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As an expat, I'd like to know what the mood is up in the city about this day.

Do you all wear your poppies, do you have any relatives who were involved in any conflict, what does the city do to remember, in fact do many people care anymore. Do you think it's a waste of time in this day and age to carry on with this, despite the fact that British troops are dying everyday on foreign soil, political judgements aside, do you respect their memories.

Does the establishment grit it's teeth and try to make us think about it, or have you personal memories that you wish to quietly think about.

I have, but then I'm an old git with family heroes that put their lives on the line for us. Looking at the current Lord Mayor, it must be a bit wierd for him to participate in any ceremony, I don't mean that nastily, it's a consequence of our 'wonderful' multicultural society, it can't mean much to most of them, and fair enough, their ancestors were probably not involved. Despite the fact that people like my father put their lives at risk to save them from the efforts of the 'Ultimate Aryan Nazi Society' to wipe them out in the death camps, which they would have surely done, I think that they forget about that, sad, but prove me wrong please.

What are your comments.

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Don't forget there were peoples from just about every country in the world who fought for the allies including Hidu's, sikhs, and Muslim's, The only peoples that don't seem to bother or don't understand is our young folk, and I put that down to us older folk for not educating them.

Rog

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My dad fought with the Ghurkas in North Africa and Italy - he claimed they were the best soldiers he ever met!

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Don't forget there were peoples from just about every country in the world who fought for the allies including Hidu's, sikhs, and Muslim's, The only peoples that don't seem to bother or don't understand is our young folk, and I put that down to us older folk for not educating them.

Rog

Yes I agree with you in a way, but I was trying to put it into the context of modern thinking, people like to conveniently manipulate the past these days to suit themselves, it's not PC, whether you are green, purple or ginger pink with blue spots. On the other hand, the people you speak of fought as a consequence of being part of the British Empire or in the case of the Far East during WW2, the Dutch Empire as well ( we disregard the French dependencies as they were mostly loyal to Vichy), they really hadn't got a lot of choice in this, being subjegated by their colonial masters and being persuaded, possibly benignly, but who knows, to support their imperial rulers in whatever War to End Wars was going on at the time.

There was a story that Indian troops, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim or otherwise, who were captured in the desert campaign, were turned by the Nazis and integrated into an Indian SS Division, with the promise of an independent India after the war, a similar campaign was also carried out by the Japanese. I can't blame the Indian nationalists for doing this, the Empire of India was dying anyway as a colonial power, on the other hand, the consequences of an Axis takeover of India would have been even worse, at least the British had the sense to give them independance after the war, the Nazis or Japanese Warlords would have turned them all into permanent slaves at best, I shudder to think what might have happened had these scum obtained world dominance.

I don't think that anything that we do or say will turn young people round, some will, most won't, it's a fact of life.

I don't know about you but I was born only 5 years after the war, my father fought in some of the most savage battles in European history, but many of these people, like my father, are now dead. Kids of today don't have that immediate relationship with people who have experienced such horrors of warfare, unless they live in Colchester.

The world is a different place from the one I grew up in, these kids haven't even gone through the experience of the Cold War, life has been easy for them, it's not their fault that they don't appreciate the sacrificies made for our future, thats the way it is.

My big boy is 22, he's graduated from Nottingham Uni and now learning to be a teacher at Clifton, he's had to suffer everything thrown at him about this from both me and his grandad, the lucky boy went to the 50th anniversary of D-Day at Arromanches, when father died in 2005, I broke the news to my son, who's first words were,'But I'll never be able to walk the beaches of D-Day with grandad ever again', it had me in tears as it does now, but will the bu99er wear a poppy and go down to his local memorial on Rememberance Sunday, I doubt it, thats the way it is.

