Today we remember our fallen heroes. Lt us never forget. Feel free to post your country's contribution in WWI here. AH In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
World War I During the First World War, Smuts and Botha were key members of the British Imperial War Cabinet. The Union of South Africa was tied closely to the British Empire, and automatically joined with Great Britain and the allies against the German Empire. Both Prime Minister Louis Botha and Defence Minister Jan Smuts, both former Second Boer War generals who had fought against the British then, but who now became active and respected members of the Imperial War Cabinet. South Africa was part of significant military operations against Germany. In spite of Boer resistance at home, the Afrikaner-led government of Louis Botha unhestitatingly joined the side of the Allies of World War I and fought alongside its armies. The South African Government agreed to the withdrawal of British Army units so that they were free to join the European war, and laid plans to invade German South-West Africa. Elements of the South African army refused to fight against the Germans and along with other opponents of the Government rose in open revolt. The government declared martial law on October 14th, 1914, and forces loyal to the government under the command of General Louis Botha and Jan Smuts proceeded to destroy the Maritz Rebellion. The leading Boer rebels got off lightly with terms of imprisonment of six and seven years and heavy fines. (See World War I and the Maritz Rebellion.) Military action against Germany during World War I The South African Union Defence Force saw action in a number of areas: It dispatched its army to German South-West Africa (later known as South West Africa and now known as Namibia). The South Africans expelled German forces and gained control of the former German colony. A military expedition under General Jan Smuts was dispatched to German East Africa (later known as Tanganyika and now known as Tanzania). The objective was to fight German forces in that colony and to try to capture the elusive German General von Lettow-Vorbeck. Ultimately, Lettow-Vorbeck fought his tiny force out of German East Africa into Mozambique then Northern Rhodesia, where he accepted a cease-fire three days after the end of the war. 1st South African Brigade troops were shipped to France to fight on the Western Front. The most costly battle that the South African forces on the Western Front fought in was the Battle of Delville Wood in 1916. South Africans also saw action with the Cape Corps as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine. Military contributions and casualties in World War I More than 146,000 whites, 83,000 blacks and 2,500 people of mixed race ("Coloureds") and Asians served in South African military units during the war, including 43,000 in German South-West Africa and 30,000 on the Western Front. An estimated 3,000 South Africans also joined the Royal Flying Corps. The total South African casualties during the war was about 18,600 with over 12,452 killed - more than 4,600 in the European theater alone. There is no question that South Africa greatly assisted the Allies, and Great Britain in particular, in capturing the two German colonies of German West Africa and German East Africa (although many South African troops were tied down by the failure to capture all the German East Africa forces) as well as in battles in Western Europe and the Middle East. South Africa's ports and harbors, such as at Cape Town, Durban, and Simon's Town, were also important rest-stops, refueling-stations, and served as strategic assets to the British Royal Navy during the war, helping to keep the vital sea lanes to the British Raj open. AH
as a former soldier in the US Military myself , in my younger days in the 101st Abn , I can certainly honor a fallen soldier , the man died for what he believed in , and fought for ... his country ,,, the folks back home ,,, Mom and apple pie , the 'Duke' Wayne ,, I'm sure you have your own heroes , and there be many such heroes ,,, on many battlefields ,,, since man first saw the need for survival / battle ,,, I believe that's just in our nature , our human genetic DNA ... I just thought it was a great post , and send me a pm every now and then when ya get the chance..
Salute to the 1 in 5 Australian troops who never came home from WW1 and also the 103 000 in total who never came home from all wars. A further salute to those of all sides......... but, I'll have to say it, not to any who were involved in war crimes. Don't care if you're German, Japanese, etc, salute to having served, except for that one little qualifier.
