De Eerste Wereldoorlog #2

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A Soldier Poet, Baring His Soul. Siegfried Sassoon’s World War I Diaries Are Published Online

^{A 1916 drawing of a soldier, titled "The Soul of an Officer," from a journal kept by Sassoon. Credit Sassoon Estate/Cambridge Digital Library, via European Pressphoto Agency}

LONDON — He yearned for “a genuine taste of the horrors.” He never thought he would become a great poet, and if it were “not for mother and friends” he would pray for a “speedy death.” In a place of war, he wrote, “I never thought to find such peace.”

In just one page of handwritten notes from December 1915, Siegfried Sassoon, sometimes called the most innocent of Britain’s war poets, bared a soldier’s soul, writing in a leather-bound notebook from a flyspeck village called Bourecq in northern France, where his company was stationed in “stables dark and damp.”

“My inner life,” he wrote, “is far more real than the hideous realism of this land, the war zone.”

As of Friday, three days before the centenary of Britain’s declaration of war on Germany at the beginning of World War I, those musings have become public and made available online as part of a remarkable archive of 4,100 handwritten pages digitized by the Cambridge University Library Project. (The New York Times, cont.)

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One hundred years ago today, Britain declared war on Germany, and the world found itself sucked into a vortex of conflict which centred for many on the battlefields of the Western Front. Every unit which slogged its way through the awful years which followed kept a war diary describing their experiences. Official accounts of movements, actions and casualties, their authors often allowed something of themselves into the pages as well, leaving behind a link to their fears and concerns, hopes for the future, even flashes of humour amongst the darkest of days.



The diaries vary in length. Some, like that of the 1st Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), cover the entire period of the war and its aftermath. Others, like that of L Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, wiped out during the Action at Néry (during which they won three Victoria Crosses) only contain a few pages. All of them are humbling to read.



At Operation War Diary, we’ve set ourselves the task of tagging over one million of these diary pages. We want to make the information contained within them accessible to all, while preserving the legacy of the men and women named within them. So far, our volunteers have completed the classification of 90,000 pages, but we’re still a long way from finishing! Join us today and find out what life was like as troops were mobilised in 1914 and shipped out to France.



Keep up-to-date with everything we’re doing by following us on Twitter or Facebook or by reading our Blog. Alternatively, join us on Operation War Diary Talk and get involved in the discussions. Above all, get tagging! Operation War Diary would be nothing without its 'citizen historians' - the work they’re doing is invaluable in preserving the legacy of those brave men and women who served almost 100 years ago.

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Vandaag honderd jaar geleden… viel het Duitse leger ons land binnen. De Eerste Wereldoorlog was begonnen.

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WWI: The battle of Samoa

By Vaimoana Tapaleao

5:00 AM Friday Aug 29, 2014
A century ago today, Kiwi soldiers arrived in German Samoa, ready for battle. War had been declared three weeks earlier and the British had asked New Zealand to seize the Pacific nation. The often-overlooked event has proven to be pivotal to the history of both countries. Vaimoana Tapaleao visited Apia to find out why.

Mele Ioelu still remembers running towards the village church when the sirens went off - signalling that the soldiers were coming.

"When they came, we all ran to the church to hide. Other families had built underground shelters and so they went down there to stay until the soldiers left.

"They were big men who wore their uniforms proudly. But they had big guns strapped across their backs - and I was always afraid I'd get shot one day."

The 103-year-old Mangere resident was born and raised during some of Samoa's most trying times. War had been declared in 1914 and the country, then under German control, was set for some hard times within the next few years.

She was just a couple of months shy of her 4th birthday when troops from New Zealand arrived on August, 29, 1914, to take over what was then German Samoa.

Britain had called on its friends in the South Pacific to seize the German colony.

More than 1400 officers, mechanics, medical staff and technicians made up the New Zealand Expeditionary Force that set sail from Wellington Harbour on August 15.

The history books say it was an exciting time, with many young Kiwis eager to take part in what would be the first world war.

As the troops neared the island nation, they would have been going through a whole set of emotions and a new and probably overlooked challenge - the heat.

Samoan historian Dr Leasiolagi Malama Meleisea, a lecturer at the National University of Samoa, said even though August was a relatively cooler time in the islands, the New Zealanders would have found the weather challenging.

