One hundred years on, the carnage remains unimaginable. Human flesh was no match for shells and shrapnel, for bullets and disease. Soldiers drowned in mud or scorched in heat. They perished in their trenches or were butchered as they went ``over the top''. It was hell on earth, industrial-era carnage, for little or no purpose.
Gallipoli has been this country's touchstone, a failed invasion stretched over more than nine months. The Somme, however, left 2100 New Zealanders dead and 8000 casualties from only 45 days fighting. More than half of the those in the Somme cemeteries are recorded as ``Known unto God'', men were unidentifiable or lost.
Until Passchendaele the next year, September 15, 2016, when New Zealand joined the offensive, was the deadliest day in this country's post-1840 history. Of the 6000 New Zealand infantry who joined the third phase of the offensive, by the end of the day 1200 were wounded or missing and 670 dead or dying.
Unlike, Gallipoli, the early offensives were deemed ``successful'', and progress was made. Overall, though, the Battle of the Somme became bogged down, although it is said the attrition was crucial in bleeding Germany's long-term strength. By October 5, New Zealand forces began pulling out, although the gunners remained for another three weeks.
The Somme proved to be the largest battle on the Western Front. There were nearly one million casualties, 360,000 from Britain. It included aerial reconnaissance, poison gas from both sides and the first significant use of tanks.
Also unfathonable is the impact on families and communities back home in New Zealand as the cream and more of a generation of young men became victims of war. Otago forces were heavily involved, and the grim news began to be posted as September marched on to October. On September 27, 100 years ago today, the Otago Daily Times published ``the longest list of casualties, affecting members of the Expeditionary Force, which has appeared in our columns since the war started''. The Somme was described as a ``severe test'' and on October 3 the ODT included 15 columns of casualties from Somme battles, those soldiers killed in action and other headings like died of wounds, wounded, wounded and admitted to hospital, dangerously ill from wounds and seriously ill from wounds. September 27 was also the day three companies of the Otago Battalion were shredded, its worst day on the Somme.
It is said, despite the random death and utter exhaustion, morale was improved. Survivors had been through ``real warfare'' and were highly praised. It was thought they had the better of the Germans.
This published quote from the father of a young family who was gravely wounded on September 15 was not entirely propaganda: ``When our boys went over it was a magnificent sight. The first wave consisted of `Otagoites' and `Aucklanders', who stepped out fearlessly despite the hurricane bombardment and the incessant whizzing of the machine gun bullets ... Those whose sons and brothers were killed here can well be proud. It was a glorious death.''
Yet, the hell of September 2016 was to be followed by two more years of further death and destruction. The grief at home must have been devastating. The ``glory'' of war had well and truly soured.
