Remembrance Day

[kefkat]

This is NOT a post for debates, rows, politics and nastiness. It is simply a post of remembrance. If there are any inappropriate posts I shall ask for them to be removed.

For we all are able to live today and be on the virtual world, too, because of the ultimate price paid by previous generations, which in some way or another will be members of our families of origin who paid the price, in life and death.

Please use this topic to share your stories and memories past down the generations, whatever they may be, whether in service in the forces, on the home front ad so on.

All of those will have been scared in some way. Those who served, those who did not come home, though who did living with the battle scares for life, though who served at home we will remember then.

 

[kefkat]

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[Pride of Lions]

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[kefkat]

O valiant hearts who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through battle flame;
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.

Proudly you gathered, rank on rank, to war
As who had heard God’s message from afar;
All you had hoped for, all you had, you gave,
To save mankind—yourselves you scorned to save.

Splendid you passed, the great surrender made;
Into the light that nevermore shall fade;
Deep your contentment in that blest abode,
Who wait the last clear trumpet call of God.

Long years ago, as earth lay dark and still,
Rose a loud cry upon a lonely hill,
While in the frailty of our human way,
Christ, our Redeemer, passed the self same way.

Still stands His Cross from that dread hour to this,
Like some bright star above the dark abyss;
Still, through the veil, the Victor’s pitying eyes
Look down to bless our lesser Calvaries.

These were His servants, in His steps they trod,
Following through death the martyred Son of God:
Victor, He rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk His cup of sacrifice.

O risen Lord, O Shepherd of our dead,
Whose cross has bought them and Whose staff has led,
In glorious hope their proud and sorrowing land
Commits her children to Thy gracious hand.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NbqT6iZwQU>

 

[kefkat]

(I will put the link up later)

 

[kefkat]

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[JuanPabloAngel]

Nice touch kefkat.

It's spine tingling when the best part of 40,000 people can stand there in silence reflecting (hopefully) on the sacrifices made which allow us the freedom (in this instance) to go and watch sport and spend time with our friends and family to do just that.

Everything gets taken for granted these days.

One of the highlights of the day for me was the reception the Holte End gave the service personnel when they came down and took their seats during the first half. Superb. :1: :1: :1:

 

[Melon Donkey]

Particularly poignant this year. My dad has done some family history research recently and in the past couple of weeks discovered that my great grandfather joined up in 1914 and fought on The Somme before being injured and returning home. It certainly gets you thinking and makes you proud hearing such things. :14:

 

[kefkat]

Thank you Juan Pablo. I know my Grandfather was in the Boar War and I presume WW1. The reason I know he was in the Boar war was because my paternal Grandparents eldest was born in a workhouse and so on, 9 months after he went off to war.

I dont know too much about WW1 where either side of the family were concerned. I believe a couple of great Uncle's were killed and that's about it.

In the 2nd WW my eldest Uncle was a pilot in the RAF. He was involved in a crash (fortunately not on enemy land) which messed up him playing for Villa after the war, (left with double vision hence) as he had been accepted to play as war broke out and he went and signed up so he had option of what he did.

My other Uncle was conscripted into the army. Needless to say he was very different to my other Uncle over the war. He came home very bitter and cynical from it all. ''Why'' the soldier with the cross always reminds me of him. He never talked about it. I once asked him how it had been. He simply replied 'when you have a choice of kill or be killed. When you wonder why married men were killed and he wasn't.......'' then he went quiet. I never said anymore.

My Mom signed up for the Wrens for the last 2-3 years of the war. Other extended family and friendships served in the armed forces, land army and so on.

My Grandma dabbled on the black market as she had her own business. My Grandpa had to deal with the family business during the war which he wasn't happy about. My grandma's 2 elder brothers had gone off for war who owned the business and left 1 of her other brother's in charge. He turned the company (funeral
accessories) over to arms and ammunition during the war (my grandpa had no say in it-he needed to work so)
and then ran off to Brighton with the takings after the war. I kid you not.

Other various family who were killed in the war. Fortunately immediate all came back, though were scared by the memories. My Mom was caught up in the doodle bug raids in London.

Oh I better mention my Father I supposed. he was in admin in Scotland. He hadn't met Mom then.

My grandparents used to have POW doing jobs at their place too. Alot of memories passed down the ages

 

[Pride of Lions]

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[Guest]

My great grandad (my dads dad) passed away sitting on the front row at the service at church and they realised this and carried on in his honour with the service in Wales he would have wanted that, he fought in two world wars the bore war and WW1, i always think of these hero's who gave us our freedom and lives we live today, i look at my kids and think i can not repay what our hero's did for us to allow me to see my kids grow up and be kids and play and happy, i will always be greatful and thankful to them!

My dad tells me my great grandads life was saved by gurkha's when they was fighting literally and was forever on about how the gurkha's was super human and the best.