Category: News and Views
In the week leading up to remembrance sunday, when war dead are remembered by ceremonies all over Europe including the laying of poppies at the Senataffe at Whitehall in London, and at national landmarks like l'arc de Triumph in Paris, I was very disappointed to see that some people were questioning the ocasion's relevance to younger generations. There are scarcely any survivors of the first world war, and a rapidly decreasing number from world wor two, and needless to say I'm not one of them. Nevertheless when I visited Essex farm war cemetery, on a history trip to Ypres in belgium in 1998, I was able just by standing in the silent fields to get a sense of the tremendous sacrifice and loss of life that took place during the three battles at Ypres during the first world war. since that trip the poem by Dr John Mccrae, written about the scenes at the first Ypres shortly before his death in action in 1915, has taken on a new meaning and is in my opinion the best poem at describing the scene in a few short lines. It reads: In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
It's poetry like this, the fortitude of those who fought and lived through both world wars, and the fact that in the first one in particular, whole streets lost all their young men as a consequence of the army's allowing street regiments to be formed, that would make me shocked at anyone who concluded that these events should not be honoured by a two-minute silence by all of us this sunday at 11 o'clock. Some people have suggested that the two-minute silence be scrapped as a relic of a time long since gone, but two minutes isn't a long time in anyone's life is it? I certainly shall buy a poppy from the first poppy salesman I see on the street tomorrow.
hi lawlord, I completely agree with your views on rememberance day. In canada, it is on nov 11th, and I think it's verry important to wear a poppy and have the 2 minutes of silence. I also think its important to go to the rememberence day services. I love that poem to. Our quire sang it last year in our rememberance day seramonies at school, and it moved me. I was singing, and I couldn't help but think of all of those men and women who died. I know that with out them, we probably wouldn't be free today. In canada though, we don't have to pay for the poppies. We get them free, but are asked to give a donation to the red cross or something like that. I have no problem doing that. I hav uncles who are in the millitary now, and I couldn't amagin how i would feel if I lost them in war. I can't believe that some people have the nerve not to even take the sentiment of rememberence day. It sickens me. Anyway, I'm glad you posted something like this, and it was nice to read the poem again.
You are quite right of course, and I think it's important for us in britain to remember Canada's loyalty at the time to His Majesty King george V and Britain, for even though we no longer have an empire - and rightly so - it's important to remember that Canadians, Australians and the formidable Gurkhas were involved in the conflict far away from their own homes for four years. Remembrance day is on the 11th here also, with a service in Westminster abbey for war veterans, and on the Sunday closest to the 11th the poppy-laying ceremony takes place in order that people such as important members of parliament, ambassadors and commonwealth high commissioners who would be unable to attend during the week may do so. I'm glad you see the value of this discussion. In my view, it would be wrong for there to be no recognition of remembrance day on the message boards in this community, which has a great deal to do with why I started this topic.
ah, I see, makes complete sense. Thats cool that it's on the 11th there, I just didn't know