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Its that time of year again. I wear my poppy with pride, but it has taken me on a line of thought. I may be being a little idealistic, or even somewhat daft, but I'll explain. Every year, I visit the

I saw a boy marching, with medals on his chest,  He marched alongside Soldiers, marching six abreast,  He knew it was Remembrance Day, he walked along with pride,  And did his best to keep in step wit

Lest we forget, not only the lads who didn't come back but those who grieved for them.   The interrupted romance   An evening stroll, a summer's night, a sweetheart and her beau,

Had my usual wander to the local Baptist church here in Bulwell today, being rememberance day I took a longer look at the world war one memorial inside the church.

There inscribed the names of 29 sevicemen killed in the great war all from Bulwell. Some even brothers from the same family.

Don't also forget this was a time when Bulwell was a much smaller place, no outlying estates like there are today either.

Another important point is that these 29 men were just from one church, in a tiny market town, Bulwell.

A silent prayer today for each of those brave men from Bulwell.

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I sincerely hope everyone wore their poppy with the leaf at 11 am !!!!!!

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Me too. If not for their supreme sacrifice we would not be here. I always remember that.

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I stood alone in my lounge today as Big Ben struck 1100 to honour members of the armed forces who lost their lives for us. It's something I've done since I was a child with my parents, just like millions of other people. As I watched the TV I was moved to see a young boy marching along with the veterans. He was wearing the medals from a member of his family and I thought how proud he must have felt and how proud his family were of him.
I was reading an article today and it reminded me of this poem:

IN FLANDERS FIELDS POEM
The World’s Most Famous WAR MEMORIAL POEM
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

thepoem_clip_image002_0000.jpg

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

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

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Michael,

Thanks for posting. I planned our village Remembrance in our church for today and the first reader read this lovely moving poem. I did a very traditional Royal British Legion service with all the old traditional hymns, for example 'Onward Christian Soldiers' which is considered by many clergy to be non PC. We had over 100 in the congregation which is very good for a very small village. As a child and teenager I always went to the service on the Victoria Embankment-happy memories.

I do hope you are well and your wife is progressing.

Kind regards

Tony

Anthony Paine

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I wore my poppy with pride today and attended the service in Tamworth.#

Next Sunday I have organised the Royal Mail Remembrance service and day at the National Memorial Arboretum which takes place every year

Best wishes

Peter

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I watched the service on TV this morning with a lump in my throat., always wear my poppy with pride......The Queen and Phil were there as always paying their respects, along with their family which is touching.........Liz is almost 90 and Phil is 94 years, yet they get ready and attend, they have never missed a year yet. a credit to us all........... I had family who fought in the war, never lost anyone, but they were very traumatised for the rest of their lives........was all done for us, may we always remember the ones who didn't return.........RIP

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#30

It doesn't matter a jot where the Poppy leaf is pointing, or where it's worn, it's the fact that it is worn, as a symbol of remembrance and respect. Another point, I'm not personally in favour of the white poppy alternative that is sometimes worn.

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I caught the Sheffield train from Long Eaton this afternoon, it was a real long train and all the carriages at the platform were First Class. A man waiting with me, wearing his medals and poppy, asked the conductor how far the train was it to the standard carriages, he took a look at him and his medals and told him to stay in First Class. Small gesture but a huge kindness to one of our veterans. :)

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I've been picking up on references to people being 'anti Poppy', and even one Facebook allegation of a taxi driver refusing to take a fare because he was 'wearing a Poppy' (Subsequently denied by the Taxi firm involved)

Have I missed something?

I know there have always been a few who see the Poppy as 'glorifying' war (Which it doesn't if you have a brain. ) but is there a new dimension to this?

Col

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In doing some research on Nottinghamshire in recent days I accidentally found out that Nottinghamshire has four of the 53 "Thankful" or "Blessed" villages in England and Wales that did not lose any men in the Great War. They are Cromwell, Maplebeck, Wigsley and Wysall

Of the 53 Thankful villages there were 14 (doubly thankful) that did not lose any men in the second world war, unfortunately none are in Nottinghamshire.

I often look at the war memorials in the towns and villages and it is sad to see the names of so many that are from the same families. When you think of all the villages in Nottinghamshire and that they all were affected losing a member of the community in WW1 or WW2 it gives you a different perspective of lives lost.

