‘Deadliest’ battle: From the battlefield to the screen

The Battle of Somme was screened at British Deputy High Commission on Thursday evening

KARACHI: [Battle of] Somme. The whole history of the world cannot contain a more ghastly word, wrote German officer Friedrich Steinbrecher on the Battle of Somme - termed the bloodiest battle of World War I in which hundreds of thousands were killed and injured.

The battle, which started in July 1916 and ended in mid-November of the same year, was divided into three phases. It was fought in Somme, France, between the British and French armies on one side and the German war machine on the other.

A silent documentary covering all aspects of the battle was displayed at the Rose and Crown Club at the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi on Thursday evening.

'The Battle of Somme' was divided on screen in five parts, and depicted the ruthless conventional warfare scenes as well as life on the battlefield, with high casualties and sometimes foes turning into friends. It showed how aggressive wars can be.

Later, while speaking to the selected audience, the newly appointed British Deputy High Commissioner, Belinda Lewis, said, she first visited the WW1 battle site years back when she was a teenager. "For a 15-year-old to see thousands of white tombstones is something one can never forget. There were headstones of young teens that first joined the ranks. Today we remember the great contribution and sacrifices made by them for British soil."

Paying high tributes to the fallen, British Deputy Head of Mission, Steve Crossman, said, they showed this particular film to honour their heroes who "played a significant part in the final outcome of the First World War."

Moreover, the British naval and air adviser, Group Captain John Alexander, paid tributes to the soldiers who came from areas that today comprise Pakistan and were awarded Britain's highest award for honour and gallantry - the Victoria Cross. He identified three such soldiers - Sepoy Khudad Khan, Jemadar Mir Dast and Naik Shahahmad Khan.

Recognising Pakistani recipients of WWI Victoria Cross & Commonwealth contribution to campaign @CWGC @IWM_Centenary pic.twitter.com/XKyTVckK0S

— Belinda Lewis (@Belinda_Lewis1) September 9, 2016

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2016.