Poppy Day

[JayJay]

Gulp! That's not surprising!

[Salty Sam]

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[TWINKLE]

I took my daughter to put down some flowers at the 'Monument aux morts' the big day was yesterday but we couldn't do it (work).  It was so touching to watch her lay her little bouquet - she is very interested about it all this year.

I wasn't all that aware of the atrocities of the first world war until I read Sebastien Faulks' "Birdsong".  It ripped me apart - and for a long time I couldn't shake off the feeling of despair and injustice.

To-day I am sad and angry.

[Dick Smith]

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/Remembrance-2006.jpg[/IMG]

[Chris Head]

Don't forget those that still serve and fall.

[Beryl]

Four more British soldiers killed in Iraq today. News released a few minutes ago.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

 

To think they probably joined in the minutes silence today and now....

 

[Jonzjob]

Yesterday we joined the village in their parade again and were greeted like old friends even though we have only lived here for 18 months. The day is always a moving one for me and the way that French people celebrate it is wonderful. After all it is to celebrate the end of "The War to end all Wars" and to remember the people who gave their lives in it.

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/11Nov2006103.jpg[/IMG]

This young lady is reading the names of "The Children of France" from the memorial. Sometimes 4 or 5 names from the same family!

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/11Nov200682.jpg[/IMG]

The children of now remembering and placing flowers.

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/11Nov200691.jpg[/IMG]

This young lady was so young that big brother helped her. I was nearly in tears!

Tomorrow I will be taking a CD of the photos I took to the Mairie for them to use if they wish.

Thank you Chris for starting this post... And sorry if this part is wet.

[Dick Smith]

Nice photos, John, very evocative. Glad you remembered the IR switch!

These are some more shots from the Carshalton service today, to go with 'Remembering'.

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/man.jpg[/IMG]

One of a decreasing number of WW2 veterans who now come to the service. This man was obviously frail but stuck it out on a cold day when the 15-year old cadet next to him keeled over. His salute was a crisp as ever.

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/350.jpg[/IMG]

When I was but a lad I was a member of 350 Squadron Air Cadets, who still parade every year and still can't march.

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/flag.jpg[/IMG]

I'm not a silly patriot, but the sun was shining on the flags today. Just as I was taking this a parrokeet flew overhead...

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/Cenotaph.jpg[/IMG]

Two generations laying wreaths together.

[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/Morrie.jpg[/IMG]

And my old pal Morrie, 82 years old, ex-RAF and still fit as a fiddle.

I had two of my sons and their wives with me and one of their friends. We, and some others, have a little private ceremony in the churchyard where we lay a wreath on an 'abandoned' memorial, and then we go over to the main ceremony. After that, it's the pub, but as none of the Smiths now drink alcohol it isn't much of a party!  It is just good to see the old tradition being carried forward by new generations. One day the memory will fade, but not yet.

[Jonzjob]

Dick you don't have to be a "sily patriot" to be proud of your countrie's flag. I am very proud of the flag and I have always admired the way the French en mass are proud of theirs. In the U.K. now it's not politically correct to believe in your country and although I now live over here I am a VERY proud Englishman. When I joined the R.A.F. I knew that I may be called to fight for that flag to preserve our way of life and freedom. I was greatful that I never had to.

Hopefully we will never be in the position of having to loose another generation of young men and women due to some high powered clown's asperations? As far as 1918 is concerned, long may that memory last and be remembered!

Since when have the ATC been able to march. I used to love watching them when they were on their summer camp at R.A.F. Brize Norton walking, sorry, marching up the road to the mess for meals. They loved it and I am sure that some of those boys will be 'old hands' there now and watch the youngsters with as much amusement as I did? What goes around comes around.

 

[Bob T]

Those were the days. I asked to go to the Falklands war, but was refused as I was a battle damage repair man, where is the sense in that? I also tried to get to Gulf war 1 but was refused as by then I was a computer specialist. I was willing to do my bit then, but now I feel more for the French flag than I did for the British flag.

I feel that the people here tend to appreciate others form all walks of life, in the UK I no longer felt the feeling of belonging.

I know what you mean about the ATC at BZN, but these days due to spending cuts the ATC do many parades that the RAF used to do. I remember the BofB ball at Wyton mess where there were ATC on parade as there were no servicemen to spare. Things have changed so much.

My cousin is a Mason and attends all the vetran services that he can in the UK. He complains that people hoot their horns at some of the vetrans because they are overflowing onto the road!

[Tresco]

There will always be people in a hurry, BobT.

I think they're idiots, but they just see themselves as people in a hurry. Maybe they've no direct link to loss through war. Lucky them.

Thanks for posting the very evocative pictures and descriptions, John and Dick.

[Russethouse]

Maybe they are tooting as a gesture of support ?

[Gardian]

My FIL, well & truly alive but a bit frail now, was a RAF fitter at the start of WWII.

He found himself in the Champagne area, servicing a Blenheim squadron in 1940.

Some 20 years ago, we re-visited the area with him and my late MIL, principally to spend some time in Rheims and 'hit' the Champagne houses!  Whilst there though, we did go out to the airfield at which he was based.  It's now just a big field, like any that you'd pass without a thought anywhere in France or for that matter in England. 

It was very emotional for him.  "They'd fly off and half the planes simply never came back".  He also pointed to a wood on the other side of the airfield - apparently it was part of the front line in WWI.  "We often used to doss down in there", he said, .... "but the birds never sang in that wood".

We also stumbled across a Cossack cavalry cemetary from 1914 - I had no idea that they were there at that time.

On a more uplifting note, my FIL got out as a 'passenger' in the back of a Blenheim as far as Cherbourg, with umpteen bottles of bubbly as booty for his Dad.  Couldn't do that with Ryanair these days!