1 July 1916

[Hearts Heritage]

[Hearts Heritage]

[Hearts Heritage]

[Hearts Heritage]

[Hearts Heritage]

[Hearts Heritage]

[Sharpie]

I am quite proud of my ancestral participation in WW1. My father served in the Gordon Highlanders. His brother my Uncle Bob (Robert Sharp) served in something like the Fife and Border Yeomanry, a photograph showed him in boots and breeches with ammunition bandolier. My Uncle Geordie as previously mentioned served in the Royal Scots, and my Uncle Jock started with some regiment in France contracted rheumatics and spent the war escorting German prisoners on a ship from Greenock to Nova Scotia. My mother a teenage girl from the Highlands spent the war in England working in the munitions. Her main story of that time was that the big relief from boredom was when the girls went into the press where the gunpowder was pushed into the shells, the area was highly dangerous but these young lasses would go in there to dare the shells to explode prematurely.I spent many hours of my early years( pre school at 5) being regaled my by mothers adventures as a young hielander in the heady days of a war especially close to Colchester a hive of young soldiers.

 

In the military vain, my grandfather Mackenzie was in the first not the famous Boer war. piper in the Seaforths. As a civilian his family of ten children would quake when the drunken John Mackenzie formerly of the Seaforths would come home drunk playing the pipes and kick the bejesus out of any of the ten who were stupid enough to get in his way. The whipping would be accompanied with comments about Kruger.

 

No wonder my mother when in the 70's when confronted by her sister and her American husband of sixty years, who were there to trace her sister's family, my mother told her better forget it you may not like what you find.

[Debtor]

It's great reading there Dave. The manner of the reports show no understanding of the actual fighting! The positive approach makes it appear somewhat 'cosy!' Then the early lists of the dead, add to this list the local papers lists and the slow way the names were released gives an understanding of how the information got out.

There again even with modern technology factual information is hard to obtain about any event today! We know more but understand just as little.

Good reading there, and the adverts are wonderful.

[Hearts Heritage]

I've put up the week from 1st to 8th July

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070101.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070301.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070401.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070502.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070601.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070701.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916070802.htm

 

Then the report 'CONTALMAISON WON AND LOST' 3rd Column from 8th July

 

 

 

[linkin- hearts]

While feeling sad at such a waste of life it also fills me with great admiration and pride that men of whatever nationality or persuasion were willing to sacrifice themselves for the future and wellbeing of generations to come. I, for one, will never forget. RIP all you brave, brave souls..

[Hearts Heritage]

Some more from July 1916

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916071001.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916071101.htm

 

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1916/1916071203.htm

[Debtor]

Thanks for that Dave. Great reading there.

In spite of the fighting life went on for many, often with little change. Others of course saw great changes at the time.

[Hearts Heritage]

I've put up the whole of July 1916 reports

 

and the ones from 11 November 1918

[Debtor]

I've put up the whole of July 1916 reports

 

and the ones from 11 November 1918

 

 

 

 

Cheers! Interesting scores with a team missing many players!

[ford donald]

Good evening, guys.

 

I know you're all distracted by the World Cup and Messrs Hartley, Bryson and Driver at the moment, but I wanted to remind everyone that Thursday sees the 94th Anniversary of the most important day in the history of Heart of Midlothian F.C.

 

 

 

 

 

Several players and several hundred supporters were killed or wounded in the ill-fated advance on Contalmaison on the Somme. The MB Trust will be in the village for our annual service of Remembrance - joined on this occasion by a number of lads from the Army Recovery Centre in Gilmerton, who have sustained recent injuries in Helmand.

 

I thought I'd start a wee thread for folk to leave their thoughts (if any) as we approach 1 July. It's been said by some fairly ignorant observers that Hearts fans imagine the club to be worthy of special consideration because of what happened in 1916. But the MB Trust and the Football Club have never lost sight of the fact that other clubs also lost players and supporters in substantial numbers.

 

The Hearts enlistment, however, was tragically unique. And the loss to the club (and to Edinburgh and the Lothians) as a result of 1/7/16 was correspondingly (and uniquely) severe. That's why the Haymarket Memorial (currently enjoying an unwanted and extended holiday) was built and that's why it's the only memorial of its kind in the world. HMFC doesn't require special consideration, but the players and supporters who joined up (and their grieving families) deserve undying respect from the whole of Scottish football (and beyond) for their bravery and sacrifice.

 

On Thursday, together with friends from Hibernian, Falkirk and Kirkcaldy, we will gather to remember Sir George and his boys. There will be no partisan triumphalism. (There never has been.) Just a restrained but fierce pride in the deeds of a bunch of lads from the east of Scotland ninety-four years ago.

 

The poem For the Fallen is well-known by those who attend such occasions. It was written by Lawrence Binyon in 1914. But the four familiar lines are only a small part of a much larger piece. The preceding verse might have been written for McCrae's - and so, on Thursday, we'll extend the recital:

 

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;

They fell with their faces to the foe.

 

They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Well done for reminding everyone,jack.We should never forget the hearts players and everyone else who gave up their lifes.Im sure everyone

who attends contalmaison will realise this.

[the general]

just back from this years ceremony at Contalmaison after a ten hours delay in Paris after our plane was hit by lightening :-(

9 of us travelled independently but must thank Jack for all his help and info,he really does a great job organising and highlighting the cairn and history of the battalion.

There was a pretty healthy turn out at the church in the beautiful wee village including both mayors,David Sutherland,Alan Anderson and various relatives and dignotories from both sides of the channel,on a gorgeous sunny day day the service seemed even more poignant- the centenary is in 6 years time and I really hope we get a huge turnout for that one.

[the general]

after laying the JKB wreath on your behalf we were invited into the town hall where 2 of the recent poppy shirts are proudly displayed in glass cases,Craig Gordon's donated by my late mate John Kerr

[the general]

I have a couple of pics albeit probably pretty basic if anyone wants to upload them for me I can email

[email protected]

cheers

[scots civil war]

yeah,get em up mate

 

would love to get pics and a report on how it all went

 

 

what was the itenary and what was the `surprises` Jack had in store? was it the underground cellars in Arras ??

[davemclaren]

after laying the JKB wreath on your behalf we were invited into the town hall where 2 of the recent poppy shirts are proudly displayed in glass cases,Craig Gordon's donated by my late mate John Kerr

 

 

They are proudly displayed in the town hall. I was there in 2008 and laid the JKB wreath - welcome to the exclusive club.

 

 

http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk405/davmclaren57/Contalmaison%202008/IMG_2807.jpg

[Debtor]

Pics from Kenny Taylor.

 

 

 

[Debtor]

More from Kenny Taylor

 

 

 

 

[Debtor]

More Kenny Taylor pics

 

 

 

[Debtor]

From Kenny Taylor

 

 

 

[Doctor FinnBarr]

Cracking pics.

 

[the general]

Ta for doing that mate will buy you a pint

[brownkg]

Any photos of the wreath from "Friends of Hearts great war memorial"?

[EC_Hearts]

Some images of the cairn and wreaths

[brownkg]

Thanks for that you have a PM