Den Done Did

'They had no conceit of themselves in a little, vain way, but they reckoned themselves the only fighting-men, simply, and without boasting. I liked the look of them, dusty up to the eyes in summer, muddy up to their eyes in winter—these gipsy fellows, scornful of discipline for discipline's sake, but desperate fighters, looking at life with frank, curious eyes, and a kind of humorous contempt for death and disease, and 'the whole damned show', as they called it.' - Philip Gibbs

Thursday, October 03, 2013

Prescience

Ypres. Cloth Hall. Circa 1915.

“Ten million lives were lost to the world in the last war, and they say that 70 million pounds was spent in the preliminary bombardment in the Battle of Ypres; before any infantry had left their trenches.
The weight of ammunition fired in the first few weeks of that battle amounted to 480 thousand tons…
I do not believe that represents the best use the world can be expected to make of its brains and its resources.
I prefer to believe that the majority of people in the world in these days think that war hurts everybody and benefits nobody —except the profiteers—and it settles nothing.
As one who has passed pretty well half a century in the study and practice of war; I suggest to you that you should give your support to Disarmament and so do your best to ensure the promotion of peace.”

— British Field-Marshall Sir William Robertson speaking at Albert Hall, London 11^th July 1931.