"Yes, the conditions would have been less than ideal, but the sense of duty must have been sufficient motivation. It seems to me that the context of build-up to World War I, the feelings of nationalism, patriotism, honour - and hate - were successfully used to motivate the armed forces.

"They were determined not only to terminate German rule to Samoa, but to root out any pro-German sympathies among the population."

As it turned out, the New Zealanders' arrival was something of a non-event, with the Germans offering no resistance and effectively giving up without a fight.

"It could have been much worse," Dr Meleisea said.

Foreign rule
The Germans had been in Samoa since 1900 and although there were people who did not like that foreign rule, there were also Samoans who supported them.

The story goes that when news of the Kiwi troops' arrival reached the German Governor, Erich Schultz-Ewerth, he did not offer resistance because they were simply unprepared for battle.

NZ troops arrived on August 29, 1914. Photo / Davis Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

They had a shortage of German forces and the Governor did not want Samoan blood spilt. He was known for his love for the country and its people; becoming fluent in the language and even getting the traditional men's tattoo - the pe'a.

For an outsider to undergo such a ritual is considered rare even today; so for that to happen more than 100 years ago would have been extraordinary, if not scandalous.

The Kiwis quickly took over a local radio tower, built by the Germans, which was considered hugely powerful at the time.

The New Zealanders also removed several German flags on that day and a coat of arms from the local post office that would later find a new home at the clubrooms of the College Rifles rugby club, in Auckland's Remuera.

New Zealand's Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Logan was later photographed outside the courthouse, in Apia, where he read out a proclamation that was soon posted on buildings throughout the island in English, German and Samoan.

Part of that document reads: "The New Zealand Government of His Britannic Majesty King George Fifth now occupy for His Majesty all the German Territories situated in the islands of the Samoan Group.

"All inhabitants of the occupied territories are commanded to submit to all such directions as may be given by any Officer of the Occupying Force."

The proclamation forbade anyone from helping or even talking to anyone associated with German authorities.

Public meetings were disallowed, all firearms were to be handed in and a curfew was introduced. No one was allowed outside between 10pm and 6am and even using a canoe was forbidden.

The Old Courthouse
The next day, a ceremony was held outside the courthouse. The German flag was taken down and the British flag raised.

That building, now referred to as The Old Courthouse, remains standing today and is one of the Pacific's oldest buildings.

It is an interesting site in that it has been used by all three of Samoa's leaders - the Germans in the early 1900s, the New Zealanders from 1914 and the Samoan Government from 1962, when the country became an independent state.

It is also the place where the life of one of the island's most prominent high chiefs of the time, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi II, ended when he was shot by New Zealand police officers in 1929.

Samoa's police band uses the old courthouse as its headquarters. Photo / Tarx Morris

He was one of 11 Samoans killed and dozens more wounded in what would later be dubbed Black Saturday.

As Tamasese lay dying, he told followers: "Samoa, filemu pea ma si ou toto nei ta'uvalea, a ia aoga lo'u ola mo lenei mea." These words, inscribed in a plaque honouring the fallen leader, asked all Samoans for peace and not vengeance so that his life was not lost in vain.

For years the courthouse was used as the nation's Supreme Court and is today occupied and used as a base for the National Police Band.

In recent years there have been calls to save the building because of its historical significance. Even Unitec, in Auckland, has been involved.

A police band leader, Superintendent Nafo'itoa Alesana Laki, said everyone knew about the origins of the building, but acknowledged that its historical significance was sometimes forgotten, given the building's almost derelict state.

"The flagpoles outside are the same ones from 100 years ago. The bigger flagpole was the one that the British flag was raised [up in 1914]. For a long time, our daily police march would end here and the Samoan flag would go up and we'd sing the national anthem.

"We haven't done that in a long time now because the top of the flagpole is broken."

We remember
Locals in Samoa are somewhat uninformed about this part of history and many can only point out the more tragic parts of the country's relationship with New Zealand.

Black Saturday is general knowledge in the islands, as well as the influenza epidemic of 1918, when one-fifth of the population (about 8500 people) died.

That happened after a passenger steamship from New Zealand, carrying many people with the deadly disease, arrived and was not quarantined.

Even Mrs Ioelu, who would have been 8, remembers that terrible time.