It's not just kids either. I used to be a Scout leader in Finchingfield. Every year we had a parade on Rememberance Day at the War Memorial. We had a change of vicar who didn't want to suffer the outside elements and shoved the service totally in the church instead. I blatantly told him that the poor buggers in the trenches didn't have a choice, it fell on deaf ears. I refused to go and stood alone on the Green for 3 years on my own, every one of those days was stunningly beautiful but no-one else turned up, except once, 2 young cyclists were passing and when the clock started to chime 11:00, they got off their bikes and bowed to the memorial, it was very touching, I'll never forget it.

I went to Duxford last year for their service, we were blessed with current USAF combat F-15 pilots and members of the Anglian Regiment who received medals for bravery in Afghanistan, that was something else, I was also able to go in the Land Warfare Hall and have a few moments of thought in front of the silly D-Day figure with the motorbike that my old man thought was based on him, I shall be there this year, even if I have to walk, it means a lot to me in many ways.

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C'mon, be positive about it, if we don't need the stations and the Luftwaffe are forgiven, then the world is a better place, isn't it? If the Nazi Luftwaffe killers are accepted and drooled over at book signings at Duxford then thats fine, my late uncle who flew decimated Blenheims and won a DFC for his bravery against the 'Hun', would I'm sure have embraced meeting his former adversaries who were trying to kill him.

I went on a course to Bavaria, home of the Nazis, a couple of years ago. It was impossible to get anything out of them about the war. We all got pissed in a bar one night and one of them admitted that his uncle had been in U Boats during the war. When I pointed out to him that anyone who had been in action in submarines, whichever side, were very brave men, he just shrugged and didn't want to talk about it, they have a very guilty conscience, lets hope they lose it, we have to forgive but not forget, it seems to be their guilty problem not ours.

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...if we don't need the stations and the Luftwaffe are forgiven, then the world is a better place, isn't it? ...we have to forgive but not forget.

Agreed.

As I said, my dad fought in North Africa and Italy - he never spoke much about the war until the 50th anniversary stuff. He didn't participate, when I asked him why he simply said "too many mates died".

After he retired, he and mum did a lot of travelling - including to Germany and Austria. I asked him about seeing the people he had fought against, and if he bore them any animosity - his answer "they were just sent to fight, same as us. They didn't want to do it any more than we did. I don't hold a grudge against them".

From what he did tell me, I guess that the assault on Italy, from Africa was pretty horrific - he told me that there were dead American soldiers stacked up at the side of the roads like logs! I just hope we have the good sense to eliminate, or at least minimalise, this as much as we can. Nobody should have to volunteer their life for their country, but my hat is off to those who do and did.

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"just sent to fight"? as at belsen or warsaw ghetto? and not just nazi's in WW1 they were burning villages in belgium. My dad used to say the war ended too soon, another year would have done it, as per hiroshima

I think I understand what you are trying to say, but I don't think that my old man would have agreed

with your last statement, after fighting through Europe, he also had the misfortune to be sent off to India to fight the Japanese as part of Tiger Force, luckily for him he arrived at Bombay on the day that Hiroshima was nuked, saved the lives of thousands of allied troops they reckon.

Incidentally, the old man was the first into Belsen, they were chasing a Panzer Div at the time and it wasn't prudent to stop, he radioed in to inform the authorities and that was that. When I asked him about it, he reckoned he saw worse things in the war, what they were, I never found out.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So what is anybody on here doing about Rememberance Day tomorrow.

I've just been having a chat with an old soldier selling poppies, or trying to, outside the co-op in Sible Hedingham, He reckons that takings are considerably down compared to last year, it was interesting, while I was talking to him for a while, it seemed to be only the old biddies who put anything in the tin, everyone else put their heads down and ran past.

Anyway, I'm off to Duxford tomorrow, we should be blessed by the presence of the USAF and the Anglian Regiment, I shall take some momentoes of the old man, grandad and uncle Eric, they deserve to be remembered, bless em, heroes everyone.

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I know I have mentioned this before but for those who are new to the site I shall repeat myself of which I’m becoming an expert at……

For those of a nervous disposition there’s no smut or nuts contained within what I’m about to utter..

As a young un of eight or nine I helped me mum several weekends before remembrance day with the selling of poppies across at Bracebridge shops Bilborough.

