Remembrance Day

[jonclox]

 The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
"With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain". 

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943),
__________________

[upnick]

They gave their all  so  you could wake to a  sunny  peaceful day.

[RailGooner]

GWR have applied some very nice and tasteful vinyl to a few trains.

https://twitter.com/GWRHelp

[Lawrence]

Grumpy head on:

White Poppies
Purple poppies
Khadi Poppies

All of these dilute the meaning of the red poppy, of remembrance, the red poppy does not discriminate: the red poppy remembers and pays tribute to all irrespective of colour, creed, ethnicity or conflict, just those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

To display a poppy other than the red poppy, detracts from those that your poppy does not represent.

Please remember all who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, wear your red poppy with pride, give thanks to those who gave you the life options you now have.

[emjaybee]

+1

[Newportnobby]

GWR have applied some very nice and tasteful vinyl to a few trains.

https://twitter.com/GWRHelp

Huge kudos to GWR for that.

I back what Lawrence has said but also appreciate there being a poppy this year for the ladies who gave their lives.

[acko22]

Hi All,

Well this year is the centenary and we should take that into special consideration, but still not forget all those who have given so much since.
As for the poppies honestly I do think they dilute the meaning of the poppy a bit, but that been said those who have given their lives have given us the freedoms to express ourselves so if someone chooses to wear another one then honestly that is a choice those that have gone before have given us.

This year for what ever reason seems to be a very politicized Remembrance for many reasons, which I hate as its not about politics its about those who have lost their lives in conflict who ever they are. I have been saddened by comments I have seen and read with many a person claiming the poppy glorifies war! I can say as a serving soldier nothing could be further from the truth, if you want to see the glorification of violence then go the cinema and I am sure you will find a film that does that perfectly well and its classed as entertainment!

As a soldier I will openly admit I HATE conflict, why you may ask because I am the one of the people who has to deal with it and all the realities of conflict, I have lost friends, seen them suffer horrific injuries both mental as well as physical, I have seen them lose their families as relationships fall apart, and personally I have many times had to live with the reality me and my family may end up being one of those to suffer as result of conflict, and every conflict doesn't just hurt those who serve it hurts the families of those who have and continue to serve.

I know numerous of you are forces or have forces connections and you will understand what I am saying and experienced what I am trying to describe, but for those that haven't all I can say is I have seen and done things that I never wish one anyone's conscience, and while as soldiers we do have an inherent bravado about us the truth is we are all human and suffer just the same as everyone. We all have our own reasons for doing the job and acknowledge the reality of it may that be potentially losing our lives, been seriously hurt, bringing home memories that are hard to describe and missing out on our time with out families especially our children as they grow up so quickly.

My reasons for been in the army for so long is simple not out of bravado although I will admit at first it was, after my first tour the things I had seen and done in that 7 months made me realise how brutal this world can be and I never wanted those that I care about to have to deal with the horrors that I have had to deal with and live with in my memories. If me doing this job has stopped even one person I care about dealing with these horrors then I have done my job and would happily go through it all again!

This year as you gather to Remember those who have given so much, all I can ask is that you forget any of the politics may it be due to a 100 year old picture that only has white men in it or your feelings towards recent wars and please remember this....

Those same men and women who have served and suffered in so many ways would be the same people who would stand between you and someone who would mean to cause you harm giving everything they had even if it means giving their lives, the world they have helped shape in so many is not perfect but they have given so much to make it the as best they can for all our futures and all that is asked in return is 2 minutes of Remembrance and thanks for their sacrifice

Finally I have to give full kudos to all the railway companies who this year gave really pulled out all the stops to pay their respects to the fallen with so many fitting tributes.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

[zopadooper]

This year as you gather to Remember those who have given so much, all I can ask is that you forget any of the politics may it be due to a 100 year old picture that only has white men in it or your feelings towards recent wars and please remember this....

Those same men and women who have served and suffered in so many ways would be the same people who would stand between you and someone who would mean to cause you harm giving everything they had even if it means giving their lives, the world they have helped shape in so many is not perfect but they have given so much to make it the as best they can for all our futures and all that is asked in return is 2 minutes of Remembrance and thanks for their sacrifice


WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Indeed we should and must remember them but let us also remember the millions  who died from "the other side".  They suffered just as much from the folly of war.

[RailGooner]

Sadly, it's not often that I feel proud to work where I do. On Friday, two pictures were hung which fill me with immense pride.

Noel Godfrey CHAVASSE VC with Bar, MC
https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/294/Noel-Godfrey--CHAVASSE-



George Allan MALING VC
https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/268/George-Allan--MALING

[Newportnobby]

I congratulate all the TV channels concerned who brought us programmes about Remembrance Day and its centenary. The Peter Jackson programme last night 'They shall not grow old' was, I thought, an understated wonder.