Lest we forget...and post your condolences or support

[Twiggster]

That time of the year again to remember..,

Please wear a poppy with pride.

[Telepres]

I've had my poppy on for a week or two now. Always feel a bit cut off from WW1 as WW2 has been dramatised much more and I know much more about it. One story that always sticks in my head is one I was told about when I was younger, about my Great-Grandad who fought in the war. After a battle (can't remember where/when), found himself in an area (him and a few others I think), completely silent, with corpses on the floor, and after hearing some form of commotion I think, just ran and ran until they found another group.

That story doesn't even cover the many who died in a blank field, spending months advancing a couple of metres a day.

[cat in the hat]

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 condemn.
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.

[LUFCRACE]

Thank you.

[Dr.Leeds]

They just had a bugler playing the last post in the hospital chapel.

Trust me not to take any tissues.

Thank you all.

[jim052]

Proud to have served
Proud to have had family serve
Proud of all who have sacrifised for freedom
We will remember them

[Royalwhite79]

We will remember.....


Just like to make a toast to absent friends..

Ads brown, 40 Cdo RM
Steve Curley 40 Cdo RM
Stephen 'whiskey' Walker 40 Cdo RM

And the other 11 lads of 40 Cdo RM who lost their lifes on Herrick 12 Afghanistan.

Will always remeber you lads.

[Emsley]

Cheers lads for fighting in the cold, cheers lads for doing it even if you did not want to,
cheers to the guys that lost their minds on the battelfield, thankyou to the men who died in unimaginabile ways.
I can only imagine the pain and suffering and mentall trauma these men went through.
Ill never forget.

[Twiggster]

Dan Crude pm'd me about starting a thread on here where MOT members could post remembrances of loved ones lost serving in the armed forces, or as a result of their service - or those of you who have loved ones or friends currently on active duty, putting their lives on the line for their respective countries.
Rather than start a new thread, Dan agreed that it was a good idea to incorporate that in this thread. Thanks Dan!

I'll start then, by remembering my grandads. One, William Hawkhead of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, was captured at Dunkirk, fighting rearguard action with his company, to allow others to be evacuated. The old boy would have fought to the death, knowing him..but he was in charge of a group of conscripts aged around 15, armed with Lee Enfield rifles that he had taught them to use just a week before! They were surrounded by German tanks and no chance of survival, so he surrendered and his company were marched(!) to a work camp in Poland, where he spent over 5 years until they were liberated. He contracted T.B. in the camp, which eventually killed him in 1966..as did the booze he took to, after returning to Leeds after the war.
My other grandad (Ron Simmons), was a conscientious objector and refused to kill another human. He wanted to save lives, so he became a fireman in London during the blitz. No, not a member of the armed forces...but he put his life on the line during that war as much as any soldier, sailor, or airman. The horrors he witnessed, rescuing burning humans and seeing his mates perish when buildings collapsed as they were trying to rescue innocent civilians...too horrible to contemplate. When I used to ask him about the war, he would tell me of his brave comrades and always get to the part about when he managed to evacuate a family in Stepney whose house had been firebombed. As he was carrying the mother down the ladder, she screamed "my baby is in there please get her!" - and jumped out of his arms to her death on the street below. Grandad went back into the blazing building which was close to collapsing, found the child and got her outside - where she exploded in a fireball on contact with the air....at that point in the story, he always broke down and had to take his dog out for a long walk.
He blamed himself for that baby's death until he drove himself to a fatal heart attack with chainsmoking and drink, in 1981.

Who was the bigger hero? BOTH, in my opinion. My Dunkirk grandad got medals for his rearguard action...my fireman grandad got no recognition for his bravery.
Not only the Armed Forces were heroes during the two world wars...medical staff in field hospitals, firemen at home in England...all deserve Remembrance.

On to the present day, where several members of this MOT forum are on active service in Afghanistan or Iraq...or have been. I post a daily blog on here for Jack Cummings - who had his legs blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan - a real Leeds fan, fighting on with support from Leeds fans and many other clubs' fans on Facebook and by email. Please post a message on Facebook or email him.
I am not religious, but I pray to a "greater power" to keep the Allied forces safe in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WAR....an horrendous occurrence, caused by power mad fools...at the cost of innocent lives.


I REMEMBER THE FALLEN AND OUR CURRENT HEROES ON THE FRONT LINE.