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Hi

Sorry, have been so busy with work recently, I tried to write a message on my I-Phone on Sunday but it's playing up and our Broadband connection is crap.

I'd just like you to think of the past, and the future, in 15 minutes time.

My Grandad, fought in the 'Unknown Battles' in Salonika against the Turks and Germans from 1916 onwards.

My dad, fought in every major battle in Europe from D-Day onwards then awarded the 'pleasure' of being sent to India to fight the Japs.

My mums brother Eric, armourer on HMS Illustrious, seriously wounded in a Kamikaze attack in the Pacific, his life saved by the personal intervention of Lord Mountbatten.

My dad's brother Alec, on an escort carrier protecting Murmansk convoys.

Uncle Harold, a fireman, fought in the Blitz, ended up as a bomb disposal expert.

Finally my mum, 99 years old, 100 next April, fire watcher and mosquito net maker in the Lace Market.

We shall remember them.

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My Grandfather was also at Salonika. Royal Engineers.

WW2 came out of France at Dunkirk on a little ship and was injured - died of stomach cancer in 1942 believed caused by the injuries received.

My Grandmothers first husband died as a result of injuries received on The Somme.

My other Grandfather served in many places, Royal Horse Artillery. WW2 he stayed down Babbington pit - he wasn't having that again!

My Fathers brother-in-law earned the BEM for disarming bombs on a Lockheed Hudson that crashed on take-off. He was an armourer in the RAF.

My Father wasn't old enough to serve, joined RAF in 1946

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I just heard comments from youngsters in work that this is a war thing and none of the conflicts after WWII were wars, they're conflicts. Also, the majority of soldiers in the two WW's were conscripts whereby the solders in the post WWII era were regulars and basically volunteered, dangerous but a job of work.

My old man was with the 14th, the forgotten army with Burma honours and survived but his brothers Billy and Will died in France - I never knew either of them.

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My Grandfather was also at Salonika. Royal Engineers.

WW2 came out of France at Dunkirk on a little ship and was injured - died of stomach cancer in 1942 believed caused by the injuries received.

My Grandmothers first husband died as a result of injuries received on The Somme.

My other Grandfather served in many places, Royal Horse Artillery. WW2 he stayed down Babbington pit - he wasn't having that again!

My Fathers brother-in-law earned the BEM for disarming bombs on a Lockheed Hudson that crashed on take-off. He was an armourer in the RAF.

My Father wasn't old enough to serve, joined RAF in 1946

My grandfather, who lived on Mansfield Road, was absorbed into the Royal Scots, they'd lost so many on the Western Front that people like my grandad, from Nottingham, were taken up to Scotland and eventually Ireland for final training then shipped off to Salonika, I have his war diaries, they make interesting reading.

I forgot one family member, my dad's cousin Noel, he joined the RAF and became a Blenheim pilot, eventually graduating to Lancaster's where he won the DFC, nursing a bomber home from a raid on Germany, he survived the war, 55,000 aircrew didn't.

I found the 2 mins silence today a poignant moment, how many of us did I wonder, it looked impressive on the TV, but was that the real story, unlikely, he says with great cynicism, were they flocking to the Cenotaph at Bradford, unlikely, probably plotting to inflict serious damage on what we truly believe in, whatever that is and means. The world is a sad and unhappy place, all those lost have done it for little gain in a world of so called proposed peace and understanding, I despair of humanity.

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My paternal grandfather was in a bantam regiment and served at Ypes, paternal grandmother made up food parcels and knitted balaclavas,socks and gloves for the soldiers, maternal grandfather served aboard HMS Kent on convoy duty (petty officer)

Rog

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My Grandmothers first husband I mentioned in #45 was also a bantam - Notts & Derby Regiment Sherwood Foresters

Firbecks post at #47 makes me wonder just how many people did get gongs for doing things like disarming bombs when they shouldn't have, and flying lame duck aeroplanes home. Probably a lot more than we are aware of I think

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DJ 360 # 42

Theres a footballer (irish) currently playing i think for WBA who refused to wear the Poppy or pay respect in any form to 11th November,earns his money here and takes all that goes with being a pro footballer in England,.......

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