01.07.16 - 100 Years Since The Battle Of The Somme.

*A Guest Post by Sarah of Writing Rambling.*

I'm sat here watching the BBC Coverage of the Centenary of the start of The Battle of The Somme, which was the bloodiest battle in all of British Military history. The bloody battle saw 19,240 killed on the first day. It was the most significant battle of the First World War. It lasted 141 days and saw 1 million men killed and injured.

Sometimes in life we have to put everything aside, not put too much focus on material things and instead remember the sacrifice laid down by so many men (and in some cases boys) so we could have the freedom we take for granted today.

There are many remembrance services taking place today, each taking time to remember, in their own way, the sacrifice made by so many. You may not have gone to any, but I think it's important to remember, in your own way, the men who died for our freedom. You don't have to do anything special, perhaps just take five minutes to quietly mourn and remember.

In life, it can be very hectic and we can often forget our own history and how important the sacrifice was which was made by our great grandfathers, grandfathers, fathers, brothers and uncles. So many men were killed throughout this whole campaign that almost every family in France, Germany and England are still affected today. In some cases, whole streets lost their husbands and sons. Just think about that for a minute. Can you imagine waking up and realising that every house in your street had lost a loved one? Thankfully today we don't have to suffer such loses from wars.

All these men were incredibly brave, going over the top into 'No Man's Land' knowing they wouldn't survive. The Germans were relentless in their attacks on allied forces and as each day went by, thousands more men were killed and injured. Imagine for a moment just how horrifying it must have been, being forced 'over the top' hearing the screams of your fellow comrades as they were mercilessly gunned down. Absolutely awful.

We must take time to remember what happened, the sacrifice they made and the conditions they lived in. I'll leave you with the poem 'Flanders In The Fields.'

Sarah xoxo