Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
As the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme is commemorated, the Indian army also has good reason for remembrance. Two Indian regiments took part in the first and only cavalry charge of the battle - between the High Wood and Delville Wood area - but were forced to retreat under heavy fire.
Above :Indian Cavalrymen round up the Germans at "Devil's Wood". Click on image to read the caption.
Like other advances in the battle, the joint Indian and British assault fell victim to poor communications. By the time orders came through for them to go forward, the Germans had been able to strengthen their positions and the Indian horsemen and their British counterparts were unable to make progress because of small arms and shrapnel fire.
'Casualty levels'
"This probably reinforced the increasing realisation among British generals that cavalry charges using horses were a thing of the past," says Imperial War Museum historian Nigel Steel.
"The cavalry was only supposed to be deployed after the terrain had been cleared by the infantry. It was not envisaged that they should suffer anything like the same casualty levels as their infantry counterparts." The cavalry charge on 14 July was conducted by two regiments, the 20th Deccan Horse and the British Seventh Dragoon Guards, who were supported by another Indian regiment, the 34th Poona Horse.
They were ordered to provide back-up to an infantry advance beyond High Wood, near the Carnoy Valley area of the Somme battleground. The Indians and British suffered 102 casualties and lost about 130 horses. Continue to the source.....
