The Somme Comes To Exeter

[debris4spike]

Further to my post of the 30th June, Jiffy and I went into Exeter on the bus this morning (he loves that!).  We went to The Somme 19240 display. It is in the Northernhay Park, and only there for the week, so we were lucky the weather was great this morning.

The display has taken over 3 years, and is of 19240 twelve inch dolls sewn into a shroud. Over the day the names of those 19240 men is read out, with their regiment and age ... and, yes, this was the number of Commonwealth deaths on that July 1st 1926. Even seeing it this morning, it is hard to visualize that many men ... but here are a few photos for you to look at ....







As you can see they are all different ... not a number, but a person

Comments

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

Wow. That is a powerful, moving installation. The different positioning of the bodies in their shrouds is very effective.

[debris4spike]

It is but stunning and sobering.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

It's very shocking to see the deaths represented isn't it?

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

[elisi]

That's incredible. I don't really have any words, but thank you for sharing.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Astonishing carnage - I'm just reading "Goodbye to All That", which has a lot of memories of WWI.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

[double_dutchess]

What a good way of paying homage to the fallen, and impress the immmense size of the carnage upon the audience.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh my - that is very, very, powerful.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

[missus-grace.livejournal.com]

Sobering to look at.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

[kindredspirit75.livejournal.com]

I read a clip about this project. Didn't ralize it was so close to you. Thank you for sharing a somber piece of history.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

It is "nice" when things are actually organised in the smaller cities, rather than London, or similar

[cordykitten]

Wow impressive. It makes it more real, that number, to see all the dolls.

[debris4spike]

So many lost ... so many families affected

I have been to the cemeteries years ago, but this many in one day

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I was reading about the Somme this weekend as well, but of the Newfoundland regiment.

"At 8:45 a.m. the Newfoundland Regiment and 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment received orders to move forward. The Newfoundland Regiment was situated at St. John's Road, a support trench 250 yards behind the British forward line and out of sight of the enemy. Movement forward through the communication trenches was not possible because they were congested with dead and wounded men and under shell fire. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Lovell Hadow, the battalion commander, decided to move immediately into attack formation and advance across the surface, which involved first navigating through the British barbed wire defences. As they breasted the skyline behind the British first line, they were effectively the only troops moving on the battlefield and clearly visible to the German defenders. Subjected to the full force of the 119th (Reserve) Infantry Regiment, most of the Newfoundland Regiment who had started forward were dead, dying or wounded within 15 to 20 minutes of leaving St. John's Road trench. Most reached no further than the Danger Tree, a skeleton of a tree that lay in No Man's Land that was being utilized as a landmark. So far as can be ascertained, 22 officers and 758 other ranks were directly involved in the advance. Of these, all the officers and 658 other ranks became casualties. Of the 780 men who went forward only about 110 survived unscathed, of whom only 68 were available for roll call the following day. For all intents and purposes the Newfoundland Regiment had been wiped out, the unit as a whole having suffered a casualty rate of approximately 90 percent. The only unit to suffer greater casualties during the attack was the 10th (Service) Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), attacking west of Fricourt village.

[debris4spike]

My Grandfather was in the Northamptonshire Regt. During these months he ended up serving with the ANZACs as so many of his regiment died.

Thank you for that news ... so much death, so much sadness in the families and loved ones.

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

Wow!

That's stunningly effective and very moving

[debris4spike]

Such a simple concept - but such a powerful image