Just to say it is so lovely to look now and see how many people have made special reference to remembrance. I'm touched, it's an important part of the year to me, especially being an 'army wife' .
PLEASE don't let anyone turn this thread get into a debate, this is my view and I just wanted to record it, so if you want to do the same please do.
We have some amazing people around here ( we all know who they are), who could tell us what it all really means.
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.â€
CLx
I agree, well said :)
Agreed. Respect and gratitude.
Sam
For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Laurence Binyon...
G e o.. :)
i would like to say thanks to all those that fought for us and are still doing do.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A thought so my Uncle George and Grandad Wallace. George killed in action, Wallace dying from injuries sustained in battle. Remembering Marks Grandad killed in action on board the Rawalpindi.
Remembering all, doing their bit, wherever they are.
Our local British Legion branch consists of five villages (including Aldworth, where Laurence Binyon is buried), and the Remembrance Day service is held in each in turn on a rota. We parade from the pub to the church, and then back to the pub … we have a piper, and a bugler to sound the Last Post.
There is always something slightly shambolic about the proceedings and I find this quite charming. Two years ago, for example, we sang “Amazing Grace†in church accompanied by the regular piper. The congregation began to sing after the intro, but found ourselves beginning the last verse unaccompanied â€" because the piper hadn’t intended to play an intro. We had been expected to start straightaway!
Today being the 11th, and the service tomorrow being elsewhere (keef’s village this year), we assembled at 1100 to lay a wreath on our war memorial, which is inside the church. Sadly our leader hadn’t checked that the church had been unlocked, and there was a delay while a key was tracked down. I was given the job of reading out the names from a yellowing, much-used piece of paper â€" not having my specs with me, I made sure I was close enough to read them off the memorial. Luckily. Closer inspection revealed that one of the names had been missed off the paper …
Yes, it’s always a bit of a shambles but still always very moving.
It can never be complete Greyhound.... the sacrifice of the survivors goes unrecorded... my Grandad lost an arm and a leg on the Somme and my Dad was on D-Day... he survived but 88% of his section didn't.. he marched to the Rhine before getting both of his legs broken by a shell....
::)
I agree with you CL. Remembrance actually seems to have got stronger in recent years and that is a trend I would like to see continue. I called my 15yo just by saying "It's 11 o'clock" this morning and she came down and took part in the silence. I will be with Scouts tomorrow for the Remembrance service. One of the most important days of te year in my opinion and I am glad that that the youngsters feel the same way. Long may this trend continue.
In recent years we have had a minute's silence at the end of the morning playtime on the Friday closest to Remembrance Day. The Junior kids line up round the edge of the playground in their year groups. It's always a really moving sight to see almost 300 children standing silently in respect for those who have fought to give them the life they lead right now.
Much respect.
Bob
Ron remembers, too - he's over 90 now & living in Canada.
www.britishsoldier.com/ronindex.htm
we usually go to the memorial service in the centre of our little town, but this year didn't manage it. So we just took note of the 11am silence and contemplated. The whole event is very moving.
We have some regulars in the shop, one of which was chatting recently about being in the war, storming the beaches on D-Day - it's amazing that he's still alive. Another elderly gentleman regular next in line (always asking about German produce) piped up and said: I was there too! Stationed up in one of the bunkers, I was probably shooting at you!
(OH's military knowledge is better than mine and can detail the outfits these two men were in, but I'm afraid you've got me recanting this one!)
I was very disappointed today at the turn out in our Village for the War Memorial Service. It has been in the last few years well attended but somehow today folk just didnt turn up in their numbers. Our Minister takes the Service with a few words, prayer and then the 2 minute silence. We have a local Bugler who sounds the Last Post after the the wreaths are laid. I live on the main road to Edinburgh and usually traffic sit and wait (albeit with their engines running) but no traffic today either. In all, a quiet morning. I have 2 great uncles and OH has an Uncle on the War Memorial, the latter being a Rear gunner in the RAF shot down over Rhodes.
Just been re-watching the Cenotaph Service.
The synchronised first doiiing of Big Ben & the field gun just cracks me up.
I just happened upon this very interesting looking forum site on WW1.
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?act=idx
I think I may be spending some time browsing "Classic Threads"!
What an amAZing link!!
Quote from: saddad on November 11, 2006, 23:59:21
It can never be complete Greyhound.... the sacrifice of the survivors goes unrecorded... my Grandad lost an arm and a leg on the Somme and my Dad was on D-Day... he survived but 88% of his section didn't.. he marched to the Rhine before getting both of his legs broken by a shell....
::)
Not always unrecorded, saddad. Did you know that after WW1, many communities had a "Roll Of Honour" listing the names of all those who served in the war, including those who returned? I guess a lot of these may not have survived, but the one in our village does. Could your grandad's name be on one somewhere?
What normally does go unrecorded is the suffering of the non-combatants. I'd be a lot more comfortable with it all if the focus was on the suffering of all the victims of war, including the ones in uniform, rather than the current militaristic undertones.
there are a lot of people still suffering mentally form the wars, my own dad lost something of his spirit in ww2
You have something there, Robert - difficult to achieve?
Very, given our existing tradition. It always seems to me that what ought to be a day of mourning just provides an opportunity to romanticise war (all this talk about 'sacrifice' and 'dying for your country') and, in a subtle way, to glorify the art of getting people killed for political gain. But going back to the origin of it, what exactly did this country, or any country, gain from all the horror of WW1? It was an unmitigated disaster, and an annual day of national repentance might have been more appropriate!
Quote from: CotswoldLass on November 10, 2006, 22:54:41
Just to say it is so lovely to look now and see how many people have made special reference to remembrance. I'm touched, it's an important part of the year to me, especially being an 'army wife' .
PLEASE don't let anyone turn this thread get into a debate, this is my view and I just wanted to record it, so if you want to do the same please do.
We have some amazing people around here ( we all know who they are), who could tell us what it all really means.
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.â€
CLx
Guys, please. This is just what CL did not want when she started the topic.
So sorry - I did not want it to progress - just wanted to drop in one word of sympathy.
You beat me to it in repeating Lassie's request.
Thank you! CLx