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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Viktoria on Sunday 08 November 20 11:27 GMT (UK)
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Just thought this was appropriate today ,with the somewhat altered acts of
Remembrance .
Remembrance.
Gently,so gently
The soft winds blow
Between the white stones
Row on row,
Here where we lie.
Softly so softly
The bright sunbeams bless
Enfolding us all
In their warm caress
Silently so silently
The snowflakes fall
Covering us gently
With their loving pall,
Quietly so quietly
The breezes sigh
Whispering our plea
To all who’d pas by
Here where we lie
Stay,tarry,linger a while
It’s not much to ask
For we who gave all
And now here we lie.
Our living not easy,
Our dying so hard
Just think of us kindly ,
When soft winds blow
Bright sunbeams bless,
Snowflakes fall,
And Soft breezes whisper
“Remember them all,
Here where they lie.
Viktoria.
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That Verse is beautiful Viktoria. Thank you.
Lest we forget,
Dorrie
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Very poignant, thank you Viktoria. I went to the roadside for the 2 minute silence but saw no-one else doing the same. A digger was working opposite & several cars drove by. A neighbour was washing his car :(
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Yes, thanks, who is the young man in the photograph ?
Viktoria.
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We stood outside our house with our dog who is wearing his Poppy on his collar.
Only 1 other couple across the road that I could see. They are in their late 30's.
Dorrie
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Yes, very apt.
I, too, stood outside the house, and I was holding my grandfather's medals - he died 7 October 1916 at Le Sars and is commemorated at Thiepval.
As an aside - did anyone watch the ceremony this morning? I was intrigued by a strange headgear worn by one of the bandsmen - a white busby with a red band. Any ideas, anyone?
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Viktoria, that is my mother's uncle. She was born a few months after he died & her younger brother born in 1918 was named Stanley in his honour. Every year I pin a hand knitted poppy & this picture of Stanley to a tree at our roadside. He was in France for only 3 months when he was killed, no known grave, commemorated on a wall with 14000 others who also have no known graves. My son & myself are the only 2 members of the family who have been to see it.
ADDED for Viktoria - it's at Le Touret war cemetery in Pas de Calais. His name is also on the Stockwell War Memorial in London.
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Would the wall be by any chance at the memorial to The Accrington Pals ,or The Chorley Pals ,they formed part of a “Pals” regiment.
The 11 th East Lancs ,almost wiped out in the first minutes of the first day of “The Somme.”July 1 st 1916 .
It was said of them :-
“ Two years in the making ,ten minutes in their ending “.
They drilled etc,had service in Mesopotamia and then the Somme .
Railway Hollow Cemetery ,near Serre ,France.
What the streets of Accrington and the small towns around, Accrington, Church , Chorley Rawtenstall etc ,as the telegrams started to arrive would be like ?
. .
Hardly a family not affected.
It is so good that you remember, that is all we can do .
It is strange ,perhaps the low rolling countryside in the Somme area and in Flanders too, but as the poem says, there always seems to be a soft breeze blowing over the gravestones.
It is very moving .
Thanks for the information, he has been remembered today ,but I am sure other days too.
Viktoria.
Added, sorry I got carried away before I saw your added information .
I have photographs of the memorial I mentioned ,which is made if the famous Accrington Stock bricks!V.
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Anent the white busby/bearskin, the Scots Greys bass drummer used one, a present from a Tsar Nicolas who was colonel in chief. Now the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
Skoosh.
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Thank you, Skoosh!
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Thank you for posting this beautiful poem Viktoria - so very apt.
Thankyou Josey for telling us about who this is in your avatar. Tragic that like countless other 'doomed youth' he died so young. I think this is really good that you are seeing to it that he is not being forgotten by putting his picture and a poppy up on a tree.
I think so many of us have someone specific to remember, but some might just not be aware of this if they are not into family history. People do unfortunately get forgotten over time if an effort is not made to 'remember'.
I have known about my Great Uncle John Conroy who died 5th February 1918 since childhood. Only because we had a plaque for him which had been handed down. I did not get to find out about others in my family tree, such as my Grandfather's cousins until I started doing family history. I only found out about others in my family tree, such as my Grandfather's cousins once I got into family history.
