Lest We Forget

@shiney Many apologies for this correction, but June 2017 is the centenary of the Battle of Messines that was fought in the Great War. That started June, 1917. The D-Day landings were June 6th, 1944, 73 years ago.

By pure coincidence, I was going to post this photo of a war memorial...



Although it is in Germany, and I do realise that I am running the risk of offending some, I found two things interesting about it. First, if you zoom in to the names, some dates of casualties are later than the end of hostilities. Apparently, in Germany, people that die of injuries sustained during a war are also counted in the casualties. Something which was not done by the allies. Surely, we should have done the same?

The second thing is the statue above the memorial. It is of St. George killing the dragon. I did try to find out the reason, but as yet, have been unable to do so. In some cultures, the dragon is seen as an invading army. Therefore, it could be interpreted as St George represents Germany, and the dragon the allies. Having said that, St. George is an important part of the UK culture. So it could be seen as St. George (=the allies) liberating the German people from Nazi oppression.

I wonder which it is?

 

@shiney No need to apologise.

I had planned to visit the Normandy Landing beaches a few weeks ago, but unfortunately bad weather put a stop to that. With any luck, I'll be able to get there next year. Hopefully, I'll be able to visit the Ypres area as well. I found out just a couple of years ago that my paternal grandfather sustained his second wound there. The fact that he did not get killed makes me think how lucky I am to be here now!

 

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I think that goes for probably the majority of us on here! My paternal grand farther was killed during The Battle of The Somme. His body was never found. My father spent nearly 9 years of his young life (joined up at the outbreak of WW11 when he was 25) in the Navy. I doubt many people of his age today would relish the thought of putting their lives, families and career on hold to go and risk their life to try and protect others. My brother was born in 43 and hardly saw our Father until he was 6. Consequently he never really bonded with our Father being much closer to his maternal grandfather. Apart from having his ear drums perforated and as a result was pretty deaf my Father was "lucky" in comparison to so very many and did get to return to civilian life eventually.
I count my generation extremely fortunate that we haven't had to endure anywhere close to what our parents and grandparents went through. Here's hoping ...North Korea and others please take note! that future generations are as fortunate as I have been.

 

Err, correction,
Its 2017 now, I make that 73 yrs since D Day.

 

Just proving I live in the past...

Duly edited.

 

As was my maternal Great Grandfather and my Great Uncle.
For my GGF, no body, merely a grid reference. Although, when I first hooked up to the internet in the 1990's, I managed to locate his war grave! That was moving stuff. One day, I hope to visit and pay my respects.
When I later delved into the caverns of genealogy, I discovered my paternal Grandmother's youngest brother also died at The Somme ... he was just 16yrs old and had lied about his age in order to join the war effort. What a gallant (naïve?) lad!
My father never spoke about his time at war and I've never been able to trace his military history.
All my brothers have seen active service; all subsequent to the two "world" wars - they tend not speak of it either. However, my eldest brother did speak (to me) of his first experience of war, when he was almost 18yrs old. The revelation came in the days following our Mother's death and I reflect back and think it was just something he needed to say - at that time - because it was something he could never have said to her (or, as it transpires, to no one else either!). It had clearly been something which he had lived with but had affected him far deeper than he would let on (together with the other "conflicts" he was involved in during his 20+ years of "service"). Ultimately, he took his own life, I was the last person to hear from him and the one person he trusted with his final written communication.
I consider him the ultimate "hero". He hid his personal "battle scars"; never shied away from conflict, his duty or his men. It was *after* he left service that those battle scars began to take their toll. He hid them so very well! I am proud of who he was; what he faced; what he achieved and ... through his work, the decisions he made, the respect he commanded and the loyalty of his troops ... the lives he *saved*! He did our GGF, our Great Uncle and our father proud! Such a pity there was a moment, just a moment - for that is all it takes - where he couldn't quite get an angle on that.

 

I think that is the same with many that have served in war. Not even my grandfathers children knew about him serving in WW1.

@"M" Some military service records are available, but many got burned in a german air raid on London.

 

Setting off to Ypres in the morning . Tracked down my 2xgreat uncle sam and its the centenary of his death on Friday. The car is packed and have wreaths and going to menin gate to pay our respects and also to Westhoek where we tracked down where his last steps where. All his notes said that was he was "killed in action" but luckily through hours of researching we've managed to find much more info.

Feeling quite emotional about the whole thing. A bit teary after reading a few poems (i have always loved war poety, particularly Owen and Sassoon and Thomas) but the classic, The Soldier has set me off tonight.


If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.


Pte Sam Riches 43491
Not Forgotten

 

For anybody who hasn't visited Normandy, please do. It's well worth the effort. All the museums are excellent and the graveyards are immaculate. I'm lucky enough to have been twice. The first was work. The second time I took my family in the car. I loved every minute of it.

G.