Aged 18 Years – Remembrance

Today, it seems appropriate to share this picture. It was the image that hit me the hardest from my work at Thiepval two years ago when I covered the Centenary of the start of The Battle of The Somme.

Just 48 hours earlier, I had wished one of my sons a happy 18th Birthday before I set off to travel. It was his birthday that day as I set off. Now, I was standing looking at row upon row of graves very often with the inscription “Aged 18 Years”.

I admit, I wept.

The enormity of this area has to be experienced to be fully understood. Indeed, I feel that anyone with aspirations in politics and a desire to lead their country should visit the area.

They should also have a full understanding of military history. Perhaps then, repetition would not be quite so frequent an occurrence.

Take a moment today to remember those who served and sacrificed so much across the years. The chances are they didn’t care or understand the politics. But they were there anyway.

At the moment of their death, they won’t have been thinking of being remembered all these years later. They will have simply been very scared and a long way from their homes and loved ones.