GET A LOAD OF THIS! UNQUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Del Boy

Active member
Truth is stranger than fiction!

This Sunday brings the anniversary of 1 july 91 years ago at the Somme, when Captain Wifred Nevill of the 55th Brigade sent 4 platoons of The East Surreys over the top, each with a soccer ball, to compete in dribbling the balls up to the German front line through the machine gun fire. The first platoon there to win.

Each ball was marked 'The Great European Cup-Tie Final - East Surreys versus the Bavarians.'

Captain Nevill was mown down.


Ref : Somme - The Heroism and Horror of War by Martin Gilbert.


COMMAND THE FUTURE, CONQUER THE PAST.
 
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July 1, 1916; the bloodiest day in British military history--nearly 60000 casualties including 20000 dead. Crazily heroic but not too bright. Most of the combatants were to weighed down with equipment to do very much running however. So much machinegun fodder for the resilient, waiting germans.
 
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