A Powerful Photograph
This has got to be one of the most powerful photographs I have ever seen. Above is a battalion of the Cameron Highlanders in 1914, prior to being despatched to the front line; below is the same battalion upon their return in 1918 after the armistice. On the eve of the centennial anniversary of the armistice I would like to remember the millions of souls who gave their lives defending our shores and preserving our freedom, and to those who survived the unimaginable horrors. Lest we forget.
Here's to them what are like us. Damn few and they're all dead.
This photograph certainly illustrates the concept of 'The Lost Generation'...simply amazing...
Thanks for finding and posting this, Jim
All the best,
Matt
Those photos are heart-wrenching. Thanks for the visual reality check.
At a loss for words.
Thanks for posting.
When you think about the horrific waste of human lives it makes me feel uncomfortable playing WoG as a game. Reality certainly was not a game or funny at all.
Those are certainly moving photographs, Jim. It is very sad to realize that there were occasions when losses like that occurred in just one attack.
It was even worse flying. The average life expectancy of a pilot was 11 days.
The pictures say it all. It may be even worse if the battalion was reinforced during the war.
Do we know which battalion it is Jim ?
The Regiment raised 13 Battalions and gained 57 Battle Honours and 3 Victoria Crosses, losing 5,930 men during the course of the war.
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk...n-highlanders/
Sapiens qui vigilat... "He is wise who watches"
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
That certainly brings home the horrific losses in that Trench war of attrition.
Far more poignant than just trotting out statistics.
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Well, it doesn't alter the message nor the purpose of visualizing the horrible losses of WWI,
but I'm pretty sure the second picture is not an 1918 photo but a retouched/photo-shopped
version of the 1914 photo.....just the CO an the centre of the first row.
Look at the trees, the shadows and the car near the gate.
It's touching, anyway.
It did not have the battalion designation with the picture.
Last edited by rhodie80; 11-15-2018 at 12:06.
Here's to them what are like us. Damn few and they're all dead.
Not much I can say. War comes with a terrible price tag. Thanks for sharing, Jim!
The original photo is in the Kildonan Museum on South Uist
"This photograph of 27 Officers and 1000 men of the 1st Battalion 79th Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
was taken at Edinburgh Castle prior to their departure for France on 12 August 1914.
They landed in France on 14 August.
The 1st Camerons sustained heavy losses in the early months of the war with the result that by Christmas 1914,
all but one officer and 27 men were killed or wounded of the 27 officers and 1,000 men whose tartan had
swung down the Lawnmarket from Edinburgh Castle on 12 August."
This is a picture of my grandfathers unit from WWI. He was in the 23 Rgt. of the Slovak Legion. You can see that they wore French uniforms. Not sure where they were but I think late in the war and might not have seen any action.
This is tin plate with his picture. you can see the uniform better here.
Originally Posted by Schlonz
Thanks for that information Alex.
Here's to them what are like us. Damn few and they're all dead.
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