This is Armistice Day

[THECORBYLOON]

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

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

[Drusilla]

I wore my poppy with pride as I travelled into London about lunchtime. It saddens me to say, I only saw a handful of other people wearing one on the Metropolitan line.

[mycatis]

Vinny, what a handsome and brave man your father was, you should be very proud! x x

[mycatis]

Cetti, what a beautiful poem, thanks and Buggy, Dulce Et is one of my favourite poems x x

[Gef]

At school today some of my 2nd period class (13 year olds) asked if there would be a silence at 11am. I explained that it would be difficult as it was during the interval with 1200 kids running around. They then asked if they could stop early at 1045 for two minutes silence. We did and they observed it solemnly. We often run down today's kids but there are a lot of good ones out there.

[derekpara]

Vinny, wonderful photo of a very brave man. And you can still see the suffering in those eyes ! Yes, they were the Forgotten Army, fighting the Japanese ,usually hand-to-hand. At Kohima the two sides were on opposite sides of a tennis court ! Remember, no-one is dead until they are forgotten. Keep his memory alive.

I went to an Airborne Forces memorial service in London today with many WW2 vets and will be marching at the Cenotaph on Sunday.

Can I add to woofgang's lead and say that you don't have to be ex-service to join the RBL. Your subs go towards supporting needy ex-service men and women, some of whom are quite young with years ahead of them.

[THECORBYLOON]

We observed the Two Minute Silence but as it's a Government Department I can't understand why there was no more than a terse Tannoy message at 10.50 saying there would be two minutes' silence at 11. No tribute, nothing. Even when the town cannon went off, it was late. Hopeless. I'd offer to make the announcement masel but I doubt I'd hold it together.

[El D]

I always make a point of this - lest we forget. Truly, lest we forget . . .

[OBonio]

So good to see such a response.

smudge, my great grandad is buried just outside Ypres. My grandad never knew him. Unborn before he was killed. My family visit still visit the grave every year to pay respect to him and all the other soldiers that died for us.

Last Post. Menin Gate. 11th November. You will cry.

[woofgang]

lookat the top of the page,, Ed and the monks have joined in too, they have added the British Legion banner.

[smudge]

Thank you Obonio - my brother has all the details of my Grandad's grave number, etc. I hope to make it to Ypres next year on that date, so will take plenty of tissues with me. RIP Grandad & all.

[smudge]

I noticed that yesterday woofgang - nice touch eh?!

[woofgang]

This link is to the War Graves Commission. There is a educational resource there, also the "Debt of Honour" Register where searchers can identify where a soldier is buried (if this is known) and print out a certificate

http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx

[smudge]

Thank you for that woofgang - I have searched that website before.

Thankfully my Dad, along with my brothers, visited Grandad's grave before he died in 1994 & he was so glad to have said goodbye to the Dad he never really got to know. My Dad was born in 1909, so he was only 5 years old when he went to war, but never came home again.

We were always under the impression that my Grandad's (Dad's Dad) name was John, but it shows as James (deseased) on my parents wedding certificate. I am looking into obtaining a birth certificate for him, then my Grandparents wedding certificate, then hopefully his death certificate, etc.

[foxy.fagin]

I missed this thread yesterday and I am so sorry I could not add my appreciation on Armstice Day for everything these brave men (and women) did for us, gave unselfishly for us, sacrificed for us. But it is never too late, for they shall and must never be forgot.

I bow my head in silence and let the tears flow.....
Thankyou.

[smudge]

Ah, bless you foxy - you've started me off again now!

I had quite a few tears yesterday & will again tomorrow at the service no doubt, thinking 'if only'...... but my deceased parents & grandparents would want me to be happy, so I will once that's over.

[lindapinda]

It's just lovely to see so many genuine caring posts on here.I had left one myself,but hadn't realised,until I checked back there now,just how many more there were.What a beautiful poem cetti,to be honest,I could barely read it for tears.

[VINNY100_2]

You've all been a credit to Answerbank..Thankyou.And once again well done to TCL...for posting this thread.

[graham279]

I have just returned from Belguim, where I visited Tyne Cot Cemetery and The Menin Gate Plus other cemeteries. I have seen the graves of over 20,000 dead men. There are many more i have seen in past visit's.

At the going down of the sun, We Will Remember Them

[felinechums]

My father was killed in Frances fighting for with the British Army. My father in law was killed in Russia fighting with the German army. Pain is the same, whatever the race.

[eupraxia]

This time of year my mind aleays comes back to the words of a relitivly mordern day song.

"These mist covered moutains,"

"arw home now for me'"

But my home is the low land,"

And always will be,

Some day you'll return to,

Your valleys and your farms,

And you'll no longer burn to be brothers in arms.

In these feilds of ditruction,

Batisim of fire,

I witness your suffering,

as the batle raged higher,

And though it did hurt me so bad,

I n the fear and alarm,

You did not disert me my brothers in arms.

Theres so many different worlds,

So many different suns,

And we are just one world,

But we live in different ones.

Now the suns gone to hell and,

The moons riding high,

Let me wish you farewell,

Every man has to die,

But its written in the star light,

And every line in your palm,

We are fools to make war on our brothers in arms.

Mark Knopfler