[Preseantair] Tha Dòmhnall Meek an-diugh a’ fuireach anns an Eaglais Bhric agus e air a dhreuchd anns an saoghal acadaimigeach a leigeil dheth. Tha e a-nis air aire a thionndadh gu beatha Iain, bràthair a sheanmhar a rannsachadh.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Tha mise air a bhith beò còmhla ri Iain mar gum biodh, fad mo bheatha ann an dòigh car annasach, ach tha mi a’ faireachdainn nach do chrìochnaich mi, nach do dhùin mi an cearcall anns an teaghlach agus feumaidh mi dol a-null don Fhraing. Tha mi a’ faireachdainn car ciontach nach do sheas mi riamh aig uaigh Iain.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Ach a bharrachd air an sin nach d’ fhuair mi fhathast tuigse cheart air càit’ an do thuit e agus càit’ an deach e a thiodhlacadh mu dheireadh.
[Preseantair] Chaidh Iain às an rathad air a’ chiad latha de Bhlàr Arras air an naoidheamh latha den Ghiblean naoi-deug ‘s a seachd-deug. Bhon àm a chaidh a thogail dhan airm gu latha a’ bhàis, bhiodh e a’ sgrìobhadh litrichean agus cairtean gu theaghlach agus nuair a ràinig e dhan Fhraing, leabhar-latha.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Bha fhios agamsa nuair a bha mi nam bhalach gun robh litrichean ann a bha prìseil, ach cha do thuig mi gus o chionn ghoirid dè cho prìseil ‘s a bha iad. Tha na litrichean ag innse dhuinn ciamar a bha e a’ faireachdainn. Chan eil iad ag innse dhuinn idir mòran mun Chogadh fhèin. Tha e mar gum biodh, a’ seachnadh taobh, salach grod a’ Chogaidh, murt is marbhadh chan eil sin a’ nochdadh mòran idir.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Càirdeas Cogaidh, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2014.
[Presenter] Donald Meek now lives in Falkirk and he has retired from the academic world He has now turned his attention to researching the life of his great uncle John.
[Donald Meek] I have been living with John, as it were, all my life in an odd way, but I feel that am not finished, I have not completed the circle, as it was, in the family and I must go abroad to France. I feel quite guilty that I have not stood at John’s grave.
[Donald Meek] But in addition to this I don’t have a proper understanding of where he died and where he was finally buried.
[Presenter] John died on the first day of the Battle of Arras on the 9th day of April 1917. From the time he was called to the army to the day of this death he would write letters and cards to his family and when he reached France, a diary.
[Donald Meek] I knew when I was a boy that the letters were precious, but I did not understand until recently how precious they were. The letters tell us how he was feeling. They don’t tell us much about the war itself. It’s as if he’s avoiding the dirty, rotten side of war and death, that does not often appear.
This programme, Càirdeas Cogaidh, was first broadcast in 2014.
[Preseantair] Tha Dòmhnall Meek an-diugh a’ fuireach anns an Eaglais Bhric agus e air a dhreuchd anns an saoghal acadaimigeach a leigeil dheth. Tha e a-nis air aire a thionndadh gu beatha Iain, bràthair a sheanmhar a rannsachadh.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Tha mise air a bhith beò còmhla ri Iain mar gum biodh, fad mo bheatha ann an dòigh car annasach, ach tha mi a’ faireachdainn nach do chrìochnaich mi, nach do dhùin mi an cearcall anns an teaghlach agus feumaidh mi dol a-null don Fhraing. Tha mi a’ faireachdainn car ciontach nach do sheas mi riamh aig uaigh Iain.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Ach a bharrachd air an sin nach d’ fhuair mi fhathast tuigse cheart air càit’ an do thuit e agus càit’ an deach e a thiodhlacadh mu dheireadh.
[Preseantair] Chaidh Iain às an rathad air a’ chiad latha de Bhlàr Arras air an naoidheamh latha den Ghiblean naoi-deug ‘s a seachd-deug. Bhon àm a chaidh a thogail dhan airm gu latha a’ bhàis, bhiodh e a’ sgrìobhadh litrichean agus cairtean gu theaghlach agus nuair a ràinig e dhan Fhraing, leabhar-latha.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Bha fhios agamsa nuair a bha mi nam bhalach gun robh litrichean ann a bha prìseil, ach cha do thuig mi gus o chionn ghoirid dè cho prìseil ‘s a bha iad. Tha na litrichean ag innse dhuinn ciamar a bha e a’ faireachdainn. Chan eil iad ag innse dhuinn idir mòran mun Chogadh fhèin. Tha e mar gum biodh, a’ seachnadh taobh, salach grod a’ Chogaidh, murt is marbhadh chan eil sin a’ nochdadh mòran idir.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Càirdeas Cogaidh, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2014.
[Presenter] Donald Meek now lives in Falkirk and he has retired from the academic world He has now turned his attention to researching the life of his great uncle John.
[Donald Meek] I have been living with John, as it were, all my life in an odd way, but I feel that am not finished, I have not completed the circle, as it was, in the family and I must go abroad to France. I feel quite guilty that I have not stood at John’s grave.
[Donald Meek] But in addition to this I don’t have a proper understanding of where he died and where he was finally buried.
[Presenter] John died on the first day of the Battle of Arras on the 9th day of April 1917. From the time he was called to the army to the day of this death he would write letters and cards to his family and when he reached France, a diary.
[Donald Meek] I knew when I was a boy that the letters were precious, but I did not understand until recently how precious they were. The letters tell us how he was feeling. They don’t tell us much about the war itself. It’s as if he’s avoiding the dirty, rotten side of war and death, that does not often appear.
This programme, Càirdeas Cogaidh, was first broadcast in 2014.