WW1: Battle of the Somme 1916
video description
Date: 2022-09-12
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 20
Nem
I once met an old Canadian guy, whose grandfather was at the Somme as a British soldier. He arrived with a reinforcement group, and they were guided into their position in the middle of the night. As they were walking, he saw mountains around them, and wondered how's that possible, as Flanders is all flat land. When the morning came, he saw those were piles of dead bodies.
During ceasefires, they were often sent to no man's land to bury the dead. So were the Germans. It had to be done in a hurry, as time was limited. Very often they buried wounded soldiers alive. They were still moaning, sometimes even talking. Both sides were doing it, and they pretended not to notice.
reply
I once met an old Canadian guy, whose grandfather was at the Somme as a British soldier. He arrived with a reinforcement group, and they were guided into their position in the middle of the night. As they were walking, he saw mountains around them, and wondered how's that possible, as Flanders is all flat land. When the morning came, he saw those were piles of dead bodies.
During ceasefires, they were often sent to no man's land to bury the dead. So were the Germans. It had to be done in a hurry, as time was limited. Very often they buried wounded soldiers alive. They were still moaning, sometimes even talking. Both sides were doing it, and they pretended not to notice.
reply
Stephen
My mother lost three uncles at the Somme before she was born. Her father was youngest of 13 and was in active service throughout WW1 but survived. He remained a private all through the war in order to be less attractive to snipers. One result of the casualty levels of WW1 was it left openings for survivors to get work and careers for which there would never have been openings if so many had not died. Grandpa went on to escape from his expected life of heavy labouring and became Deputy Chief Constable in Liverpool. He re-enlisted in WW2 during which he was a colonel in Military Police and was a senior figure in immediate post D-Day establishment of civil order in France
reply
My mother lost three uncles at the Somme before she was born. Her father was youngest of 13 and was in active service throughout WW1 but survived. He remained a private all through the war in order to be less attractive to snipers. One result of the casualty levels of WW1 was it left openings for survivors to get work and careers for which there would never have been openings if so many had not died. Grandpa went on to escape from his expected life of heavy labouring and became Deputy Chief Constable in Liverpool. He re-enlisted in WW2 during which he was a colonel in Military Police and was a senior figure in immediate post D-Day establishment of civil order in France
reply
JP
It begins bad. .French troops participated at the somme offensive till the day 1 and they did perform better than british one, sad but true. The offensive ratio of troops was only slightely inf avour of british (55% british over 45 % of French. in the south of the Somme french troops launched simultaneously a strong offensive over Germans. And the global offensive was decided from both sides of the Somme river. But as usual, when it's to say that French were EQUALLLY courageous, anglo-sphere felt itself obliged to minimise, to lie or to hide the truth. everyone knows French have always been cowards in every conflicts which happened.
reply
It begins bad. .French troops participated at the somme offensive till the day 1 and they did perform better than british one, sad but true. The offensive ratio of troops was only slightely inf avour of british (55% british over 45 % of French. in the south of the Somme french troops launched simultaneously a strong offensive over Germans. And the global offensive was decided from both sides of the Somme river. But as usual, when it's to say that French were EQUALLLY courageous, anglo-sphere felt itself obliged to minimise, to lie or to hide the truth. everyone knows French have always been cowards in every conflicts which happened.
reply
artistjoh
My grandfather was there. He was 17 years old. He came back with a metal plate in his cranium, and one leg shorter than the other and a metal pin down it. He was a machine gunner and was wounded by a shrapnel shell exploding above him. I have huge respect for his courage and sacrifice.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.
reply
My grandfather was there. He was 17 years old. He came back with a metal plate in his cranium, and one leg shorter than the other and a metal pin down it. He was a machine gunner and was wounded by a shrapnel shell exploding above him. I have huge respect for his courage and sacrifice.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.
reply
Drive
Clarification: the colonial troops in question are naval infantry units initially stationed in North Africa and repatriated to France for the Great War. They are almost exclusively French people from metropolitan areas. They were shock troops, extremely seasoned. The 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco will become the most decorated regiment in France (and probably in the world) during the 1st World War. And it remains so until today!
reply
Clarification: the colonial troops in question are naval infantry units initially stationed in North Africa and repatriated to France for the Great War. They are almost exclusively French people from metropolitan areas. They were shock troops, extremely seasoned. The 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment of Morocco will become the most decorated regiment in France (and probably in the world) during the 1st World War. And it remains so until today!
reply
Luboman411
The Battle of the Somme, along with all the major battles of WWI on the Western Front, will not have the speed and valor of the Napoleonic Wars, which is how I got to know Epic History TV. This is going to be the deeply depressing waste of hundreds of thousands of young lives, snuffed out to get a few square kilometers of land. This is how the modern world is birthed upon the Earth.
reply
The Battle of the Somme, along with all the major battles of WWI on the Western Front, will not have the speed and valor of the Napoleonic Wars, which is how I got to know Epic History TV. This is going to be the deeply depressing waste of hundreds of thousands of young lives, snuffed out to get a few square kilometers of land. This is how the modern world is birthed upon the Earth.
reply
Nicholas
I remember watching another documentary about the battle of the Somme and hearing about how one of the German machine-gunners had to simply stop and abandon his post after a certain point because he could no longer stand the act of what he was doing to so many of the British troops who were throwing their lives away right in front of him!
reply
I remember watching another documentary about the battle of the Somme and hearing about how one of the German machine-gunners had to simply stop and abandon his post after a certain point because he could no longer stand the act of what he was doing to so many of the British troops who were throwing their lives away right in front of him!
