The picture in this border is of my great-uncle Robert Jubb who was killed in Oppy Wood in France on May 3rd 1917 during the Battle of Arras.
In April 1999 I visited his grave in France and also the memorial (above with my son and I) which is dedicated to the men of Hull who lost their lives in the battle (dedication pictured below reads "TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF ALL MEN OF KINGSTON UPON HULL AND LOCAL UNITS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918").
It was a very moving and humbling experience and has inspired me to write the following poem.
The Great War
How
handsome he looked in his uniform
As his wife kissed him farewell.
The children all thought their dad was a hero
They couldn't know he was going to Hell.
Patriotic
young men all signed up together,
Each with glory filling his head.
"We'll fight the hun and make him run,
all Pals together" they said.
Mother
cried and waved off her only son,
Father proudly shook his hand.
In a few months time he would be just another
Lying dead in No Man's Land.
Waiting
in the trenches was cruel and harsh
Disease and illness were rife.
The young men were eager for battle
The older ones thankful for life.
Assembled
for attack with Pals side by side
Last letters to home have been done.
Prayers being said in this last night of safety
The mood tense for everyone.
Exploding
shells, machine gun fire,
The blinding smoke and choking smell.
Pals faces appearing, disappearing,
In the chaotic, terrifying Hell.
The
bullets hit and down he fell
and as he lay there losing his life,
He looked around as though it was not real
and wept for the love of his wife.
Just
how many good friends were lost
was told in the daily roll call.
The names called out and unanswered
Caused great sadness and heartbreak for all.
In
France they buried our heroes
The cemeteries are beautifully kept.
Their names we must always remember,
Their sacrifice we must never forget.