Left alone Quote by Andrew Roberts
““Sergeant Tony Aubrey of 8 Column recalled how one soldier, ‘whose feet were in a very bad state, made up his mind he could go no further. He lay down. His mates, worn out as they were, tried to carry him. But he wouldn’t allow them to. All he wanted was to be left alone with as many hand grenades as we could spare. So we gave him the hand grenades and left him. There wasn’t anything else to do.’ Stragglers got back as best they could. ‘At first we worried about him,’ Aubrey said of one such. ‘ “How’s so-and-so making out?” we asked each other. But after a time we forgot him. He was just another piece of landscape. This may sound like man’s inhumanity to man, but it wasn’t you know. We were just too tired to care.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Great War: A Combat History of the First World War by Andrew Roberts, 2013
A soldier’s refusal to be rescued, preferring grenades, illustrates extreme fatigue and dehumanization in war, where individuals become expendable.
In simple terms: Soldier chose death over burden, showing war’s dehumanization.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the psychological toll of combat on individuals.
Themes
war fatigue
dehumanization
combat stress
morale
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
historical
psychological
When to use this quote
- battlefield
- military history
- psychology
Key Concepts
expendability
psychological collapse
survival instinct
Questions to Reflect On
- What support can prevent soldiers from feeling expendable?
- How does extreme fatigue affect decision‑making?
A Different Perspective
War can strip humanity, making lives seem disposable.
