Arcadia Scotland

The 11^th November 2018 marks 100 years of the Armistice of World War I.  This was a world war of industrial means and massive casualties. These deaths are marked all around Scotland on war memorials that remind us of the millions that died in this war.

My grandfather Frank Long (top right) in the photo above was one of the fortunate survivors who fought in the Rifle Brigade. During the war, a shell landed on his unit killing everyone except for him.  He was able to wink at a rescue party to show he was alive.  They evacuated him, leaving him above the trenches every time a new shell bombardment started while the rescue party dove for cover. He had a metal plate in his head and a limp for the rest of his life.  So many others were not so fortunate.

This semester, we ran an event for the students on our program to mark the centenary of the Armistice. We visted a poppy exhibition at the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle to explore the history of the poppy as a means for the British Legion to raise funds for widows of killed servicemen and the wounded.  We then visited the National Records of Scotland at Register House where they kindly showed us around their archives and took us to an exhibition of the Scottish prisoners of war who were captured during WWI. They presented fascinating tales of their capture, captivity and attempted escapes.

It was an afternoon of remembrance to contemplate the true horror of this war, and the everlasting commitment of the international community to work together to try to ensure this would never occur again.  World War II broke out 21 years later and afterwards many subsequent conflicts, but let us hope the good intentions remain and the cruelty and consequences of war is never forgotten.

If you want to find the old battalion,

I know where they are, I know where they are, I know where they are

If you want to find the old battalion, I know where they are,

They're hanging on the old barbed wire,

I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire.

I've seen 'em, I've seen 'em, hanging on the old barbed wire

 World War I Song