"People were walking on the road looking drunk. They would be swaying from side to side and suddenly drop to the ground - dead. So many people were dying ... it got to the point they had to gather the dead and bury them in one grave, immediately. There was no time to carry out our proper rituals."

The Museum of Samoa's principal officer, Lumepa Apelu, said an exhibition this month paid tribute to a part of history that is nearly always forgotten.

"I'm hoping this exhibition will entice interest in the community - to want to learn more about this history and about how the New Zealanders came here."

How NZ's influence would change two nations forever
New Zealand's takeover of German Samoa may not have been the bloodiest of its campaigns during the war, but it was arguably the most significant.

Dr Toeolesulusulu Damon Salesa, Associate Professor of Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, said New Zealand political leaders had longed to occupy Samoa since the 19th century.

"If you're thinking about New Zealand, probably the most important legacy of the first world war - not the most costly, not the most bloody - but the most enduring and the one that transforms New Zealand the most, is the takeover of Samoa."

The Kiwis would go on to rule Samoa for almost 50 years before the nation became independent.

The two countries have had their fair share of ups and downs, but without doubt have a strong relationship.

"If you try to imagine that New Zealand did not have Samoa for 50 years and did not have 200,000 Samoans [living here] right now, we're looking at a materially different New Zealand. And that happened because of the first world war.

"On that one day, when New Zealand arrived in Samoa ... it was a truly significant day and that's something we should appreciate."

Timeline
Aug 4, 1914: World War I declared.
Aug 7: Britain asks NZ to perform a "great and urgent imperial service" and seize German Samoa.
Aug 15: NZ Expeditionary Force sails from Wellington.
Aug 29: New Zealanders arrive in German Samoa. The Germans do not officially surrender, but there is no battle and the Kiwis seize control.
Aug 30, 1914: The German flag is taken down at the courthouse, in Apia, and the British flag raised.

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Op zaterdag 30 augustus 2014 11:40 schreef 99.999 het volgende:

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Hier moest ik aan denken toen ik dit zag in Ieper...

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Op donderdag 4 september 2014 18:55 schreef Buster24 het volgende:
Ben momenteel bezig met WO 1 toen & nu

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Fort de Souville (Verdun) hier eindigde de laatste grote Duitse aanval op 12 juli 1916 het is het verste punt dat de Duitsers bereiken tijdens hun offensief bij Verdun http://www.forumeerstewer(...)php/Fort_de_Souville

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Op donderdag 4 september 2014 18:55 schreef Buster24 het volgende:
Ben momenteel bezig met WO 1 toen & nu

[ link | afbeelding ]

Fort de Souville (Verdun) hier eindigde de laatste grote Duitse aanval op 12 juli 1916 het is het verste punt dat de Duitsers bereiken tijdens hun offensief bij Verdun http://www.forumeerstewer(...)php/Fort_de_Souville

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Op donderdag 4 september 2014 18:55 schreef Buster24 het volgende:
Ben momenteel bezig met WO 1 toen & nu

[ link | afbeelding ]

Fort de Souville (Verdun) hier eindigde de laatste grote Duitse aanval op 12 juli 1916 het is het verste punt dat de Duitsers bereiken tijdens hun offensief bij Verdun http://www.forumeerstewer(...)php/Fort_de_Souville

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Op dinsdag 7 oktober 2014 23:30 schreef DDDDDaaf het volgende:
Een paar weken geleden ben ik, ondanks dat Nederland destijds neutraal bleef, ook gefascineerd geraakt door WO I. Inmiddels twee boeken in huis en behoorlijk ver gevorderd met de 26-delige BBC-serie uit 1964 'The great war'.

Binnen vier jaar van napoleontische oorlogsvoering naar een industriële, totale oorlog, eigenlijk is dat amper te bevatten...