I remember how interested a man who runs our local paper shop was once, when I told him that his Great Uncle is named on our local Cenotaph. Following on from family history I have got into local war history research). This Cenotaph is so very near to us and this man's Great Uncle was killed in WW2. Not that long ago really. And yet this man in the newsagents knew nothing about it.
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We will remember them.
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Beautiful poem Victoria...very touching, thanks for sharing.
Carol
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Taken at Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres in 2015. Notice the difference of the Canadian Poppy.
Carol
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Would the wall be by any chance at the memorial to The Accrington Pals ,or The Chorley Pals ,they formed part of a “Pals” regiment.
The 11 th East Lancs ,almost wiped out in the first minutes of the first day of “The Somme.”July 1 st 1916 .
It was said of them :-
“ Two years in the making ,ten minutes in their ending “.
They drilled etc,had service in Mesopotamia and then the Somme .
Railway Hollow Cemetery ,near Serre ,France.
What the streets of Accrington and the small towns around, Accrington, Church , Chorley Rawtenstall etc ,as the telegrams started to arrive would be like ?
. .
I remembered:
Robert Cecil Hesketh, 16th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed 23rd November 1916 at
the very end of the Somme campaign. He died in an effort to rescue British soldiers who had
become trapped behind enemy lines. He was a teacher before the war. He had a baby son.
Thomas Henry, also 16th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He enlisted, aged 18, autumn 1916. Killed
in action 23rd August 1918, aged 20. Commemorated on Vis-En-Artois memorial.
John Henry, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action 13th September 1917.
Elder brother of Thomas. They were the only sons of their parents. John and Thomas and their
brother-in-law, Edward McIntyre, Irish Guards (wounded, survived) were 3 of many young men of
Irish heritage who served in WW1.
Walter Taylor, Coldstream Guards, killed 10th October 1917. No known grave. Commemorated on
Tyne Cot memorial, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
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Taken at Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres in 2015. Notice the difference of the Canadian Poppy.
Carol
I have seen the original of that poem, it was in a frame in St. George’s Memorial Church Ypres.
When the old museum in the Cloth Hall was being re organised into “ In Flanders’Fields” it was wanted ,but the Church Warden took it home and kept it hidden, it had been in the Church for so many years from the end of the war.
The last time were there there was a copy in the museum, looking just the same as the original ,which was in the church.
The Church warden told us himself ,we said he really ought to let someone know where he kept it ,it ought not to be lost .
He beckoned me to him and whispered in my ear, that it was “ in a very safe place!”I thought he was going to tell me.!
Anyway it was in the church when we went in 1918 for the 100 th anniversary
of Armistice day.
Viktoria..
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We went to St. George's Church too and saw all the beautifully embroidered kneeling mats, a very tiny place that you could easily miss. We also visited "In Flanders Field Memorial Museum" in Grote Square.
Thanks for the interesting info Victoria.
Carol
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I was brought up to remember remembrance Sunday and the 2 minutes silence till I went to church where is was remembered in church, at home we would hold the 2 mins silence before we had a television listening to the radio, my parents always watched British Legion service on Saturday night, when the Chelsea pensioners came in my father always had a few tears, I do wonder if it is generation thing and in not so many years people will not even think about the 2 mins silence, huge shame in my opinion, we should remember them
Louisa Maud
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There was always two minutes silence at 11 11 11 ,no matter what day.
Then Tony Blair sort of did away with it!
Now,it is often the case that traffic on the street where the church is, just drives through the silence,through The Royal British Legion,Army Cadets, Scouts etc
There is quite a good crowd of people standing quietly ,but nothing seems to register with some!
The restored and coloured archive film “ They shall not grow old “ is on tonight at 10- 45.BBC 2 .
One scene where the men are resting , along a bank ,ten minutes later they were all dead.
It looks so like a place now called Butterworth Trench ,the composer George Butterworth was killed there , he wrote The Banks of Green Willow.
His name is on the Thiepval Memorial as his body was never found.
We walked there and there was one poppy growing ,I looked to see if there were a few seeds left in a dead head.
It was empty but I did find a webbing spacer ,all twisted.