reply
Zaphod
I remember in basic training we were always told to remember our training and we'd be ok. I have a feeling this wasn't the case in WWI. You could literally go at any moment from artillery, chemical attacks, snipers, machine guns, etc. At any given moment, there could be 20 different ways to die and you couldn't do a damn thing about it.
reply
I remember in basic training we were always told to remember our training and we'd be ok. I have a feeling this wasn't the case in WWI. You could literally go at any moment from artillery, chemical attacks, snipers, machine guns, etc. At any given moment, there could be 20 different ways to die and you couldn't do a damn thing about it.
reply
education
How tf do you trick a bunch of people to run out in front of machine guns? All at the wimb of a few people in power truly insane humans are. We could so easily just throw down all the weapons even destroy every last one of them and help each other in all ways. Instead we keep killing and stealing from each other truly madness.
reply
How tf do you trick a bunch of people to run out in front of machine guns? All at the wimb of a few people in power truly insane humans are. We could so easily just throw down all the weapons even destroy every last one of them and help each other in all ways. Instead we keep killing and stealing from each other truly madness.
reply
Hugh
Ask folks from NewFoundland about Beaumont Hamel. absolute slaughter and Haig should have been charged with War Crimes. minimum removed from command. My Granddad served CEF was wounded in the Somme and Courcelette, then served in WWII with Canadian Scottish (Princess Mary's) while my Dad Served HMCS and my Uncle John RCAF
reply
Ask folks from NewFoundland about Beaumont Hamel. absolute slaughter and Haig should have been charged with War Crimes. minimum removed from command. My Granddad served CEF was wounded in the Somme and Courcelette, then served in WWII with Canadian Scottish (Princess Mary's) while my Dad Served HMCS and my Uncle John RCAF
reply
Corsair
2 of my great grandfathers fought at the Somme. One took a bullet through his eye at an angle, and lived the rest of his life wearing an eye patch over the wound. The other died.
The flower of English youth were thrown into the fire in that war, and we never recovered. A tragedy beyond reason
reply
2 of my great grandfathers fought at the Somme. One took a bullet through his eye at an angle, and lived the rest of his life wearing an eye patch over the wound. The other died.
The flower of English youth were thrown into the fire in that war, and we never recovered. A tragedy beyond reason
reply
stevejh69
Such a terrible waste of life. If left to the troops, they could probably have settled it on Christmas day with a soccer match. But like today, the politicians get involved and the slaughter starts.
All available French reserves, or a Company of British soldiers, much the same thing!
reply
Such a terrible waste of life. If left to the troops, they could probably have settled it on Christmas day with a soccer match. But like today, the politicians get involved and the slaughter starts.
All available French reserves, or a Company of British soldiers, much the same thing!
reply
Julian
Apparently it was the type of shell used that left the barbed wire untouched. It was thought a heavier bombardment would work, but the High Command discovered afterwards that the blast from the HE shells went through the gaps in the wire, instead of shrapnel which would have cut the wire.
reply
Apparently it was the type of shell used that left the barbed wire untouched. It was thought a heavier bombardment would work, but the High Command discovered afterwards that the blast from the HE shells went through the gaps in the wire, instead of shrapnel which would have cut the wire.
reply
Shadow
Its easy to see in hindsight that actions were or werent worth the cost. They werent playing video games with overhead views and clear markers with colored lines. Takes intelligence to step back and see what these decision makers were actually faced with.
reply
Its easy to see in hindsight that actions were or werent worth the cost. They werent playing video games with overhead views and clear markers with colored lines. Takes intelligence to step back and see what these decision makers were actually faced with.
reply
Matthew
I never understood why each side continued to conduct attacks, thinking they had a better plan than the last. If just one side chose to instead remain in defense and just out attrit the enemy the war would have looked differently.
reply
I never understood why each side continued to conduct attacks, thinking they had a better plan than the last. If just one side chose to instead remain in defense and just out attrit the enemy the war would have looked differently.
reply
5ynth3tic
One thing I haven't heard about is why it never occurred to the germans to fire artillery behind the creeping barrages.
The troops are out, following the friendly shells and them BAM counter battery hits the troops.
reply
One thing I haven't heard about is why it never occurred to the germans to fire artillery behind the creeping barrages.
The troops are out, following the friendly shells and them BAM counter battery hits the troops.
reply
youngmarblegiant83
The video is great but fails to address (and even makes excuses for) the cause of the slaughter: embarrassing british military incompetence at all levels. Haig should have been hanged.
reply
The video is great but fails to address (and even makes excuses for) the cause of the slaughter: embarrassing british military incompetence at all levels. Haig should have been hanged.
reply
education
my great grandpa fought in the somme, never talked about it and I didnt even find out until after his passing in 2019. words cant even describe how it must have been in this horrible war
reply
my great grandpa fought in the somme, never talked about it and I didnt even find out until after his passing in 2019. words cant even describe how it must have been in this horrible war
reply
Nicholas
It's a huge deal to me when historians leave out the fact that all the empires of Europe of WWI were fighting over the resources of Africa. Oh no no let's not bring that up.
reply
It's a huge deal to me when historians leave out the fact that all the empires of Europe of WWI were fighting over the resources of Africa. Oh no no let's not bring that up.
reply
Julio
The moment when the narrator says they learned vital lessons on how to fight on the western front. I wish we wouldve learned vital lessons to never again have to fight again.
reply
The moment when the narrator says they learned vital lessons on how to fight on the western front. I wish we wouldve learned vital lessons to never again have to fight again.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
