Remembrance Sunday

[BBJ]

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.

Most of us know will have seen or heard this many times.
What I didn't know until recently is that the poem "For the Fallen" (of which this is the fourth of six verses) was published in "The Times" in September 1914, only a few weeks after the start of the Great War.
Grimly prophetic, bearing in mind the carnage yet to come.
I wonder will we ever really learn?
Its author was Robert Laurence Binyon.

 

[sirdennis]

Yes will be off to the Remembrance day parade in Shirley soon , My Uncle lost a leg at Dunkirk and never ever talked about the war , what he must have seen lord only knows ,

It's always nice to see how many younger people go as well it is important they know the sacrifices these people made.

 

[Claret & Blue Blood]

I shall stand with my head bowed and hand on heart for the 2 minutes silence this morning. My Dad's photograph of him in his Royal Artillery uniform and his medals will be on the cupboard by the TV.

Dad served in North Africa from 1939 until the end of the war and was in the 11th Commando which was part of the 8th Army. My father was involved in the raid on Rommel's HQ in Tobruk that was led by Lt.Colonel Geoffery Keyes that resulted in the loss of many of my Dad's comrades. For more information on the raid, code named Operation Flipper, see http://www.combinedops.com/Operation%20Flipper.htm and at the bottom of the page is the link to a copy of the letter sent to my Dad after the war by Rt Hon. Elizabeth Keyes who was writing a book about the raid to capture the 'Desert Fox' - Field Marshall Erwin Rommel.

Whilst Dad survived the war, he always remembered the many comrades - Canadian, Australian, Indian and British - who died in the North African campaign and I will be doing my part for remembrance on his behalf today for the many that died in defence of our freedom.

Dad died in 2011, aged 91 and had the last post played at his funeral by the local branch of the British Legion in honour of his contribution.

 

[kefkat]

We had our 2 minutes silence at church this morning. Before it 1 of our very elderly church members read that BBJ. He also read

'When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today: John Maxwell Edmond's,

Bert is 93. You wouldn't think it if you seen him. Bert along with 4 other men who served on Normandy recently had their memories summarised into a book, which was turned into a play about Bert and these men.

I am looking forward to going to see it. We saw a short clip of rehearsal at church this morning on film, taken by Bert's daughter,

My Father served in Scotland in administration. My younger Uncle on Mom's side, was on the front line. He never really recovered from the experiences. My eldest Uncle on Mom's side was a fighter pilot for The RAF. My Mom served i The Wrens and was in the doodlebug raids in London. My Grandparents also played there own part in the war from the home-front.

Many many stories of and many other family members and friends of I could regale you with.