Remembrance
Stephen's sent me some truly moving photos for Remembrance Sunday. There's always something profoundly sad about seeing rows and rows of graves of young men but it's when one stops looking at the whole, and begins to see the individuals behind the sea of white stones that they are most powerful.
Stephen says, "Gunner Pierce from Canada probably never met Private Hammond from New Zealand, but for over ninety years now they've been neighbours in a quiet corner of the London Borough of Greenwich."
We know practically nothing about these two young soldiers - save that they died within a couple of months of each other in 1916. Where or how, who knows - but I'll wager it wasn't a pleasant death.Stephen points out "The very least they could have asked was that they'd not be forgotten," so here, today, let us say their names out loud, honour and remember them alongside the thousands of others, not just in the Commonwealth section of Greenwich Cemetery but scattered across the world. Individuals, each of them.
Like Private J D Thistle who fell on 3rd July 1916 aged just seventeen.
I wish I could say we'd learnt from the past. But today of all days, we must not forget. 
Labels: Greenwich cemetery, Greenwich People, Places of Interest
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
12:58
3 Comments:
Phantom, a moving piece and photos. Can you tell me where the cemetery is? I've studied this war at University, recently, and the dead were buried in the ground where they fell...eventually, or in War Graves Commission cemeterys nearby. It looks like Pvt Thistle was wounded either just before or on the first days of the battle of the Somme
(1/7/16) and was brought home where he died of wounds.
As a final reminder to those who aren't aware - around 20,000 British and Dominion soldiers were killed on the first day of the Somme and 75,000 or so wounded or posted missing.
Most in the first two hours.
Here's a map, Wolfe
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=542446&y=176249&z=1&sv=542446,176249&st=OSGrid&lu=N&tl=~&ar=y&bi=~&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
The photographs were taken at Greenwich Cemetery which is a good way up Shooters Hill close to the Herbert Pavillions.
This enclavement is here either because of its proximity to the Woolwich Barracks and possibly because the resident regiment waas charged with the task of providing burials to a large number of serviceman.
The Herbert Pavillions did, I think, act once as a military hospital but I am doubtful that these men are here having died at the hospital. I could be wrong.
I'll have to do further research.
SM
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home