WWI commemoration - we must not forget any of them, wherever they were born

[charlie_cochrane]

We too often think of WWI as being a largely European war, with US and ANZAC involvement, but it was much wider than that. There are so many stories of conflict involving other nations: African troops were drawn into the conflict, as were labour corps members from all over the world, and a number of whom are commemorated at the Hollybrook memorial, which is ten minutes drive from my house. Standing reading the casualty names made more impact on me than reading any history books could have done.

Comments

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Standing reading the casualty names made more impact on me than reading any history books could have done.
It's always particularly moving seeing several repetitions of the same name and wondering if they were fathers, sons, brothers, cousins.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Especially if you get a run of unusual names. So sad.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Both Charley's War (IIRC) and The Harlem Hellfighters touch on the characters meeting African soldiers in WWI. The latter graphic novel was particularly harrowing for me in terms of the way the characters were treated: I always associated segregated regiments with WWII for some reason and if I thought about black soldiers in WWI at all I thought about Commonwealth and Black British soldiers fighting alongside the rest of 'our' lads. Walter Tull being one obvious example.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Walter Tull was the only one that sprung to mind immediately (because of the football connection) although I've seen pictures of American black troops but I can't recall if they were segregated.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

US troops were very much segregated in both World Wars. I can highly recommend the The Harlem Hellfighters graphic novel if you ever want to read up on it (not many reference books out there, but I think the author managed to track down most of them for his bibliography.

Oh, and I figured out my plot-hole: girl teen's best friend has an older brother who produces a punk zine in Daddy's offices (Sniffin’ Glue started in 1976). They figure a couple of extra sheets of paper going astray is hardly earthshattering.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thanks for info on WWI.

And well done for solving plot point.