The Unknown Warrior

[ExSurveyor]

Lest We Forget

 

The Unknown Warrior.

Beneath this stone rests the body
Of a British warrior
Unknown by name or rank
Brought from France to lie among
The most illustrious of the land
And buried here on Armistice Day
11 Nov: 1920, in the presence of
His Majesty King George V
His Ministers of State
The Chiefs of his forces
And a vast concourse of the nation

Thus are commemorated the many
Multitudes who during the Great
War of 1914 – 1918 gave the most that
Man can give life itself
For God
For King and country
For loved ones home and empire
For the sacred cause of justice and
The freedom of the world

They buried him among the kings because he
Had done good toward God and toward
His house

 

[Helian]

For the last four years I have laid a wreath on behalf of the residents of my borough; sadly not this year. ☹️

[ExSurveyor]

In memory of all who served on and under the sea.

 

 

[Vaughan]

O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens and ruleth the raging of the seas; 

Who hast compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night shall come to an end;

Be pleased to receive unto thy most gracious and merciful protection, the persons of us thy servants, and the fleet in which we serve.

 

The Naval prayer.

[Chelsea14Ian]

For the last seven years I have collected  for the poppy appeal Happy to help out.Always surprised at the response of the public.Sadly this year,which would  have been my eighth year.I couldn't  help out,due to Covad and my health. 

[Ray]

Airman’s Prayer

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee
No 412 squadron, RCAF died in service 11 December 1941

[SwanR]

The second and third photos were taken in Lowestoft last year. 

[RumPunch]

We will remember them

[Vaughan]

33 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

Sadly this year,which would  have been my eighth year.I couldn't  help out,due to Covad and my health. 

I don't think they have collected in public at all this year, Ian. I don't think they were allowed to.

I have sent a cheque to our local branch here in France, which seems like a large amount, but it is the same as what I would have put in the tin during their monthly book swap meets, which have been cancelled ever since February.

Another side effect of the lock-downs, I am afraid.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Our branch were collecting  at Morrisons. Marina got some things  there last week.On Friday just gone they weren't there,I guess due to the lockdown. 

[Vaughan]

According to the papers today, they could lose something like £30 million in cash donations this year.

[RS2021]

Between the Rumps and Pentire Point on the South West Coast Path

[Vaughan]

Here's another, for those who recognise it :

O Trinity of love and power; our brethren shield in danger's hour:

From rock and tempest, fire and foe; protect them whereso'ere they go.

And evermore shall rise to Thee, glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

[FairTmiddlin]

1 hour ago, RS2021 said:

Between the Rumps and Pentire Point on the South West Coast Path

The oft quoted verse from a very evocative poem

 

[Gracie]

I was chatting to a friend last night whose Grandfather served in both world wars, it really hit home how fortunate we are now even with the war we're fighting against Covid. 

I whined about not having internet last week, we moan because we can't have a holiday or how much we want the latest mobile phone etc, we've got it pretty damn good compared to what these heroes went through. I'm in awe, I really am 

 

 

[JennyMorgan]

I have always regarded my Dad as a great man, a man of principle and wisdom. It irked him that being in a reserve occupation that others fought, and died on his behalf. He was able to go to war as a volunteer, Dunkirk & D-Day, but that was a shadow of what others did for our country.

It was a day like to day, calm and cold. Dad's great love was sailing and angling. Seventy or so years ago we were anchored off Lowestoft, fishing for cod. Being a still day we could hear quite plainly the last post being played at Lowestoft's cenotaph. The fishing was good, the mood was nevertheless somber, as befitted the day. My Uncle Jack was onboard, he'd been an unwilling guest of the Japanese, losing many friends both on the battlefield and subsequently as POWs forced to work in Japan's copper mines. Dad too had lost friends, his restaurant being destroyed in a bombing raid, many servicemen died too, wasted lives. Dad always mourned those who died whilst he was earning a living. 

Eleven o'clock sharp heads were bowed, those on board were quiet. Both of Dad's rods started bouncing up and down as the cod took his baits. I remember that moment with great fondness, my Dad at his best as he remembered those that had died. Just for that one minute that was all that mattered.

[JennyMorgan]

I should have written sixty years ago, I'm not that ancient!