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100 jaar grote oorlog: Lichtfront

Het Lichtfront evoceert de frontlijn zoals die tot stand kwam in oktober 1914, na de onderwaterzetting van de IJzervlakte en het luwen van de strijd na de Eerste Slag om Ieper. Liefst 8 400 fakkeldragers verlichten de frontlijn van toen, 85 kilometer lang, van het strand van Nieuwpoort tot in Ploegsteert. Op negen plaatsen worden historische momenten uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog gemarkeerd met grote vuurkunstwerken. Tegelijkertijd worden de namen van alle oorlogsslachtoffers op drie symbolische torens geprojecteerd: de Belforttoren in Ieper, de IJzertoren in Diksmuide en het Koning Albert I-Monument in Nieuwpoort. Met de vrijwilligers in de organisatie erbij zal bijna een derde van de bevolking van de streek die avond gemobiliseerd worden. Karl Vannieuwkerke en Piet Chielen van het In Flanders Fields Museum te Ieper presenteren het geheel vanuit een gelegenheidsstudio aan het Sluizencomplex 'De Ganzepoot' in Nieuwpoort. Ze schakelen door naar de cameraploegen en journalisten op de diverse locaties. Archiefbeelden tussendoor roepen de sfeer op van het front in 1914.

Canvas 19.00

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Op vrijdag 17 oktober 2014 10:57 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:
Vanavond wordt trouwens het volledige Belgische front uit WO I in "lichterlaaie" gezet in het "Lichtfront". Met 8500 fakkeldragers wordt de frontlinie vanavond verlicht. Live te zien op Canvas om 19h ...

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Op zaterdag 18 oktober 2014 13:18 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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Op zaterdag 18 oktober 2014 14:54 schreef Cobra4 het volgende:

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Mooi gezicht die fakkeldragers.

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Op zaterdag 18 oktober 2014 16:37 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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De beelden ervan waren echt indrukwekkend ...

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Op zaterdag 18 oktober 2014 16:37 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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De beelden ervan waren echt indrukwekkend ...

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Op dinsdag 11 november 2014 18:32 schreef ß het volgende:
Ik wil jullie graag wijzen op het volgende YouTube kanaal:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUcyEsEjhPEDf69RRVhRh4A

Elke week een aflevering over wat er precies 100 jaar geleden gebeurde tijdens WOI. Het project gaat dus nog 4 jaar door. Erg interessant vind ik.

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Op donderdag 13 november 2014 19:20 schreef mschol het volgende:
iemand nog een goeie docu over WO1? het liefst met veel beeld materiaal (voor zover dat er was uiteraard) of een goede miniserie/films?

WO2 films en series wordt je helemaal mee doodgegooid
maar bij WO1 ben ik nog niet echt 1 tegen gekomen die ik echt goed kan noemen.. (niveau schindlers list, Band of Brothers, Sophies choice)

World War 1: Tactics And Strategy High Definition (Colorised)

WORLD WAR ONE (1 / 10): Call to Arms

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Op donderdag 13 november 2014 19:20 schreef mschol het volgende:
iemand nog een goeie docu over WO1? het liefst met veel beeld materiaal (voor zover dat er was uiteraard) of een goede miniserie/films?

WO2 films en series wordt je helemaal mee doodgegooid
maar bij WO1 ben ik nog niet echt 1 tegen gekomen die ik echt goed kan noemen.. (niveau schindlers list, Band of Brothers, Sophies choice)

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Op donderdag 13 november 2014 21:09 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:

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De VRT serie "In Vlaamse Velden" die begin dit jaar op de vrt te zien was, is heel erg goed ...

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Qua pure documentaire was "Brave Little Belgium" vanop Canvas ook wel behoorlijk ...

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Op donderdag 13 november 2014 21:15 schreef Revanches het volgende:
Op national geographic is ook regelmatig 'Apocalypse World War 1' te zien.

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Op vrijdag 14 november 2014 17:53 schreef Cobra4 het volgende:

Sainsbury's OFFICIAL Christmas 2014 Ad

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Op vrijdag 14 november 2014 19:58 schreef yvonne het volgende:

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Niet echt smaakvol, maar goed. Er wordt op dit moment flink verdiend aan de WO1 'merchandise'

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Op zaterdag 27 december 2014 14:21 schreef sararaats het volgende:
De musicalmuziek van 14-18 is prachtig. Ik luister hem NU bij mijn allertofste nicht (Loes, oudste dochter van mijn zus)

De musical zelf heb ik nog niet gezien

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Op zaterdag 27 december 2014 18:19 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:
Ik vind die musical een van de ergste commerciële uitbuitingen van WO I. Gaan we straks binnen dertig jaar ook naar Hitler de Musical gaan kijken ?