Ot. Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench -
The last known surviving British soldier to have fought
in the trenches of World War I has revisited the site
where he fought 90 years ago.
Harry Patch was injured and lost three friends -
on the same day -
Harry Patch, of Somerset, made the trip to Flanders in -
Belgium to recall his part in the battle which -
claimed 250,000 British casualties.
He also went to pay homage to the thousands of German soldiers
who lost their lives.
The 109-year-old fought in the Battle of Passchendaele -
when he was aged 19.
He served with the Duke of Cornwall's light infantry -
and was called up for service while working as -
an 18-year-old apprentice plumber in Bath.
During the fighting, Mr Patch was badly wounded and three of
his best friends were killed when a shell exploded -
just yards from where he was standing.
'Suffered the same'
He made the trip with historian Richard van Emden, who -
helped Mr Patch write down his memories.
Mr van Emden showed him the five miles they advanced over 99 -
days which claimed 3,000 British casualties every day.
He was also shown a recently discovered panoramic photograph -
of the fields taken in 1917.
"Too many died," said Mr Patch. -
"War isn't worth one life.
He said war was the "calculated and condoned slaughter -
of human beings".
Mr Patch laid a wreath at the site of the trench,
which now forms part of a German war cemetery.
Around 250,000 Germans died in the battle which has been -
described as one of the bloodiest and most brutal battles -
of the Great War.
"The Germans suffered the same as we did," Mr Patch said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk
Published: 2007/07/29 13:10:06 GMT
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk
Published: 2007/07/29 10:54:38 GMT
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is to carry out acts of terror.
[The public] will clamor for such
laws if their personal security is threatened".
— Josef Stalin
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"I want to tell you something very clear, don't worry
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and the Americans know it."
— Ariel Sharon
to Shimon Peres, October 3rd, 2001 ,
as reported on Kol Yisrael radio
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history repeat itself -
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