All those years ,it would be early 1990’s .at least 80 years.
Viktoria.
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Viktoria, thank you for posting the poem.
I only found out by chance about the RBL asking people to stand at their front doors. I did so, wearing my father's and grandfather's medals, and my wife observed the silence in another part of the house. No one else in our cul-de-sac was at their door as far as I could tell. Perhaps it wasn't advertised well enough?
I watched the BBC coverage of the Cenotaph commemoration; very strange this year with no Veterans' Parade. I too was brought up to remember Remembrance Sunday as a particularly important date in the calendar. I have tried to instil the same concept of its importance in my own daughter, but it really does seem that many of her generation just don't "get it" or don't seem interested.
RRTB
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Perhaps the younger generation doesn't " get it" God forbid we have any more wars but they will get it then
Similar I suppose to Covid, all the demonstration against wearing a mask and flaunting the fact they aren't wearing one, in todays paper showing a whole crowd of shoppers not wearing masks, you cannot tell me that the amount shown as all exempt.
I am beginning to think the world has gone mad at times
Louisa Maud
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I saw that film when it first came out at the cinema. It was incredible viewing. When things change from black and white to colour it almost takes your breath away .. you start to feel you are there. It is a very moving film and so very sad to think you are witnessing some soldiers' last hours. It is amazing how some of them kept up a brave front laughing and joking amongst each other. Such brave camaraderie!
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There was always two minutes silence at 11 11 11 ,no matter what day.
Then Tony Blair sort of did away with it!
I think you libel Tony Blair. I don't remember pausing for 2 minutes silence on a weekday in my early working years. I've always worked in public-facing venues; I don't know what happened in workplaces not open to public. The practice was reintroduced nationally in public places in late 20th century for an important WW1 anniversary.
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I can remember a time both in the workplace or around the shops when everyone stopped what they were doing to observe the silence, in our office, the phones went unanswered until the two minutes were up. Cars on the road would also come to a standstill. At home, no-one spoke until the two minutes were up, times have changed, but, I believe there is more awareness now about the impact of both wars across all generations.
When I was younger, I took poppies home from school to sell, we weren't allowed to take any unsold poppies back! But my knowledge of the two wars was very limited as people generally weren't prepared to talk about it.
Carol
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Taken at Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres in 2015. Notice the difference of the Canadian Poppy.
Carol
I also noticed forget-me-nots on top of the memorial. Forget-me-not is the French national flower of remembrance. They often grow in similar conditions to poppies.
I was reading a Twitter thread about "that" election yesterday. Someone posted front pages of 4 British Sunday newspapers showing reaction here. There was a poppy on each newspaper. A response asked "What's with the red flower?" I assume the responder is American.
Something I heard yesterday on the radio "Two minutes silence; one minute to think about those who came back and one minute to think about those who didn't".
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Taken at Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres in 2015. Notice the difference of the Canadian Poppy.
Carol
I also noticed forget-me-nots on top of the memorial. Forget-me-not is the French national flower of remembrance. They often grow in similar conditions to poppies.
Almost - the French symbol of remembrance is the cornflower. (I guess you knew that really).
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I'm sure other people noticed, although I haven't seen any explanations anywhere. The Queen and others were wearing a different style of poppy than the Royal British Legion poppy. Have I missed something somewhere? (Not unusual :-[ )
I'll go away - I've just asked Mr Google and the Royal Family appear to have worn the same sort of poppy for a few years - not the normal Royal British Legion design. I obviously wasn't concentrating! /color]
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Yes Mike that's right...often seen on French headstones, almost like a Forget-Me-Not.
I put the flowers on top of the monument...they were growing nearby. The dressing Station is close by and was full of poppies that people had left..
Carol
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Sorry but cornflowers are not like forget me nots .
F g m ns are tiny flat flowers with a little yellow centre and five petals .
Just as poppies grew in the cornfields in France so did cornflowers.
We took the poppy as our symbol,perhaps France chose the cornflower.
It was kind to put the flowers there.
As long as we remember.
Viktoria.
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Taken at Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres in 2015. Notice the difference of the Canadian Poppy.