[1964white]

Massively sad day for everyone with a heart, especially those who have lost their loved ones

[CSA]

Massively sad day for everyone with a heart, especially those who have lost their loved ones

Well said! echoed here 100%

[Crude]

I remember those who have given so much, on this sad day.

[LUFCanada]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

a pittance of time two minute silence

From Canada

[Twiggster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

a pittance of time two minute silence

From Canada

Beautiful in its sadness Candada...
Let us also not forget the contributions that were made and are still being made by the Armed Forces of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal, Poland and Czechoslovakia and many other nationalities in the two great wars...
Remembrance Day is not just about the UK and The United States.

I remember - THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

And to all still serving...

[essexwhite]

I give thanks to all those who fought for us during the wars to give us the freedom we have today.

We should all be very grateful to them!

R.I.P.

[Emsley]

Dan Crude pm'd me about starting a thread on here where MOT members could post remembrances of loved ones lost serving in the armed forces, or as a result of their service - or those of you who have loved ones or friends currently on active duty, putting their lives on the line for their respective countries.
Rather than start a new thread, Dan agreed that it was a good idea to incorporate that in this thread. Thanks Dan!

I'll start then, by remembering my grandads. One, William Hawkhead of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, was captured at Dunkirk, fighting rearguard action with his company, to allow others to be evacuated. The old boy would have fought to the death, knowing him..but he was in charge of a group of conscripts aged around 15, armed with Lee Enfield rifles that he had taught them to use just a week before! They were surrounded by German tanks and no chance of survival, so he surrendered and his company were marched(!) to a work camp in Poland, where he spent over 5 years until they were liberated. He contracted T.B. in the camp, which eventually killed him in 1966..as did the booze he took to, after returning to Leeds after the war.
My other grandad (Ron Simmons), was a conscientious objector and refused to kill another human. He wanted to save lives, so he became a fireman in London during the blitz. No, not a member of the armed forces...but he put his life on the line during that war as much as any soldier, sailor, or airman. The horrors he witnessed, rescuing burning humans and seeing his mates perish when buildings collapsed as they were trying to rescue innocent civilians...too horrible to contemplate. When I used to ask him about the war, he would tell me of his brave comrades and always get to the part about when he managed to evacuate a family in Stepney whose house had been firebombed. As he was carrying the mother down the ladder, she screamed "my baby is in there please get her!" - and jumped out of his arms to her death on the street below. Grandad went back into the blazing building which was close to collapsing, found the child and got her outside - where she exploded in a fireball on contact with the air....at that point in the story, he always broke down and had to take his dog out for a long walk.
He blamed himself for that baby's death until he drove himself to a fatal heart attack with chainsmoking and drink, in 1981.

Who was the bigger hero? BOTH, in my opinion. My Dunkirk grandad got medals for his rearguard action...my fireman grandad got no recognition for his bravery.
Not only the Armed Forces were heroes during the two world wars...medical staff in field hospitals, firemen at home in England...all deserve Remembrance.

On to the present day, where several members of this MOT forum are on active service in Afghanistan or Iraq...or have been. I post a daily blog on here for Jack Cummings - who had his legs blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan - a real Leeds fan, fighting on with support from Leeds fans and many other clubs' fans on Facebook and by email. Please post a message on Facebook or email him.
I am not religious, but I pray to a "greater power" to keep the Allied forces safe in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WAR....an horrendous occurrence, caused by power mad fools...at the cost of innocent lives.


I REMEMBER THE FALLEN AND OUR CURRENT HEROES ON THE FRONT LINE.

Great post

[revieboy]

Remembering all of those who have fallen, respect is due.

To my brothers friends who I saw pass out as proud Royal Marines, I never knew their names..

If only this bloodshed could end, you will be remembered with honour..

[Big Luke]

Although I haven't condoned every war our soldiers have fought in, they get nothing but my appreciation. Every day they risk their lives for a living, they do things others would run away from if asked to, some of them have seen things we'd recoil in horror at, some of them have lost friends in battle, and all this to feed their families.

Respect.

[Twiggster]

My Dad sent this to me...he usually takes part in the Remembrance Day Parade in Leeds, but he is 81 and the weather in Leeds was crap today, so Mum told him he couldn't go! I dunno if Dad wrote this, but it is superb:

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past

Of a war that he once fought in
Of the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke;
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.
He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?
The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.
It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a Soldier
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.
He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

WE REMEMBER..

[Dr.Leeds]

Lovely stuff Twiggs