Politicians Who Fought at The Somme

I was looking up the battle of the Somme on Wiki and was caught by the 'noteable deaths' section here - en.wikipedia.org...

There are sports personalities and even politicians! Guy Baring - en.wikipedia.org... was a politician who despite leaving the coldstream guards joined up as soon as war broke out.

How many modern day politicians or spotsmen today would do the same thing to be so nobel as to fight the wars that they support?

Even If I disagreed with a politicians military decision to go to war if they beleived it was the right thing so much that they themselves went to fight I would have far more respect for them despite not agreeing with their reasoning for it. I thought it was truely amazing to see politicians under the list of notable dead.

Originally posted by clintdelicious
How many modern day politicians or spotsmen today would do the same thing to be so nobel as to fight the wars that they support?

Well, though I'm certain conscription had something to do with it, you bring up a very interesting discussion point.

The people who make the decision to go to war, potentially causing the deaths of millions, should, in my opinion, be on the front lines! I would be willing to bet that the number of world conflicts would plummet if this small little condition was forced upon the political class.

the Billmeister

reply to post by Billmeister


I havent looked into all the cases, but the politician who I mentioned in the OP was a politician who had left the army and was exempt from service due to his political commitments. However he joined his old regiment as soon as war broke out. Also there was that American football player who left a career in the NFL to go to war in Iraq. I couldnt see any premier league footballers doing the same I must say.

You are dead right though those who decide to go to war should have to endure the front lines of that warfare.