Does anyone have anything on their layouts for Remembrance Day? I seem to remember that some members had memorials.
Also, do you do anything or go anywhere on the day? A service, memorial, relatives or friends?
I know it's a subject close to your heart but I don't do anything specific to Remembrance Day apart from buy a poppy. However, I put a fair chunk of money towards the Normandy Memorial and pay a monthly 'upkeep' DD as a 'Guardian' (c/w certificate and badge) and bought the recent Dapol D Day 80th anniversary wagon.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/142/264-080624124021-1424142269.jpeg)
My great great uncle (Alfred Lucas) went down with his ship HMS Goliath off the Dardanelles in WW1 and I do whatever I can to support our armed forces, past and present.
Quote from: Tank on November 09, 2024, 12:24:21 PMDoes anyone have anything on their layouts for Remembrance Day? I seem to remember that some members had memorials.
Also, do you do anything or go anywhere on the day? A service, memorial, relatives or friends?
Nothing on my layout, but our village has MOD housing for the Army logistics site in Arncott just down the road, and therefore has a strong and enduring link with the Military. I am not deeply religious but do usually attend the Remembrance Day service with my wife at the Village Church, both out of respect for those lost in the service of our country and those that currently serve.
Many thanks for this, Chris.
Both
Poppingham and
The SuperSilly Train Set feature (different) war memorials from the excellent Harburn Hamlet range.
My Union Mills 'D11/1' 4-4-0 engines
Somme and
Jutland are our designated War Memorial locomotives - this was a tradition amongst some of the old railway companies.
I normally do a special post on 11 November - if you please forgive me for quoting myself, here's the one from last year:-
Quote from: Train Waiting on November 11, 2023, 09:01:31 AMIn Remembrance
Good Morning
There is a tradition at the Table-Top Railway that a Service of Remembrance is held each year in Poppingham Parish Church on Armistice Day. The Directors of the company arrange for a special train, stopping at all stations on the line, to convey former and serving servicemen and women, and their close families, to Poppingham for the service. Railwaymen and invited guests of the company are also conveyed. This year, the stock of the Poppingham Pullman is being used, with the Pullman being replaced by a normal train. Traffic on Armistice Day is always very light, so few fare-paying passengers are inconvenienced.
The special train started at Tableford, ran all stations (except Poppingham) to Toppington and then returned to Poppingham non-stop. A second train, from Sillybury and formed of spare Pullman stock, stopping at Port Poppy, was combined with the main train during the Bobbington stop. The locomotive of this train was then attached to the combined train as a pilot engine.
Passengers from the Pandaford line travelled in the branch train to Bobbington where they joined the special train.
At Toppington, the locomotives were turned and took water. Mr Hedley, Foreman of Locomotives, is personally supervising the engine workings and Inspector Japp, resplendent in dark suit and bowler hat, is travelling on the train. All railwaymen working the special train, including the Pullman attendants, are volunteers.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/137/6222-101123155522.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=137106)
The up special train is seen arriving at Poppingham station. Ex-Great Central Railway 'Improved Director' 4-4-0s, LNER class D11/1, Nos 5504 Jutland and 5503 Somme are in charge of the train. Both locomotives were stopped for a week at Bobbington steam shed. After boiler wash-outs and full mechanical examinations were completed, the men of the shed, from Mr Hedley to the most junior cleaner, willingly gave up some of their free time to clean the engines.
Due to the length of the formation, the leading locomotive has been authorised to stop in advance of the Up Starting signal. Signalman Farmer is on duty with a flag to show the aspect of the signal.
Many thanks for looking and all best wishes.
In Remembrance.
John
I try to have the two minutes' silence in our garden each year. Often a couple of birds come and perch on the wall. I'm not an emotional person, but I find this moving.
With all good wishes.
John (Member RBL(Sc))
They have a service at the war memorial on Clacton seafront every year which we attend. It is very well attended.
This is a picture taken from the 2019 Remembrance Day service in 'Averingcliffe'.
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/83/4209-101119141441.jpeg
I also have the Dapol 80th Anniversary wagon. The Irish do not have a 'Remembrance Day' as such, although there is a National Day Of Commemoration held on the Sunday nearest 11th July. If I remember correctly, one of my Great Uncles was killed in the First World War.
