British Expeditionary Force 1914

A poem in remembrance of those who fell during the Battle of the Somme.

British Expeditionary Force 1914

Rows upon rows of white headstones glistening in the sun,

each the final home of a loved father, brother or son.

They died in a war of monarchist conquest,

the many and the best who are now at rest.

They had fought in the hope of a short war,

which then endured with a heightened score.

A death toll beyond any human belief,

left nations and families in deepest grief.

For some it was an adventure away from home,

to foreign parts where they were at liberty to roam.

They were waved 'au revoir' at local railway stations,

joyous crowds, anxious faces and moments of passion.

Few returned, wounded or shell shocked,

with broken bodies and minds firmly locked.

Others now lie in far off lands concealed in tombs of strife,

leaving only memories of their distant and unforgettable life.

Reviews

[andrew mitchell]

Nice work Vicente. I sometimes wonder with Gallipoli, how suicidal the sending of troops over the trenches to machine gunned down was a waste of good men. Why didn’t the officers find another method of fighting, it seemed so outdated back then. Sad, frustrating senseless war.

[Keith Jeffries]

d to account for the failure of Gallipoli. It was a misadventure to say the least. The Great War was further complicated by the advent of mechanised warfare which required new tactics. Thank you indeed for this comment

[Bhuyanshi Talukdar]

Your poem is a moving tribute to the many soldiers who lost their lives in a war of monarchist conquest. The way that you describe the rows of white headstones glistening in the sun is particularly poignant, and it speaks to the idea that war is a tragedy that leaves behind a trail of death and destruction. The contrast that you draw between the hope of a short war and the reality of a prolonged and devastating conflict is also very powerful, and it speaks to the idea that war is often a futile and destructive endeavor. The final lines of the poem are particularly moving, as they suggest that the memories of those who have passed on will endure, even as their physical bodies are laid to rest in far-off lands.

[Keith Jeffries]

Thank you for this comment. The Somme saw unprecedented casualties on the British side. My grandfather being one of them. He survived the war with a serious back injury. He described the battle as hell on earth. "2,000 were killed before lunch. Thank you again.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I have read that the Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of World War 1, and one of the bloodiest in all of human history. A destructive modern weaponry and failures by British leaders that led to the unprecedented slaughter of wave after wave of young men. You've eulogized them well, Vicente. So well!

[Keith Jeffries]

The Great War saw a time when warfare became mechanised. Change came hard un the relenting bombardment of the German artillery. Thank you for reading and commenting on this poem

[Keith Jeffries]

Andrew, Thank you for your comment. The Great War witnessed the incipient signs of mechanised warfare with the arrival of the tank, at a time when trench warfare was the 'modus operandi'. Casualties were incredibly high largely due to the use of gas warfare and more sophisticated artillery. The Great War also saw the demise of cavalry. Twenty years later tanks and armoured vehicles were in an abundance with the result of there being far fewer casualties. Having said that the present situation in the Ukraine has seen trench warfare resurrected with both the Russians and Ukrainians digging underground fortifications. Thank you for reading my poem.

[John the Baptist]

The first day on the Somme is regarded as the bloodiest day in the history of human warfare. And there was much, much more to come. This is a beautiful tribute to those who fell in "The War to End All Wars."