Remembrance Day

[pinksalamander]

[align=center]

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915[/align][align=center] [/align] [align=center]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.[/align][align=center] [/align][align=center]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.[/align][align=center]-------------------------------------------[/align][align=left]I was really annoyed with myself, I watched the parade in town but completley forgot to film it! Has everyone been wearing their poppies? My Grandad went down to the Memorial today and put down a wreath.[/align][align=left]Fran :hearts :brownbunny
[/align]

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

They shall not grow old, as we who remain grow old

Age shall not weary them, not the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

:rose:



Of all wars World War 1 has always really affected me. Although I did study the facts of it at GCSE history it is only really now at A2 that I am really studying WW1 literature that I realise how horrendous this war was.

Has anybody ever heard that true story from WW1 on Christmas eve? This is copied from wikipedia:

The truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The Scottish troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols.

The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the "No Man's Land" where small gifts were exchanged — whisky, jam, cigars, chocolate, and the like. The artillery in the region fell silent that night. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Proper burials took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects. At one funeral in No Man's Land, soldiers from both sides gathered and read a passage from the 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
​

The truce spread to other areas of the lines, and there are many stories of football matches between the opposing forces. The film Joyeux Noël suggests that letters sent home from both British and German soldiers related that the score was 3-2 in favour of the Germans.

In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, but in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day.

The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military. Earlier in the autumn, a call by Pope Benedict XV for an official truce between the warring governments had been ignored.

British commanders Sir John French and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien vowed that no such truce would be allowed again. (However, both had left command before Christmas 1915.) In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat. Troops were also rotated through various sectors of the front to prevent them from becoming overly familiar with the enemy. Despite those measures, there were a few friendly encounters between enemy soldiers, but on a much smaller scale than the previous year. The 1984 song "Pipes of Peace" by Paul McCartney was written about the Christmas truce.



That story always really gets to me how pointless war is and how, most of the time, both sides are just innocent people fighting for what their country tells them is the right thing.:tears2:

 

[NZminilops]

It was remembrance day here yesterday, but had to say in this thread that i didn't even know about the day until this week :shock:.

We wear our poppies on a different day, and we don't have a public holidy for rememberaqnce day or anything like that. It was only when I saw a ceremony on the TV that I even knew about it. Just shows you that my schools were useless and didn't teach us anything huh .

I thought it was interesting that at the time of WW1, New Zealands population was about 1 million, and we sent 100,000 people to the war, wow., that's a high percentage.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

This is Canada's 90th anniversary of Remembrance Day.

:rose::rose::rose::rose::rose::rose::rose::rose::rose:

 

[dazzy_14]

Today is the 90th anniversary to the ending of World War One
in school we had to do a 2 minute silence at 11 to remember all the soldiers that gave their lives so we could be where we are today
I made this post so you can write your thanks to those who did that for us and for you to say how you truly feel about the subject
thank you for posting everyone and I thank those that gave their lives so I could have the life that I lead today, thank you

Daisy
xoxo

 

[Becca]

This day makes me so sad, but so proud of our men who fought.


everyone put as rose in front of your name on msn to show your care.

 

[Becca]

Can a mod maybe put this with the other thread Fran started?

 

[dazzy_14]

sorry i didnt realise there was another one

daisy
xoxo

 

[dazzy_14]

and fran sorri

 

[pamnock]

It's interesting to contrast the Christmas truce of 1914 with a pivotal Christmas eve nearly 150 earlier on American soil. Had Washington not had the perseverance to cross the Delaware and attack the British & Hessianmercenariesat Trenton, thePatriots would have lost the Revolutionary War.

Pam



Thoughts and prayers for all the soldiers and their families.

 

[Elf Mommy]

merged

 

[Dublinperky]

I wore my poppy all day. At school we watch this video about World War II and The Unidentified Solider. I almost cried....

Aly!

 

[JadeIcing]

I am just reading this but I knew about the truce. I had amazing history teachers.

 

[Becca]

Have you seen the X factor Heroe's video?

That made me cry, here's the link...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFK71ADEjNw] Heroe's [/ame]

 

[dazzy_14]

omg i almost cryed at that
i like the song but it is upsetting
i always cry with things to do with the war

daisy
xoxo

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

JadeIcing wrote:

I am just reading this but I knew about the truce. I had amazing history teachers.

It's quite widely known (here at least) and is referenced in quitea few war programmes/dramas/plays etc. They comment on it in the last Blackadder for instance (as Blackadder complains about the offside rule!)There is also a scene based on itin "Oh what a lovely war" which really teared me up!

It's one of the many stories from the war that fills you with hope and deeply saddens you at the same time.

 

[pinksalamander]

I know its only vaguely related but I have had 'Who Do You Think You're Kidding Mr Hitler!' stuck in my head all day for some reason!

For anyone who's interested:

[flash=320,256]http://www.youtube.com/v/BIks1m2NgXc[/flash]

Fran :hearts :brownbunny