1990s Research by Mike McKeon

1990s Research by Mike McKeon

The following is a description of my search for Jack’s story. Henry John Shanks was my father’s uncle. In 1914, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted and went to war. He died a few days after his 21st birthday, in 1917. His fate was similar to millions of others from all over the world; he died in an unfamiliar country, a long way from home. Scattered throughout the world are cemeteries and memorials to the men who died during the Great War. They made the ultimate sacrifice, strong and united in their belief (at least at the forefront of the war) that they were dying for freedom and honour. I will address some alternative views later. Jack has spoken to me indirectly and I feel compelled to uncover the facts of his life. He represents a dead generation. Although I believe that dying for your country is futile, I have the benefit of hindsight. As Capt. J.E. H. Neville stated on 2nd Aug 1917, “The men here don’t hate the Boches because they are Boches, but they hate them as an enemy, and for what they have done or have supposed to have done.” People like Jack died to ensure that I would never have to. Historians can present different scenarios for the outcome and ramifications of the war; for example, was it feasible that Germany could have conquered the British Isles? We will never know but the heroes will be remembered. We are approaching the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. 25,000 men were killed on one grim day. Every newspaper will carry details this year. Survivors describe the wails of so many wounded as being like the earth moaning. I didn’t know this and probably wouldn’t have had I not begun my quest for Jack’s story. It is a sobering thought. I ask you to remember this as you read. Although most days were not like this, it “brings home” the sheer scale of the conflict and if you think logically, how many tens of thousands of families the war touched. From my research, I have explored many different emotions during the last three years. I have cried, and laughed, I have seen photos that nearly made me vomit; I have experienced a sadness that I cannot describe but also hope and an understanding of a mother's love. I apologise for my lack of knowledge in places and it is also rather tedious in parts. Please remember that it is a living document. It will be “polished” and updated, as new information becomes available. “Remember only this of me, that if I should die, some corner of a foreign field will always be England.” The above quote (recently plagiarised in a sport’s commercial) exemplifies the sacrifice this generation made on foreign soil. They went to war and did not return. They are still over there. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on the 28th June 1914 is wildly viewed as the spark which set off the Great War. It was the first all European conflict for 100 years. The two main alliances, the Entente [France, Britain, and Russia] and the Central Powers [Germany and Austria-Hungary] would remain at war for over four years. Other countries joined both alliances based on their links to the Imperialist main powers. Eventually, Japan and the USA would join the war, making it a global conflict. The hostility between the two main alliances had been cultivated over more than twenty years. The war followed an arms race between Britain and Germany. Britain focused on its naval fleet as it believed any war would be fought and won at sea. Germany firmly believed that a land war would take place and even had a detailed plan of attack. This is not to say that Germany didn’t have a strong naval fleet but goes a little way towards understanding why Britain had to form a new army at the outbreak of war, while Germany had a huge “military machine” in Germany, primed and ready to go to war. There was also intense rivalry between the main powers over territories claimed in Africa. The complex alliances and many years of poor diplomatic relations resulted in a “powder-keg” waiting to explode. Britain’s entry in to the conflict came on the 4th August 1914. Germany’s war plan, known as the Schlieffen Plan, envisaged a German attack, through Belgium and Holland, into northern France ending with the capture of Paris. An 1839 treaty signed by Austria, Prussia, Britain, France, and Russia agreed that Belgium should always remain a neutral state. On the 2nd August Germany demanded that her troops be given free passage through Belgium. Belgium refused. On the 3rd August Germany declared war on France. The British government demanded that Germany did not invade Belgium. Germany invaded Belgium on the 4th of August. Britain declared war on Germany the same day. Britain’s regular army were mobilised and sailed for Belgium. They were known as the British Expeditionary Force. The German army swept through Belgium and got to within forty miles of Paris. They were beaten back by the French and the British.

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  • Profile picture for Henry J Shanks

    Born 1896

    Died 1917

    British Army 2613 Private Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

    British Army 265855 Private Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry