Past times
Battle of the Somme tribute
The Battle of the Somme began on July 1, 1916, and lasted until November 19. Those 141 days saw 19,240 Allied soldiers die on the first day alone. A field of poppy crosses at Serle’ s House was created as part of the 100th anniversary.
Lieutenant Colonel Colin Bulleid, secretary, The Royal Hampshire Regiment Trust, which is based at Serle’ s House, Winchester, said:“ There are 1,280 crosses – one for every member of the Hampshire Regiment who was killed during the Somme Campaign. The Regiment had just over 8,000 killed in the whole War.”
The nearby Peninsular Barracks site, adjacent to Winchester’ s Great Hall, is home to The Royal Green Jackets( Rifles) Museum, which opened in 1989 and is one of Winchester’ s five military museums.
With Centenary of First World
War events generating ongoing interest, the latter’ s new displays place great emphasis on the human dimension, the Home Front, the impact of the War upon families and Remembrance.
Running until September 11, there is a special exhibition,‘ Blood- Soaked Fields: Waterloo and the First Day of the Somme Compared’. www. serleshouse. co. uk www. rgjmuseum. co. uk
Aftermath
Siegfried Sassoon( 1886-1967) wrote Aftermath in 1919. The poem was read by Charles Dance during the Battle of the Somme commemoration at Thiepval Memorial.
Have you forgotten yet?… For the world’ s events have rumbled on since those gagged days, Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways: And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you’ re a man reprieved to go, Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare. But the past is just the same – and War’ s a bloody game … Have you forgotten yet?… Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you’ ll never forget. Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz – The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets? Do you remember the rats; and the stench
Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench –
And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain?
Do you ever stop and ask,‘ Is it all going to happen again?’
Do you remember that hour of din before the attack –
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads – those ashen-grey
Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay? Have you forgotten yet?… Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ ll never forget
50 Resident www. residentmagazine. co. uk