Poppy Day

[Chris Head]

I'll be starting the day tommorrow as I do each year. A raised mug of tea to them all and the Last Post.

[Cassis]

We'll be going to the mass at the church (even though I'm not a believer) and the laying of the gerbe at the memorial.  Always raises a lump in the throat.

[Beryl]

I was really touched to see that in a graveyard near me, the few Commonwealth war graves there had had fresh flowers put on them on All Saint's Day.

Lest we forget.

[Unknown]

Nice sentiment Chris, but how long do you think it will be before its all forgotten.

[Cassis]

[quote user="beryl"]

I was really touched to see that in a graveyard near me, the few Commonwealth war graves there had had fresh flowers put on them on All Saint's Day.

Lest we forget.

[/quote]

Where are you, Beryl?

[Unknown]

[quote user="beryl"]

I was really touched to see that in a graveyard near me, the few Commonwealth war graves there had had fresh flowers put on them on All Saint's Day.

Lest we forget.

[/quote]

Isn't that something to do with all souls day passing over to all saints day, rather than Armistice day?

[Cassis]

[quote user="Dotty Trois"]Nice sentiment Chris, but how long do you think it will be before its all forgotten.[/quote]

I don't know, Dotty. 

It's still pretty strong around here.  We have the village brass band out, the Mayor does a few words, everyone gathers around the Memorial,  a vin d'honneur afterwards.  Same thing on 11th August, the day the village was liberated by the 2nd DB.

I live in hope that it continues and that we don't forget.

[Beryl]

Yes it was on November 1st, obviously someone didn't want these poor souls to go unremembered.

It made me feel very humble that some unknown French person ( presumably) has taken the time and effort to do this for long deceased servicemen and I shall go again tomorrow.

 

 

[Cassis]

[quote user="Dotty Trois"][quote user="beryl"]

I was really touched to see that in a graveyard near me, the few Commonwealth war graves there had had fresh flowers put on them on All Saint's Day.

Lest we forget.

[/quote]

Isn't that something to do with all souls day passing over to all saints day, rather than Armistice day?

[/quote]

Yes, but it's still remembering the dead, and someone took the trouble to dress the Commonwealth graves, which is reassuring.

[Unknown]

What I mean is, that All saints day is to do with a pagen ritual and not anything to do with the war.

[Unknown]

[quote user="Cassis"][quote user="Dotty Trois"]Nice sentiment Chris, but how long do you think it will be before its all forgotten.[/quote]

I don't know, Dotty. 

It's still pretty strong around here.  We have the village brass band out, the Mayor does a few words, everyone gathers around the Memorial,  a vin d'honneur afterwards.  Same thing on 11th August, the day the village was liberated by the 2nd DB.

I live in hope that it continues and that we don't forget.
[/quote]

But the fact that the shops are open, I bet it wasn't like that 10 years ago.

[Meg]

Round here there are quite a few shops open just for the morning. Does this mean the ceremonies at the memorials happen in the afternoon then?? Or does it vary from village  to village?

[Missy]

[quote user="Cassis"]We'll be going to the mass at the church (even though I'm not a believer) and the laying of the gerbe at the memorial.  Always raises a lump in the throat.
[/quote]

You don't need to be a believer to go church for This service. I will go too,  as many of my relatives of that time fought in the 1st and 2nd world wars. I go in Remembrance of them and their contemporaries.

Cassis could you tell me if the school children will be reciting a poem as part of the ceremony.... maybe it's different in your area....

In the village were I grew up near Niort, every 11th Nov and 8th May, there is the usual ceremony by the war memorial with all the dignitaries of the commune, all the school children and their parents and the rest of the village. And each year in anticipation of this ceremony in school we had to learn by rote! by heart! a poem about war thing some'it like that, which would be recited at the ceremony by the best pupil. One year it happened to be me and I had to stand in front of the whole village reciting : Le Dormeur du Val by Arthur Rimbaud. I was petrified up to and during the event that I would fluff my lines and left speechless for a day or so after from sheer exhaustion!  

The only lines I remember are the first and last ones : >C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons d'argent ..................... Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine, tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.<

 

[Missy]

[quote user="Dotty Trois"]Nice sentiment Chris, but how long do you think it will be before its all forgotten.[/quote]

Dotty it won't be forgotten. Tomorrow in France is to remember WW1, on Sunday in UK the day will encompass ALL wars.  And for as long as there will be war, Remembrance Day will be celebrated.... 

