Archive for July, 2010
The Destruction of Ypres During The First World War
Posted by: | CommentsDuring The First World War, the age-old Belgium market town of Ypres was in a strategically crucial spot near the British front lines and it is among the more infamous areas along the Western Front a result of the horrendous battles which occurred here.
The city had been in the centre of the Ypres Salient, an area of the lines protruding towards German lines. Historically, Ypres could possibly be traced back to the 12th century. Regardless of ages of fighting and occupation, Ypres grew but the outbreak of The First World War, the town under German occupation.
The 1st Battle of Ypres in the course of October and November 1914 saw Britain and her Allies retake Ypres from the German Army and irrespective of heavy fighting around Ypres until finally World War I finished in 1918, the Germans did not retake the town.
Nevertheless, for the duration of the 4 years of The First World War, the city took a fearful cost while four big battles took place about here. During the Second Battle of Ypres in April and May 1915, the Germans recaptured the high ridge towards the east of the town. The region contained the village of Passchendaele.
In 1917, one of the most deadly struggles of the First World War happened. The 3rd Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele saw Britain and her Allies recapture the high ground unfortunately for a terrible cost. Between July and November 1917, there was over half a million dead and injured on both sides and Ypres was just about destroyed by German heavy guns.
The well-known Cloth Hall and many other properties were destroyed and years of heritage were gone. In 1933, reconstruction started on the Cloth Hall and it was eventually finished in 1967 having been meticulously rebuilt to restore its heritage. Nowadays, the Cloth Hall in Ypres houses the In Flanders Fields Museum.
During The First World War, the Menin Gate was no more than an exit cut from the eastern ramparts of Ypres. The majority of troops would’ve gone through this exit en route towards the front lines. In 1927, the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled. It commemorates the names of around 54,000 soldiers who are still missing on the battlegrounds in and around the Ypres Salient and each night, the Last Post ceremony takes place here at 8pm by the grateful citizens of Ypres.
Frank Bourne Rorkes Drift Veteran
Posted by: | CommentsThe Battle of Rorkes Drift is certainly one of the most well known battles from the background of the British army. It had been at this small mission station along the border of Zululand and Natal where four thousand Zulu warriors attacked the garrison of less than 140 British soldiers. The soldiers battled for their lives all night and by morning, the Zulus had gone. The top award for gallantry from the British Army is the Victoria Cross and the Battle of Rorkes Drift saw 12 VCs awarded, greater than in every other individual action in history.
The struggle was depicted in the Stanley Baker film “Zulu” and one of the leading characters who performed heroically at Rorkes Drift, ultimately didn’t receive a Victoria Cross. Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and that is ranked 2nd behind the Victoria Cross. On top of that, Bourne was also offered a commission though he turn it down. As he was the 8th son in his family, there wasn’t any money to be had and this would be a time when money was used to acquire commissions for officers from the British Army.
All the same, Bourne was destined to be a career soldier and a very good one as well. Just after South Africa, he was posted to India and Burma prior to finally earning his commission eleven years following the Battle of Rorkes Drift. He finally retired from the British Army in 1907. Simply seven years afterwards, The Great War broke out and so Bourne re-enlisted in the army. By the end of the Great War in 1918, he had risen to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and was made an OBE. He left the military again, this time once and for all.
Because of the actor who portrayed Bourne in the motion picture Zulu, a lot of folks considered Frank Bourne to have been in his mid-50s during the time of the Battle of Rorkes Drift but in simple fact he was simply twenty four years old. Immediately after the end of The First World War, he lived in old age in Beckenham, South London and he was the last survivor of Rorkes Drift to pass away at the age of 91 on 8th May 1945, the day the Second World War in Europe ended.
Review about the TV mini-series Band of Brothers
Posted by: | CommentsThe mini series Band of Brothers is thought to be certainly one of the recommended warfare motion pictures ever created. Based on the book by Stephen Ambrose, the ten parts recount the actual story from the soldiers of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Regiment of the American 101st Airborne. The mini series gets under way with their basic training at Toccoa, Georgia just before heading over to Great Britain as they prepare for a part with the D-Day Landings in Northern France.
Each episode gets going by interviewing veterans of Easy Company. The men discuss their war time experiences which the episode covers although at this stage, the veterans are not identified. Even if the veterans are not identified, the episodes tells you about the figures early on and the actors are superbly cast meaning it is effortless to relate with them from the outset.
While the action scenes are filmed brilliantly, the reason Band of Brothers stand out from a great many other war films is that often it brings forth the private experiences so very well. For instance, in episode two just before Easy are due to drop into Northern France, undoubtedly one of the soldiers, Bill Guarnere, discovers his brother was killed at Montecassino.
The 10 episodes convey the stories of Easy Company starting with their basic training prior to heading into action in Normandy and on to the village of Carentan. Episode four sees the roll-out of replacement soldiers into Easy and illustrates the hardships they have being accepted by the veterans of Normandy as the soldiers take part in Operation Market Garden.
The next two episodes cover the build up plus the fighting at Bastogne for the duration of the Battle of the Bulge. By now a number of Easy Company are at breaking point and it is the subject of episode seven. While the war in Europe nears the finish, there’s a final patrol for Easy Company. The horrors of war are underlined the minute the men come across a concentration camp. The last episode sees Easy Company head into Austria where they capture the Eagle’s Nest high in the mountains at Berchtesgaden.
The series finishes with interviews with the men of Easy Company and eventually identifies the men that viewers now know during the ten episodes of Band of Brothers.
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The Best United States Army Has To Offer
Posted by: | CommentsArmy Special Forces are the best of the best. They are soldiers who are way more than soldiers; they must know not only how to fight, but how to win hearts and minds and generate goodwill towards the United States. Special Forces training is the hardest course the Army offers, such that only those ranked Sergeant and above are able to even apply.
This is as a Special Forces soldier must be terribly mature in his thinking. Special Forces isn’t about firefights, though they receive lots of weapons training above and beyond that of regular soldiers, even those in the infantry. Army Special Forces is about conducting strategic behind-the-lines operations targeted at making a contribution to the broader mission of the US. Whereas most soldiers are deployed tactically, Army Special Forces are used strategically, with a view towards the long-term. This may mean years, and it usually works out that way.
Special Forces training can be well over 12 months long ; depending on the precise role the infantryman is to play in a Special Forces unit, known as a Detachment. Each Special Forces man is cross-trained in the specialisations of his comrades, but will have his very own first duty, such as ordnance, medical, or communications. As mentioned previously, Special Forces training is the hardest the Army has to supply, such that there’s a weeks-long qualification course before even being accepted for training proper!
And in contrast to other Army training courses, the Special Forces programme will involve deliberate torture physical as well as mental. This is to familiarize potential Special Forces staff with the conditions they may face if captured ; remember that these men are to operate behind enemy lines, often fomenting and abetting insurrection. It is not an exaggeration at all to explain the training as savage, but it by such education that the Special Forces has gotten so fearful a force multiplier.
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