Why We Remember

I have just finished reading a book entitled “Somme” by Lyn Macdonald. The book was written in 1983, so it is probably not readily available.  It is the result and advantage of haunting used book stores over the years. It tells the story of the battle of the same name in 1916.  It does not dwell much about the grand strategy of the battle, nor does it glorify the generals who planned and led it.  In fact it is only kind to a very few senior officers, most of them Colonels and Brigadier who showed some compassion for the men.  Instead it tells the story mainly through the eyes of the soldiers . . . and sailors, for a Royal Naval Division took part in the battle. In fact, although the whole episode comprised several battles, they have all been lumped under the same name, the Somme.

It was the “Big Push”, the battle that was to relieve the pressure on the French who were fighting for their lives at Verdun.  It was also supposed to be the big breakthrough, the battle to break the German line and open up the front for rolling up the German Army lines. In fact, a British Cavalry Corps rested behind the line waiting to exploit the breakthrough.  When the battle was petering out in late October, the Cavalry returned once more to their winter quarters, never used.

It was almost exclusively a British battle, although some “colonial” units did take part, namely from New Zealand, Australia and Newfoundland, then a British colony.  Even today, Newfoundlanders mourn the day when over 700 men of their regiment attacked Beaumont Hamel, and less than 100 survived.  It was a long, bloody fight and it took an awful toll on the men who fought in it, on both sides.  It began on July 1^st, 1916 when 150,000 British troops when “over the top” in what everyone thought was a well-planned attack.  The day ended with 57,000 British casualties, over one third of them dead.  The carnage continued for over four months with attack after attack.  The total ground gained was about five miles deep and eight miles wide, hardly a breakthrough.  The battle petered out on 21 November when the last fifteen members of a company of ninety young men from Paisley, Scotland (where my Mother lived before she was dislocated by the 2^nd World War), who had been trapped behind the German line for a week, finally surrendered.  

I have previously read a book about the French battle at Verdun, resulting from an attack initiated by the Germans, which resulted in over a quarter million casualties.  Or how about the Gallipoli campaign that caused almost one hundred thousand deaths among the allied troops who weren’t able to advance a yard from their initial trenches.

It is hard to quote such numbers and even harder to understand them so is it any wonder that most of the belligerent countries chose to initiate a Remembrance Day on the anniversary of the end of that war.  There had been small ceremonies to remember previous battles, usually by old soldiers and localized in nature.  But it took that one great war (I cannot bring myself to capitalize those words) to give us pause enough to declare a national day of remembrance in several countries. 

Should the day be a national holiday?  If we really are serious about remembering those who gave their lives in all the wars of the 20^th Century, which we now do, and even the most recent wars of this century, then yes it should be so designated.  But if we really do want to make it important to all ages, it should come with the proviso that all work activities stop for the day, including schools, all shops (including “special tourist shopping” exemptions), and all but essential services.  In addition, we must make sure that there are programs for all ages to ensure the special nature of the day.  We must differentiate our programs by honouring of the warriors, but not glorifying war.  We must ensure that people understand the terrible toll that war takes on individuals and on societies.  War is hell, let’s not forget that.