My late Grandfather served in WW2
In the Royal Navy both in the Med and the Battle of the Atlantic helping sink the Scharnhorst
Finished off Hong Kong and Japan at the Surrender
His father WW1 served
Cousin went to the
Falklands
Generally watch the Remembrance Day event on TV.
My dad served in India and Burma with the RAF. My mum was in the ATS on Canvey Island I think, quite a distance from her hometown of Shotts. My uncle was in the Merchant Navy and met my dad in India!
My wife's father was in the BEF and was successfully rescued from Dunkirk. He then joined the RAF and went to Canada to train as a Navigator. Sadly in 1943 returning in a Lancaster from Hamburg his aircraft was shot down. He is buried on the Island of Texel in a military cemetary which we have managed to visit.
It is out of respect that we remember all who serve and served and those that did not return.
GE
:heart:
I don't have anything for remembrance on my layouts but tomorrow I will be at Walthamstow town halls memorial as the branch standard bearer
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/146/medium_1193-091124213338.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=146817)
Regards,
Alex
Tiree has a position made for a war memorial based on this one.
https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/165530.
On the side of the layout by it, it will have a plaque saying
"When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today".
From the Kohima memorial.. one of my uncles fought in Burma, but not at Kohima.
Beneath the layout will be a speaker playing appropriate music at times.. bagpipes mostly, but if it were on show on the 11th then the last post at the correct time.
Several of granddad's brothers served WW1 and or WW2
Grandad was CSM of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment with the BEF.
He was RSM of the 7th RTR by 1942. ( North Africa)
He served from 1919 to 1953.
I'm named after a battle Granddad served in.
3 Uncles served during WW2, Dad was just too young. he served RAF in the 1950s and 60s, me RAF in the 70s and 80s.
I volunteer here https://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/ now I'm retired.
Tomorrow I will be at my sailing club where at 11:00 I will lower the flags for the Remembrance Silence, as I have done for the last 25 years.
Oh another layout 009 is based on 1944 a few days after D-Day, it will have a radar unit on it.
Based on the two radar units that went ashore on the day.
Each consisted of about 160 RAF, 20 army, and one civilian in RAF uniform. They had 4 radars per unit.
One unit had no problems and had a radar station running in a few hours.
The other unit went ashore on Omaha Beach.11 were killed on the day, another died a day or so later. Only one Radar survived, but by 3 days later they had a full radar station running.
By the end of the week there were 5 RAF radar units in northern Europe. As well as those fighting their way up Italy..
I'm living in Russia now. Here the fallen are remembered in May (9th) so when I go to the monument tomorrow at 15:00 (the same time as 11:00 in Britain) I expect my two minutes of silence will be a very private event.
My long-departed layout 'Staveley' had a war memorial - in the middle of this picture:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/104/2975-150121214726-104764690.jpeg)
I don't attend Remembrance parades myself, although both my grandfathers were wounded in the Great War. I have no issue with the commemorations, but I just wish someone would lay a wreath for the civilians who die in wars, who have no equivalent memorial. Many of them (merchant navy seamen, firefighters, ambulance drivers) showed just as much courage as the regular forces but were often defenceless and are now largely forgotten.
Chris
Quote from: Papyrus on November 10, 2024, 10:10:50 AMMy long-departed layout 'Staveley' had a war memorial - in the middle of this picture:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/104/2975-150121214726-104764690.jpeg)
I don't attend Remembrance parades myself, although both my grandfathers were wounded in the Great War. I have no issue with the commemorations, but I just wish someone would lay a wreath for the civilians who die in wars, who have no equivalent memorial. Many of them (merchant navy seamen, firefighters, ambulance drivers) showed just as much courage as the regular forces but were often defenceless and are now largely forgotten.
Chris
......which more or less echoes what I wrote last year.
Martyn
Ex Merchant Navy.
There is actually a memorial to the Merchant Navy in London, outside the Trinity House buildings on Tower Hill, and, locally in Harwich, there is also a dedicated Merchant Navy memorial, but along with the other civilian services and the civilians themselves, not often commemorated. The Tower Hill memorial has an awful lot of names on it.........men and women.
BTW, don't get me wrong-I'm all for the Remembrance services, and applaud the way that they seem to have grown again after a period where they seemed to have been poorly attended.