Carol
I also noticed forget-me-nots on top of the memorial. Forget-me-not is the French national flower of remembrance. They often grow in similar conditions to poppies.
Almost - the French symbol of remembrance is the cornflower. (I guess you knew that really).
:-[ That's what I meant. I'll blame word association, remember and forget. Apologies.
Some cornfield seed mixtures include forget-me-nots with poppies and cornflowers. They all grow in disturbed ground.
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People still use the Forget-me-Not as a symbol of remembrance...this was mentioned to me when I was given a tiny pin of the flower when I visited NFLD some years age, it's where my Father was born:
https://idontblog.ca/forget-me-not-memorial-day-in-newfoundland-labrador/
Carol
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A WW1 exhibition I visited included cards, some of which had forget-me-nots embroidered or drawn on them.
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The very name of the flower says it all, “ Don’t Forget Me”-Forget Me Not .
Victorians used it in jewellery ,using little turquoise stones for petals.
Cards and photo albums were decorated with them.
A very sentimental little flower .
I have some in my garden ,given to me by a young woman,a pupil years
.ago ..
She had a still born baby boy , her sister lives very close by me and I expressed my sympathy when she visited her, ,and she gave me some seeds in a little sachet.Had brought some for her sister,
On a visit to the Somme one year we (OH and I)seemed to follow one family in particular as we visited cemeteries and memorials .
In the books of Remembrance they wrote “ Just called in to say “Hello and thank you “.”The children wrote their names ,young teenagers to primary school age.
I have visited Beaumont Hamel ,on the little River Ancre ,a tributary of The Somme .
The Newfoundland memorials always have a Caribou on a rock.
Magnificent .
There is also Newfoundland Park.84 acres purchased by Newfoundland as a Memorial.
If you can get it, a book about the first day of The Somme ,title “ Covenant with Death “J ohn Harris.
A detailed account leading up to the first day and the aftermath of the
battle .
700+of 800 Newfoundlanders of The Newfoundland Regiment were killed the first day .
Viktoria.
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I have visited Beaumont Hamel ,on the little River Ancre ,a tributary of The Somme .
Today is the anniversary of Robert Hesketh's death. Frankfurt Trench cemetery. Robert's photograph is here with 4 others who died in November.
https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/frankfurt-trench-british-cemetery.html
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Thank you for sending the photographs ,maps etc,
What handsome young men.
We lost the cream of a generation it was said ,but those who came back
had played their part bravely.
A whole town in mourning for The Accrington Pals ,The 11 th East Lancs .
Almost wiped out in the first few minutes of that morning .
Plus the Surrounding towns and villages .
Thanks again , and glad Robert is remembered and the others too .
Viktoria.I am going to look at the photographs again ,they deserve a little time each.V
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There are more photos further down the page. Robert was very handsome in his uniform.
The 16th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers were the Salford Pals, which had lost many earlier in the Somme campaign. The 9 Fusiliers of the 16th Batt. who died with Tom Henry at Vis-en-Artois in August 1918 were from Manchester. Some were 18, one was only 17. Tom was a 20 year-old veteran with 22 months service who went to France in April 1917 and had recently been promoted Lance-Corporal.
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I know someone will say this of all wars but World War One was utter stupidity and served no useful purpose.
Germany lost its colonies. Both sides lost their finest.
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A family-tiff!
Skoosh.
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Good evening,
There was always two minutes silence at 11 11 11 ,no matter what day.
Then Tony Blair sort of did away with it!
I think you libel Tony Blair. I don't remember pausing for 2 minutes silence on a weekday in my early working years. I've always worked in public-facing venues; I don't know what happened in workplaces not open to public. The practice was reintroduced nationally in public places in late 20th century for an important WW1 anniversary.
In Britain we have observed 2 minutes silence on armistice day since 1919. But it started in South Africa in 1918 where it was a daily occurence following the midday gun in Cape Town. We took it up here because of that but not daily.
Remembrance sunday started in ww2 because of the war effort. I'm not sure when the silence was shortened but I seem to remember that it was only 1 minute for some years when I was younger.
Have tried to do a link but failed miserably but just visit mr g and look up 2 minute silence.
John915