any good WWI quotes ??

joeyb18c

New Member
There seem to be SOO many WWII ones here that are so good and I cant find any on WWI

anyone have one worth posting? :?:
 
I stumbled on a book on WWI written in 1919 in a used book store for $4. As soon as I find it, I will post a few. I just moved amd things are still crazy
 
Not so sure it qualifies as a quote but it is a line from a poem written by Sigfried Sassoon, the greatest of the WWI poets and a serving British line officer. It's about those who readily send troops off to war without any concept of the cost.

"You chearing crowds who roar and cry
As soldiers on the way to war pass by
Sneak home! And pray you never know
where youth and laughter go"
 
" Retreat hell. We just got here." USMC Capt. Marine Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division France 1918.

"Come on you sons of b*tches! Do you wanna live forever?" Attributed to Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daily 6th Marine Regiment, Marine Brigade 2nd Infantry Division. Battle of Belleau Wood 1918.



Historical note: The United States Marine Corps was attached to the United States Army during the First World war as a brigade in the 2nd Infantry Division. If you look at the unit crests of the 6th Marine Regiment the regimental crest and the 3 bn crests all incorporate the Indian Head Patch of the 2nd ID USA.
 
Hard pressed on my right;my left is in retreat.Mycentre is yielding.Impossible to manoeuvre.Situation excellent.I am attacking. General Ferdinand Foch during the battle of the Marne
 
"Ils ne passeront pas." (They shall not pass)
- General Henri-Philippe Pétain, prior to the Battle of Verdun

"The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
- Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary, August 3, 1914

“He Kept Us Out Of War”
- Woodrow Wilson's campaign slogan, 1916

"The machine gun is a much over rated weapon.."
- Field-Marshal Douglas Haig, 1915

"The nation must be taught to bear losses. No amount of skill on the part of the higher commanders, no training, however good, on the part of the officers and men, no superiority of arms and ammunition, however great, will enable victories to be won without the sacrifice of men's lives. The nation must be prepared to see heavy casualty lists."
- Written by Haig in June 1916 before the Battle of the Somme began

"Very successful attack this morning... All went like clockwork... The battle is going very well for us and already the Germans are surrendering freely. The enemy is so short of men that he is collecting them from all parts of the line. Our troops are in wonderful spirits and full of confidence."
- A Report by Haig on the first day of attack, 1st July 1916

"only fit to live in a country house and grow turnips."
- Kaiser Wilhelm II on Tsar Nikolai II

"Gentlemen, you will regret this."
- Wilhelm II to the general staff on the decision to mobilize

"It is quite time that some corps commanders were told to go to blazes."
- Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie (Canadian)

"I can see that aerial warfare is actually scientific murder."
- American air ace Eddie Rickenbacker
 
KC72 said:
Hard pressed on my right;my left is in retreat.Mycentre is yielding.Impossible to manoeuvre.Situation excellent.I am attacking. General Ferdinand Foch during the battle of the Marne

This quote always got to me as being a little silly.
 
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