An Irish Veteran revisits the Horror of The Somme, 1966

My maternal grandfather George Henry Jacobs was a Canadian by 4 years when he joined the army. He was 19. He survived the Somme only to be badly injured at Vimy Ridge. He spent 19 months in hospital where he met my grandmother who was a nurse. Just over 20 years later he sent 3 of his sons to fight the same people. All 3 of my uncles saw extensive combat and survived physically. Like my grandfather they suffered mentally for the balance of their lives.

Lost my great uncle at the Battle of the Somme...he was a volunteer from South Africa...

Filmed in 1966 when the Vet would have been around 70 years of age.

A generation to whom we can only look up to as they stand so much taller than most of us ever will.

I might go and watch 'The Shining' for some light relief now, after watching this.

It's unbelievable that this man revisit such a place of collective horror and trauma while displaying such an admirable calmness and dignity. I wouldn't be able to speak a word, probably having a heart attack while being confronted with my memories of this place.

Great cinematography and background music -- this is the first time in years I've felt creeped out from visual media. And a clip from a documentary, no less.

My 3x great grandfather, George from Nova Scotia, Canada was in his 40's when he fought in WW1. He was shot in the lower leg during the third battle of Ypes and lay on the battlefield for 36 hours until the Ambulance Corp reached him. On the way out, a shell struck one of the men in the ambulance and took his head off. George survived but ended up losing his leg. I can't imagine what it takes to survive something like that, laying in the mud, surrounded by the dead, with bullets flying around you, while you bleed out for over a day.

Enormous respect for the WW1 soldiers.... regardless from which allied country or their motivation for or against the British. Brave men enduring conditions we can scarcely comprehend in today's world.

they likes of them we'll never see again.

Judging myself today I don't think I would have that much courage to do what these guy's did. Most of it was horrifying to the human mind . Brave men, them all.

You’ll never be right in the head after taking part in a war like that.

RIP grandad,lied about his age and joined up at 15,like so many others!

You can still see how his subconscious mind moves him around the trench with the speed and efficiency needed to survive under fire

Walking through those trenches must have brought back some bad memories for him QS

These are so wonderful. Please put up more of these if you can! 😊

The trenches he was waling in are the old German Front Line in front of Beaumont Hamel. They now form part of the Newfoundland Memorial Park. Name after the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. who were virtually wiped out in an hour of attacking the German front line. It has shed loads of tourist visiting and is a must see when visiting the old Somme Battlefields. My Grandfather Tommy McNally, Royal Dublin Fusiliers was attacking over the ground to rear of the memorial shown in this footage. The memorial is called the Copper Jock and is placed there in memory of the 51st Highland Division, who finally took that part of the line in the final days of the Somme Battle

Music in this clip: Sibelius - Overture from "The Tempest" Ravel - "Daphnis et Chloé"

Ainderful vid4eos thank you for posting!!

Jesus, enough internet for me today after that.