Courage and Steel What Else?

Spring 1916:

"Yes it's true as you say. Chaos and suffering are very much a part of our world. But this War were fighting is the perfect chance at stopping such chaos right in its tracks. Besides we Brits couldn't just stand by while those poor Belgians suffered at the hands of those barbarians. Someone's got to step in and put an end to such madness. And who better than the British Empire!"

Lieutenant Theo continued promptly "Combine our men's experience with France's numbers and those bastards won't stand a chance! So with all do respect Captain but you should cheer up a little and maybe have a drink or two… it’s good for morale after all"

"I assure you, they will be begging for surrender before the month's end and we will come home as heroes, you'll see…besides aren't you an honoured veteran? Well look at all those medals; you’ve clearly made Britain very proud. So what you gotta worry about eh?... They'll probably run in fear once they meet this elite group of fighters, ain't that right boys!?"

"Hear hear!" The crowd agreed and began to chant God save the King in a drunken slur. Captain Whitmore didn't bother to argue and summoned a grim smile while quietly drinking his gin.

He now looked back at that conversation with bitter distaste bordering on rage. It had been a little more than a month since then. Where he had sat with his fellow officers at a pub along London's harbor. As they waited to board the ferries that would take them to the frontier they all reassured one another of a swift victory and military glory.

Most of those under his command aside from some officers had never seen the battlefield. With most of their knowledge coming from famous paintings and tall tales of Valor glorified beyond disbelief.

How delusional they had been in those first few days. As preparing for war seemed like a great adventure for most of these men. Almost as if they'd been craving this all their lives. Of course Whitmore knew War and what horrors it would soon bring to these jolly folk. He awaited what his experience had taught him to expect. As he looked back now and realized that he’d been just as clueless as the rest.

He was currently eating his dinner rations with two other officers as they discussed their grievances about the war. Not so much towards the germans themselves but more so to high command. As they seemed stubborn beyond understanding when it came to fighting this war. They weren't on the ground so they didn't have to live this senseless carnage. Numbers, maps and reports was their world. While the rest of us had to suffer and die because of their insolence. Both sides had lost tens of thousands in this month alone and little to show for it.

More than half of the officers he’d drank with back in london were dead. Even Lieutenant Theo, Whitmore’s most respected officer had just led a senseless bayonet charge about two days ago and was quickly met with a hail of bullets. Like the countless dead who'd gone before him, his death seemed to be for nothing but vain suffering. And like many who fell on this battlefield his body was unrecoverable along with the seventy others who’d joined the charge.

Whitmore cursed under his breath he remembered the lieutenants vigor and outstanding bravery as he had led his troops. It was unrivaled by anything he'd ever seen in his nearly 20 years of service. But in the end, all that courage and bravado had meant nothing on this battlefield and he died all the same. It saddened Whitmore especially as he remembered part of Theo’s speech before the assault: “Those are brave men out there, but remember this! They are just like you and I...and can surely be killed. Their morale is low while ours has never been higher. Above all, you are all Courageous soldiers ready to wreak havoc on those bloody Germans! Courage and steel wins this war and we’ve got both in abundance. So what else is there?! Let's go take that trench!”

And so, these 70 dead men began their daring charge across the muddy field where death welcomed them with open arms. Not a single bit of ground was made by their suicide charge and life just continued. Whitmore grew so sick of such a senseless waste of life that even he began to wonder what it was all for. Such an event occurred countless times all along the frontier. And it seemed as if nothing could be done to stop it.

For the world had never seen the abomination that was this war. What with the gruesome effects of tear gas, the endless artillery barrage and horrendous sanitary conditions. He had thought he'd known what senseless carnage was as he'd fought in several conflicts including the bloody Boer war 15 years prior. He now knew it to be a mere skirmish compared to this.

“Life has never been as cheap as it is now” Whitmore thought “For even the ground wants to kill you with the mud, piss and shit that overflows the latrines.” A dry pair of socks was at times more desired than food rations as he would see men trade them off with others.

The chemical gas was so unpredictable with all the sudden wind movements that it seemed insane to keep using. He scorned any commander who'd do so "Your putting your men's life in the hands of goddamn wind!" He'd say to no avail as the high command was desperate in seeing results. "Besides if the Germans are using it then we've got to as well" they'd say and that was the end of it. The victims of such a brutal new weapons probably had it the worst of all and so Whitmore was forever grateful for the gas mask he carried with him.

To Whitmore, this senseless war justified desertion and he considered it many times. Although he held himself back as he feared his subordinates would suffer the most from his departure. “This is where I die then” he muttered to himself and then finished his dinner ration.

“Captain Whitmore! Captain!” came a voice down the line of trenches. A private had come with a message from high command. It was confidential so it was sealed envelope “ they said it was most urgent and that you must act on these orders at once.” The young soldier looked nervously to the three of them and saluted. “you are dismissed private at ease”. Whitmore said as he opened the envelope and read the orders to his Lieutenants.

“It says mobilise all troops to join in the overall offensive to take the River Somme, strike when the signal is given through radio”.

“Their finally going for it aren't they?"

"I guess they are lieutenant. Well, seems like their throwing everything into this attack so lets mobilise quickly and be ready for the call. Do I make myself clear?”Whitmore Said

“Yes Major!”

“Now this assault seems risky at best and hell on earth if we go by what's happened so far. So let's do this right and proper! Best of luck to you all, dismissed"

''Yes Major!” The Lieutenants saluted and went onto preparing their units.

“How much worse can it get anyway” Whitmore muttered and immediately knew he was wrong. Understanding what was coming he knew that these were easily his last few moments alive.

In his nearly twenty year of service he had always thought his death would come with some meaning. That maybe his passing would let others live their lives safe from such chaos. This was a cause he could happily die for as there was meaning in that.

This war had no meaning he realized. And his men's valeant sacrifice on the battlefield made no difference in this fight.

"Ah hell why even bother anymore"

He thought out loud and looked at the sky that was pale blue and stained by the black smoke of artillery and aircraft. He gave a bitter chuckle and sighed heavily.

“Let those who come after us learn the sear stupidity of war.” he thought “and if our deaths are meaningless here then at least the memory of this war will stop it from repeating itself.” He looked up at the sky one last time to see that nothing had changed. He did not fear death as he now accepted his own fate with open arms. Yet.. “If I die I'm going on my own terms and thats final. What difference is there anyways?” He stated for no one to hear as he was alone.

The sound of the pistol firing through the back of Whitmore’s skull was clearly heard throughout the trenches as it had been awfully quiet in preparation for the assault.

“Another one?” said one of the lieutenants as he simply raised an eyebrow and motioned towards the noise.

“who do you think it's this time?”

“maybe Howardson or Joseph those two always had a dark side to them... Anyway, we all need to be ready in five minutes so let's not dwell on such things. C'est la vie after all. Private Andrews go and see who it is and report back to me understood?..To the rest of you double check your weapons and prepare to move out!”

"Yes Sir"!

Question to readers:

Was Whitmore a coward or realist

And what would you have done in his place.