s bullet lodged in his chest. His nickname, a testament to his tough nature, was “Old Hickory”.

Born in the Carolinas of Scots/Irish parents he hated the British with a passion which wasn’t surprising since, as a 13 year old courier for the rebels in the American War of Independence, he was struck by the sword of a British Army officer, causing wounds to his hand and scarring to his face, following Jackson’s refusal to polish the officer’s boots. His two brothers and mother died in that war.

He did have a softer caring side and was devoted to his wife, Rachel, whose honour he defended in at least one duel and who died just before he was about to be inaugurated as President. It was said that she was buried in the dress she was due to wear at that inauguration. Her loss devastated him and he was once prompted to declare that “Heaven will be no heaven to me if I do not meet my wife there.”

He was elected President for two terms and his nickname, “Jackass”, which though clearly intended to be uncomplimentary, was quite agreeable to him since he admired the stubborn and determined nature of donkeys. It is through Jackson that the Democratic Party has the animal as its logo.

His pugilistic nature failed to desert him even in later years and, when a would-be assassin failed in an attempt to shoot him in 1835, with both guns amazingly jamming, Jackson attacked him with his walking cane! He died peacefully 10 years later, aged 78.

As we say in the north of England, a proper bloke!

Soundtrack to Our Lives

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The news of the death of Sir George Martin, the “fifth Beatle” and the visionary behind much of what the greatest band the world has ever seen (or probably ever will see) was a sad blow to all who grew up listening to their music.

It is highly unlikely that the Beatles would have evolved the way they did without his guidance, imagination and musical genius. Who ever heard of a rock and roll band using orchestral strings in their music before George Martin did just that when he arranged and produced Lennon/McCartney’s (but mainly McCartney’s) “Yesterday” in 1965?

Musicians, music journalists and music experts from all over the world have paid tribute and continue to do so to George Martin and there is nothing much that we ordinary folk can add. Except perhaps gratitude that this gentleman, allowed those four boys from Liverpool, England to write the soundtrack to our lives. For that, we can be eternally thankful.

Carve Up

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I recently read an interesting article on countries unlikely to survive due to the artificiality of their borders. Several countries were mentioned but three stood out namely, Iraq, Syria and Libya.

In the last two centuries Africa and the Middle East were carved up by European colonial powers, such as France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Great Britain.

Tribes and groups of indigenous peoples, thousands of years old and with no cultural link were pulled apart or lumped together with no thought other than profit and how they would look on a map.

Iraq and Syria were created after the end of the First World War in 1918 by France and Britain and groups such as the Kurds, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims were forced to live together whether they wanted to or not.

Libya formerly consisted of three separate regions called, Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan. In the early 20th century Italy invaded North Africa and arbitrarily lumped the three regions together to form the new nation.

None of the peoples in any of those three countries wanted nationhood and until recently all were held together by brutal dictators, Saddam in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya and Assad in Syria. The first two were removed by Western action and the last, Syria, is in turmoil as Assad desperately clings on to power with Russian backing.

What a mess.

 

 

Shake It

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Today is February 29th, a rare day occurring once every four years, in what we know as leap years. Evidently adjustments have to be made to the calendar due to the time taken by the Earth to revolve around the Sun, or something like that. That’s all very well but what about the poor folk who were born on February 29th? They only get to eat birthday cake every four years.

One person with a February 29th birthday was a young Manchester woman called Ann Lee, who, in 1770, apparently following a vision, broke away from the Quaker church to form a new religious movement called the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. It was based on sexual equality, pacifism, a communal economy and celibacy. They were nicknamed the “Shaking Quakers” (sounds like a 1960s pop band to me) due to their ecstatic dancing, singing and shouting when at worship.

In 1774 Ann and her followers relocated to the USA (where else?) and the church exists to this very day but under the more recognisable name of the “Shakers”.

It all sounds fair enough if you like that sort of thing but one thing puzzles me. If all Shakers are celibate how have they been able to increase their membership and how come they are still in existence 250 years after their founding?