All these years on, people remember the Battles of Hastings, Crécy, Azincourt, Bosworth, Culloden, the Boyne, Waterloo, Trafalgar, Verdun, D-day, the Falklands and many many others ... Albeit that they are remembered now only to be key points in our histories and the running of our countries, still not to be forgotten is that a lot of people died fighting.

 

[Missy]

[quote user="Meg and Mog"]Round here there are quite a few shops open just for the morning. Does this mean the ceremonies at the memorials happen in the afternoon then?? Or does it vary from village  to village? [/quote]

Ceremonies usually happen in the morning round the 11am mark for Armistice Day then the whole assembly of dignitaries can go to the salle des fêtes for a vin d'honneur and in some villages/town a whole banquet is organised.... it does vary from places to places....

As to shops opens ... well... it is a secular world that we live in but in which we should not stop remembering....

[Missy]

Sorry folks! 3 postings in a row!

Just know that I will wear my poppy and my bleuet with pride tomorrow and Sunday...

[JayJay]

Missy, I looked up the poem & it put a lump in my throat. I don't know how you managed to read it out. Here it is. Thankyou

C'est un trou de verdure, où chante une rivière,
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit: c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.

Un soldat jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l'herbe, sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.

Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme:
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.

Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine.
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.

[Bob T]

I have just attended the armistice day gathering in my town, There was no church service, but I was invited to drinks afterwards. After many years in the RAF nad having a great uncle buried in France who died in the first war, I thought it would show support for a Brit to attend. I have just posted the pictures on my blog if anyone is interested.

[Pip]

Thanks Chris for starting this thread and to Missy for showing us how much effort and care French people put into remembering all those who lost their lives in war (not just those who were killed).  I'm working tomorrow but rest assured I will be standing silently at 11 am offering a prayer for all those brave people. 

[Cassis]

We had a church service at 10.30 with the usual enthusiastic but cacophanous sound of the Fanfare d'Ancinnes (brass band) - I reckon if the priest wasn't deaf before he is now.  Lots of off-key singing.   A short walk behind the band to the War Memorial for the laying of the Gerbe and the reading of the names of the war dead from the village in the First and Second WW (incl. separate lists for civilians and resistance of the latter) and the Indo-China conflict, a minute's silence then the vin d'honneur afterwards.  The anciens combatants are having their dinner in the hall now.

[Ford Anglia]

Here's one for the brave RAF lads who never came home........

FOR JOHNNY

Do not despair
For Johnny-head-in-air;
He sleeps as sound
As Johnny underground.

Fetch out no shroud
For Johnny-in-the-cloud;
And keep your tears
For him in after years.

Better by far
For Johnny-the-bright-star,
To keep your head,
And see his children fed.

[TWINKLE]

The mayor invites the children of the village every year to carry a bouquet of flowers to the 'Monument aux morts'.  She is 7 now and understands what's going on so I asked her if she'd like to go tomorrow morning and she said yes straight away. 

We saw some news reports of old soldiers - they were 105 and 108 years old.  She was glued to the screen and has been talking about what they were saying this afternoon.

[Cat]

It brought a lump to my throat when the maire read out the names of all those who had lost their lives in the first and second world wars.  For a town of 1000 inhabitants, it was a very long list, and many of the descendants still live here, making it all the more poignant.

Afterwards a group of us were talking, and one of them said how nice it was to see allies also paying honour to the dead, as there were several of us Brits there.  Then another of them said, yes, they were our allies, but now they're our friends.

 

[opas]

I didn't attend our ceremony today as i have an infection and do not wish to pass it on. Yhe rest of the family attended though. Yesterday in school the teacher was talking about 11 th November with the children and she asked that they attend today as she would be (even though she lives in another village about 10 k away). Out of 22 children in the class there was 2 in attendance.

I sat and pondered at 11 am , trying to reflect on what our maire would be saying..........but as usual there are folks who have no respect whatsoever and were drilling, banging and kicking footballs.

The family also went for the vin d'honeur after and said it was a pretty poor show of faces.

[Missy]

[quote user="JayJay"]  Missy, I looked up the poem & it put a lump in my throat. I don't know how you managed to read it out. ....[/quote]

No. Not reading it aloud but reciting it aloud with no help whatsoever but your own little self, remembering every word, comma, and fullstop at the right place and time.... which when you are 10 or 11, lives you exhausted with stagefright!....