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mark12_30 · 05-17-2004, 06:56 AM

Philip Gibbs was a WW1 correspondent who wrote several books after the war containing material that had been censored during the war. He wrote extensively about the Somme which is of course where Tolkien fought.

During the Somme (indeed during much of the war) the tactics were appallingly simple: (1) Extensive artillery shelling first (during which time the men sat huddled in their trenches dreading the next explosion; some went insane-- "shell shock" ) and then (2) bravely charging "over the top"-- squadron after squadron of men crossing no-mans-land (armed with a rifle each) running boldly into machine-gun fire.

The artillery shelling turned everything to mud. Body parts were everywhere. It wasn't safe to leave your trench to bury them.

Charging "over the top" and into machine gun fire was essentially suicide. Wave after wave of good, honest men were sent "over the top". For years. For little or no gain. Just death.

One of Gibb's main points was that the commanders simply kept sending men "over the top" in the name of "courage" without grappling with the fact that the casualty rate averaged 80% to 90% and sometimes 100%. These are completely unacceptable casualty rates yet the commanders kept sending the men "over the top", month after bloody month, year after bloody year.

So what Tolkien saw during his wartime was apallingly simple: Men sitting in muddy, body-parts-filled trenches waiting to be shelled to bits and slowly (or quickly) going insane; and men climbing out of their muddy, body-parts-filled trenches to run across the body-parts-filled mud of no-mans-land straight into machine gun fire and get mowed down.

What was the name of the certain death that the men faced when they went "over the top"? The "Machine"-gun.

If he hadn't hated "Machines" before the war already, I see why he hated them afterward.

05-17-2004, 06:56 AM	#24
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	The "Machine" of Tolkien's military years Philip Gibbs was a WW1 correspondent who wrote several books after the war containing material that had been censored during the war. He wrote extensively about the Somme which is of course where Tolkien fought. During the Somme (indeed during much of the war) the tactics were appallingly simple: (1) Extensive artillery shelling first (during which time the men sat huddled in their trenches dreading the next explosion; some went insane-- "shell shock" ) and then (2) bravely charging "over the top"-- squadron after squadron of men crossing no-mans-land (armed with a rifle each) running boldly into machine-gun fire. The artillery shelling turned everything to mud. Body parts were everywhere. It wasn't safe to leave your trench to bury them. Charging "over the top" and into machine gun fire was essentially suicide. Wave after wave of good, honest men were sent "over the top". For years. For little or no gain. Just death. One of Gibb's main points was that the commanders simply kept sending men "over the top" in the name of "courage" without grappling with the fact that the casualty rate averaged 80% to 90% and sometimes 100%. These are completely unacceptable casualty rates yet the commanders kept sending the men "over the top", month after bloody month, year after bloody year. So what Tolkien saw during his wartime was apallingly simple: Men sitting in muddy, body-parts-filled trenches waiting to be shelled to bits and slowly (or quickly) going insane; and men climbing out of their muddy, body-parts-filled trenches to run across the body-parts-filled mud of no-mans-land straight into machine gun fire and get mowed down. What was the name of the certain death that the men faced when they went "over the top"? The "Machine"-gun. If he hadn't hated "Machines" before the war already, I see why he hated them afterward. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve. Last edited by mark12_30; 05-17-2004 at 07:00 AM.