[rightsaidfred]

Not wishing to detract from the thoughts expressed here I was saddened to see the number of people in my locality who dont appear to understand what today repressented, I can only hope that those that watched on the beeb now understand the times we are living in

Fred

[johnm]

The Parish of Limpenhoe, Southwood and Cantley conducted a short ceremony in the churchyard of St Botolphs's Limpenhoe this morning. Several people out for their morning exercise stopped to 'observe' (suitably socially distanced) as allowed by the published rules. It was also nice to see that users of the Village Hall car park also recognised the time when they saw what was happening. FWIW, the Churchwarden will be in attendance on Wednesday morning in case any locals should be exercising in that direction and care to take a breather at 1100!

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Post

Print off a donation form and return to Freepost Plus RTZT-ATBH-RGBZ, The Royal British Legion, Bumpers Way, Bumpers Farm, Chippenham, SN14 6NG.

[Vaughan]

14 hours ago, rightsaidfred said:

Not wishing to detract from the thoughts expressed here I was saddened to see the number of people in my locality who dont appear to understand what today repressented, I can only hope that those that watched on the beeb now understand the times we are living in

I think I know what you mean Fred, and having watched the service at the Cenotaph, yesterday, I wonder how the veterans feel?  Being made to stay away because, statistically, 1% of them might die, at their age, if they actually caught the virus, out there in the open air on Whitehall.  Given that only a very small proportion, if any, would actually have caught it, that brings the real risk down to about 0.01% or even less.

So only 25 representatives were allowed to parade and they weren't even allowed to lay wreaths, for some totally obscure reason.  That is only 0.25% of those who usually parade.

By comparison, the American Forces planners for the Normandy Landings estimated that 13% of troops would be drowned and a further 25% would be casualties on the first day ashore.  British estimates were 13% acceptable casualties out of 70,000 troops landing.  Mercifully, the actual British figure for the first day was only 4.4%.

That is the sort of "rate of attrition" that the veterans faced when they were in combat and that is what they parade to remember on this Sunday.  I wonder, if they had actually been asked if they wanted to attend, at a 0.01% attrition rate, at their age, how many would have refused?

They didn't refuse, when their country needed them.

[JennyMorgan]

Personally I found that the reduced attendance added to the mood of Remembrance Day. The Queen & the Bishop in the otherwise seemingly empty cathedral was, for me, very moving. 

I grew up during the austerity period following the war, sweets were still rationed, my first two bikes were secondhand simply because new ones were virtually unobtainable. 

Back in 1964 friends and I took my father's boat across to Holland and Belgium. In Belgium, especially, the natives were attracted to our Red Ensign and almost daily we had young and old visit us in order to relate their wartime experiences and their contempt for the Germans. 

Back in Holland lonely individuals would accost us, showing us the camp tattoos on their arms.

My generation grew up in the aftermath of the War, it was all very real. Today's generation can only see the history. They are unable to share the experience. 

[ExSurveyor]

Vaughan, the proble with your suggestion is that the death rate of 1% is for the general population, for the over 75s it raises substatially. These veteran will then return home and spread the virus amongst their comrades.

 This is one of the reasons why care home deaths formed a substantial part of the total deaths.

[rightsaidfred]

My thought was that it showed the sacrifices being made my many who have and had sacrificed a lot already, as for percentages they mean nothing, someone on their own on an island its 0% someone who has died its 100.%

Fred

 

[Vaughan]

1 hour ago, psychicsurveyor said:

Vaughan, the proble with your suggestion is that the death rate of 1% is for the general population, for the over 75s it raises substatially. These veteran will then return home and spread the virus amongst their comrades.

 This is one of the reasons why care home deaths formed a substantial part of the total deaths.

Excuse me but I was quoting the supposed death rate, according to the "science", among the over 80s. These figures vary greatly of course, according to which sort of "expert" you wish to listen to next.

My mother died in a care home, 20 years ago, when she caught the flu that was going around that winter. She died because she was already suffering from a long term heart  condition and her own constitution was not strong enough to recover from the virus. She was also 89 years old at the time. Her death certificate did not say that she "died of the flu". She also had the comfort of all of her closest family at her bedside, holding her hand as she died. That included my ex wife, the mother of her grandchild. 

Something else that is now forbidden by these panic regulations that purport to protect us but also forbid us to lead our lives and even end our lives, in a way that we should have thought right and proper.

 

[MauriceMynah]

Sorry Vaughan but I can't say how strongly I disagree with what I think you are saying here, but just to be sure, What exactly are you trying to say?