In nearby Dovercourt, there is a memorial to a former GER steam ship master, Capt. Charles Fryatt, a civilian, who was executed by the Germans in WW1 after attempting to sink a U-boat which was attempting to sink his ship, the 'Brussels'. I think his body was transported back in the same railway carriage as that used for the body of the Unknown Warrior (and Edith Cavell?) but not at the same time
M
Thanks,
@martyn , I didn't know that. It would be nice if it got a bit of attention in the media at this time of year.
Chris
I have mentioned this before but I'm proud to have this displayed in my lounge window
https://tinyurl.com/yd77wk64
Merchant Navy Day
In 2000 the UK government declared that 3 September would be the national Merchant Navy Day each year. On Remembrance Sunday 2000, for the first time, members of the Merchant Navy participated in the formal march-past and laid a wreath with a unique design at the Cenotaph in London.
A service is held annually at the Harwich Merchant Navy memorial on Merchant Navy day, and I think a small service is held at Capt. Fryatt's memorial on the anniversary of his execution. There is also a general celebration of Merchant Navy day on the Thames, but this tends to be led by Trinity House, and I don't think its a memorial service: but not sure.
In Harwich, there is also a Kinder transport memorial, and unusually, a memorial to the Ww1 Minesweeping vessel casualties.
Martyn
Although the Great War had fewer campaign medals - five - compared to some other wars, one of these was the Mercantile Marine War Medal.
During the Second World War, I believe those who crewed merchant ships which made lone voyages, without an RN escort, across the Atlantic were eligible for the Atlantic Star.
My personal view is that a 1939-1945 Mercantile Marine War Medal ought to have been awarded to all Merchant Navy personnel who sailed in a theatre of war*. Without those supremely courageous individuals, I find it difficult to imagine how our war effort could have continued.
Dunkirk Evacuation included, of course.
With all good wishes.
John
Mrs B and I attended the ceremony this morning in the centre of Wollongong:
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/146/255-111124012054-1468571455.jpeg)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/146/255-111124012031-1468451760.jpeg)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/146/255-111124012116-1468581114.jpeg)
I always wear a 1918-2018 enamel poppy in memory of my Dad who was in the Royal Field Artillery, he would never talk about the terrible waste of life but did share one or 2 stories, one of which was about the "Bully Beef" they used to get, if he had a meal he'd enjoyed he'd say "ah Fray Bentos" apparently there were 2 contractors for the supply of this the other being "Libbys" which Dad said was only fit for laying tracks for the gun carriage. Anyway his folks recieved the commeration shown and a big shock when he walked through the door with his kit bag on his shoulder, they had let out his room! As you will have guessed I was something of an afterthought being born at the end of the 2nd conflict.
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My daughter has been shown this CBeebies animation every year she's been in primary school:
https://youtu.be/pv_ub7Be7oA
Watching it as a adult brings a lump to my throat.
My Dad was born in 1939 and one of his earliest memories was watching the sky turn orange following a raid on Manchester. His parents worked towards the war effort - his dad at Avro's factory in Chadderton and his mum sewing parachutes. They had a relatively easy war.
My mum's family lived through the war in the occupied Netherlands. Stories from those years were very few whilst my grandparents were alive. It was only in the last few years of his life that my grandfather told how their first family dog was given to the family by their Jewish neighbours who went on the run. My family were struggling to feed themselves but were reassured that the other family would send for the dog when they'd found a new home. Suffice to say, the family never returned to get their dog back. Even after liberation life was far from easy - despite coming from a farming background food was in very short supply.
Steven B
There is a small memorial that will be on our layout but we're busy doing some remodelling at the moment.
It matters to me to commemorate it because my Dad was in 1st Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, West Africa Army (RA) from 1940 onwards. I've recently found his Tracer Card so I've now asked for access to his military service history - he wouldn't talk about it to me, and he died when I was 16, 39 years ago. I also had 3 uncles in the European theatre and 1 on the Russian supply runs (Merchant Navy). Mum was a Land Girl from the age of 13 to 15. Plymouth was decimated during the Blitz, and I see evidence of that every day, so it's shaped who I am.
I'm pleased to report that the Wayland Men's Shed, of which I'm a member, did a two minutes silence at yesterday mornings meeting. It was good to see all fifty of us standing in silence, at 11am on 11/11. When we lived in France it seemed that the whole country stopped to remember at this time, not shifting it to a Sunday as we do in good old Blighty......
Dave