“The Lost Boy”

Inscription on the Menin Gate.

 

From Tracey McRory:

This is a new WW1 song and a special collaboration between Northern Ireland songwriter Richard Laird, Irish Songwriter Tracey McRory and Belgian Songwriter Jo Lottegier. Tracey and Richard have been working on music and Remembrance of WW1 for the last 10 years and along with Sam Starrett wrote the haunting song “John Condon.”

“The Lost Boy” tells the story of George Llewelyn Davies, who along with his four younger brothers was the inspiration for playwright J. M. Barrie’s characters of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. George was killed in Flanders, Belgium, on the 15th March 1915, he was just 21 years old. On his 100 Anniversary, Tracey McRory played a special version of this song on violin at his grave, and also at The Menin Gate Ceremony, Ypres. The song is not for sale, but exists only to let people know the story of George Llewellyn Davis.

Another young boy killed too soon….. Lest We Forget

 

We will remember him.

Remembering Neuve-Chapelle

By Steve Miller

Britain’s first offensive of 1915 began a century ago today at Neuve-Chapelle. Although it might be deemed a minor success, major lessons of trench warfare were written here and reinforced by further battles in 1915. These included:

1. Loss of communications due to enemy shelling which destroyed the telephone lines.

2. Insufficient artillery preparation.

3. Immediate German counterattacks which might nullify any gains.

4. High casualties, on the order of 28 percent in this battle. I cite it as an early example of the futility of khaki uniforms and bayonets against barbed wire and machine guns.

More information can be found at http://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2015/03/100-years-ago-british-army-about-to.html

Neuve-Chapelle is southwest of Lille. The Memorial to the Army of India and its missing from 1914-18 is located at the roundabout intersection of the routes D171 & D947.

On the panels inside the monument itself are the names of 4742 Indians who have no known grave.