the last tommy.
 

just watched a very sad/ marvellous programme on the last tommy,based on actual accounts by living people- all 100 - 109 years old, of coarse i now know quite a bit about the first world war, but what dawned on me was i learnt NOTHING about it or ww2 while i was at school,history was all 1066/ julius ceasar etc, the conditions these people endured- people who everybody can relate to in some way seemed to me to be ignored at school, i think this is wrong,and should be taught, just maybe there would be more respect and i'm talking from all generations not just the young! don't really know if its included these days,but it wasn't when my kids were at school.i sincerly hope these people are never forgotten not many left now.:engsmil:

Re: the last tommy.
 

saw it, totally agree. The horror rather than the glamour of war came through. Left me thinking that their is a movie within their stories. I dont think the silver screen has ever captured the realities expresssed in this documentary.

Re: the last tommy.
 

Over the last few weeks I have seen a some of these programs and it was horrifying to think that we sent or soldiers into that mess. Worse still was that the General Staff were so disengaged from the reality that when a high ranking General went to the mud bath he wept because he couldnt believe they did that to men. Cant rember his name but have it somewere.

Re: the last tommy.
 

I watched the programme too. Fascinating and very poignant. A very moving moment indeed when 109-year-old Harry Patch went to an old battlefield site and shook hands with one of his German adversaries.

Like you, Mr C, I was never taught about the history of the world wars at school. However, I think things may be different now, as my daughter is currently studying the Battle of the Somme in her history class.

Re: the last tommy.
 

Wonder if not being taught it at school was through shame? I did a project at school with an essay on the battle of the Somme before the days of the internet and had to dig and spend time at the library to do it. If the internet has done something its opened up the world of learning to kids and adults alike.

Re: the last tommy.
 

thats encouraging wynonie, not before time! but i wonder are the schools suppling the information? or like spug says for his project he had to dig at the library etc.

Re: the last tommy.
 

I wish when I did mine I had access to the ammount of info available on the web it would have been a lot easier. Wynonie hopes the project goes well for your daughter. :) :) :)

Re: the last tommy.
 

When I was being taught history at school in the early eighties we went up to 1939.

I hope children nowadays are taught history that is nearer in time, and learn about the true horror of war.

Yesterday is tomorrow's history. It will be interesting how historians look back at our present time, and the war on terrorism. Let's hope we win, though sadly most of us won't be round to see how it's written about, or the conclusions to be drawn.

Re: the last tommy.
 

speak for yourself rindy- i'm PETER PAN lol,seroiusly though thats an interesting thought.

Re: the last tommy.
 

It must have been awfull for some the men to have to go to war leaving girlfriends behind only to find themselves prisoners of war for years and their women thinking they had been killed in action. Imagine what it must have felt like to come home to find the women had moved on with their lives and married somebody else. And i bet it was the thought of those women who kept them going and alive. Must have really felt like a kick in the nuts for some of them.

Re: the last tommy.
 

Maybe he is turning into our resident philosipher or somrthing similar.
;)

Re: the last tommy.
 

Cheers, Spuggie. Hazel has been given a paper with quotes from various books, arguing both sides of the case - ie the generals were blithering idiots who sent their men to be butchered needlessly or the generals were victims of circumstances who made the best of a bad job and eventually secured victory for the allies. In the old days, you'd have to go and dig the books out, but now you just go on-line. I wish they'd had computers when I was at school - when I think of all the hours of sweat and toil I spent in Accy Library!

Re: the last tommy.
 

I didnt watch it. A simple reason I always cry at remembrance services and at the remembrance thing on the Saturday night before and anything to do with either of the world wars because they are so horrible. Mind you I always do watch the remembrance services on tv and the saturday night one because I think you cant forget them. But anything any else i cant watch even the eastenders on friday night i couldnt watch - I started watching it and started crying and left the room couldnt switch it over because mum was watching it.