discussion 11th of the 11th of the 11th Remembrance

[Guest]

Remembrance Day 11th of the 11th of the 11th

War is brutal & ugly but many things which would not manifest themselves, bravery, courage, friendships we will never know & some things of beauty appeared.

Just two of them in remembrance.

High Flight

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 wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent lifting mind I have trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee. British/American origin took Canadian Citzenship to be able to join the RAF. Killed in an accident while flying in 1941 aged 19.

Now the Life that I have.

Written by Codemaster Leo Marks & used by Violette Szabo the French Resistance Agent as a memory code aid.

The life that I have

Is all that I have

And the life that I have

Is yours

The love that I have

Of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass

Will be yours and yours

Laurie

 

[BarryW]

Well done Laurie, very fitting.

I will pause here in my office at 11am..... Then this afternoon I am off organising the final touches to our 11.11 Remembrance concert in Dover.

We Will Remember Them....

 

[AlanG]

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

 

[spanner570]

One of the saddest aspects of Armistice Day is the fact that it was actually signed at 5am on the 11th of November but didn't come into force until 11am.

During those six hours, even though everyone knew it would end at 11 o'clock, men were still killing each other. How very sad.

Rest in Peace boys and girls....

 

[Guest]

My office decided to honour the 2 minutes silence at 11am, well except a couple of total arseholes in the sales department who carried on talking on thier damn phones all the way through

 

[Guest]

My office decided that they couldn't afford to lose valuable selling time, interrupt meetings, stop talking to each other etc, but graciously allowed anyone who wanted to observe it to have one minute.

I booked a room for anyone who wanted to observe it in something approaching quiet, and we had about ten takers out of 100 or so.

 

[Guest]

It wasn't until lunchtime that I spotted on Wikipedia that one Tadeusz Sawicz recently died - thought to have been the last Polish Pilot to fight in the Battle of Britain.

 

[Guest]

I work in maintenance for a bupa nursing home , our residents are aged between 60 to 100+ , we had a service in the main lounge today for the residents and all the staff , one of the new residents who`s in his 90`s started crying which started a few of the female staff , must say it put a massive lump in my throat also.

later in the day I spoke to the gentleman`s wife who`s very frail herself she told me he`s was RAF and lost lots of friends but never talks about it , with that I left it .

A very very moving day , but also a honour to be with these special people

Richy

 

[geegad]

Im a postie so I stood still for the two minutes people just looked at me weird it's sad the younger they are the more ignorant

And it's a sad statement but as has been said there is not profit in peace so are brave men will keep on giving there lives

John

 

[Guest]

On the bright side although the situation was caused by sad elements of our society.

Thieves pinched the bronze plaques from a war memorial in a village. Forgotten the name of the village.

The children in the local school wrote on little sheets of paper the names of those on the stolen plaques. These were pasted to a cardboard background & mounted where the bronze plaques had been removed. Thanks to both the children & teachers as there are a huge amount of the population who do care.

Another where a small garden plot had been dug. Into that crosses with their names were planted by the children for all the servicemen who had been lost since the last Armistice day.

Must say I refer to it as Remembrance day as it was in our family I had forgotten it was really Armistice day. In fact as a young boy it was known as Poppy day.

Laurie

 

[mossiepilot]

I and the GF were in the shopping centre at Middlesbrough at 11 o'clock, an announcment was made that a two minute silence was to be observed. The background noise dropped to a low rumble, the GF and I stood quietly,and many seemed to try. But the christmas rush continued, it's a pity that commerce has to take presedence over rememberence.

Tony.

 

[Dave W]

Im pleased to say there was a tanoy anouncement and everyone stopped and observed the 2 minutes silence at my work

 

[yak face]

My colleaugue and i both observed the silence in the van today, a very thoughtful 2 minutes. We will always remember them.

 

[Guest]

Thieves pinched the bronze plaques from a war memorial in a village.

That just makes your blood boil!!!!!

This brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eye......

The children in the local school wrote on little sheets of paper the names of those on the stolen plaques. These were pasted to a cardboard background & mounted where the bronze plaques had been removed.

It was a thoughtful 2 minutes for me at home, just sat quietly and listened to the "nothingness" in the village ... even the sound of the traffic seemed to go mute.

 

[Guest]

Yes Colin very similar. We watched on TV, no sound so relaxing, all he things going on around Britain.

Sat there my wife & I & thought of my time in that war aged 2 when war was declared & 6 when it finished.

Have to give all those around me at that time a great thanks. As a child all their fears were hidden from me & my sister. They must all have feared for their lives but for me I did not know what was happening & I am sure that was the same for most children. Not much to eat either a match box size of cheese & the same for margarine per week. Potatoes grown in place of the front lawn & chickens, cabbages & carrots in the rear garden. Bombs, V1 & V2s but children were not shown adult fear. So thanks families & school teachers, most gone now, you did a fantastic job for us the children of that time.

Laurie

 

[AlanG]

Service of remembrance tomorrow from the cenotaph. It has been a tradition in my family to watch it every year and i have done so. It will be a tradition i pass on to my son too.

I have nothing but pride for all our servicemen and servicewoman. And i am proud that i can say that i have served my country too.