Those of you with fantastic memories might remember me; I was the one with the short pants and braces carrying the poppy tray.

Well that’s what I use to do for our brave fallen lads.

These days I only stick whatever I can afford in the collection box and normal lose the dam poppy after several days of pinning it to me mucky rain mac, as I have done again this year.

Isn’t it about time someone came up with a better idea for a fastening than a mankey old pin?

Ps. tomorrow at twelve I shall be making my way over to the White Lion pub for I hope a beef diner, if the landlord say’s sorry no beef I shall scream and scream and scream.

Bip.

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Used to stand with me granny outside Bridgeway hall in the 50s and 60s selling poppies, granny used to knit balaclava's and gloves for the troops in the first world war whilst grandad was fighting in Ypres, I will be attending a memorial service at a RAF memorial

Rog

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No9squadronBardney.jpg

RAF memorial to No 9 squadron who together with No 617 (dambuster) squadron used the heavy bombs Tallboy and Grandslam, and were responsible for the sinking of the Tirpitz, hitting the "U" boat pens, the Dortmand Emms canal, numerous railway links and rocket sites

As you say Catfan "WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Rog

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Stopped at Ex RAF Davidstow Moor , on the way home this morning

This was a couple of evenings ago

November2008080.jpg

November2008102.jpg

November2008103.jpg

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Stopped at Ex RAF Davidstow Moor , on the way home this morning

I heard that they'd aquired a Fairey Gannet at the museum, did you see it or is it just a rumour.

Did anyone do anything yesterday or just note that parking tickets were dished out.

The service and general atmosphere at Duxford was fantastic, topped by Charlie Brown doing a very laid back flying display in a MkV Spitfire.

It still amazes me however, that despite all the announcements about the 2 minutes silence, and the whole point of it being a special day at Duxford, the IWM for Gods Sake, that people choose to ignore it and use the opportunity to run about and shove in front of everybody else showing respect, to see what they want to see, why, I don't know, they should have stayed at home. It really was the height of disrespect as far as I was concerned, a good job they didn't try it near me and the wonderful tatooed, leathered biker wearing his worn Para beret, he was so cool, he had that upright self confident prowl of a combatant, I bet he had some tales to tell, even the CO of the Anglian Regiment gave him a look of aknowledgement, the man had charisma, I'm sure he would have shoved their heads through Charlies prop if he'd had the chance, they deserved it, but not from him, he was too good for them.

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Yeah,I wear my poppy.I went walking with The Ramblers on Sunday and we stopped for 2 minutes silence at 11.00am.The Poppy Appeal is hugely successful.Apparently they made 37 million this year.However,you will always get cynics - including those who choose to wear a white one.I understand that they have sold a 1,000 times more red ones than white ones so maybe there is a message there.My dad was in Squadron 66 Royal Air Force - a major player during the Battle of Britain.Those who fought in the war made tremendous sacrifices in order that we enjoy the freedom we have today.My mum had to go on duty after first working all day in her normal job.Everybody was expected to do something.Thank you to all those people.R.I.P. those who are no longer with us.

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  • 4 years later...

A memorial in Romney Marsh to Arthur William Clarke of 504 Squadron (County of Nottingham). The crash site is close by.

2013091115_zps071b337b.jpg

I came across the memorial whilst travelling on the 11th September, the 73rd anniversary of his loss. A lone Hurricane flew over to salute the lost airman. A colour party at the memorial took the salute.

201309118_zps1c9c8dad.jpg

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There are literally hundreds and hundreds of these Roll Of Honour features from WW1 that appeared on the front of the Evening Post throughout the war but mainly 1915-1918.

They all deserve to be remembered but it would be a mammoth task to retrieve them all and re-typing all the names to make them searchable even more difficult .

This is a random choice that appeared on the 26.08.1916 . If anyone knows of a family member that died in WW1 , I will have a look to see if they made it to a Roll Of Honour photo .

Unfortunately its not a perfect science and the software often mis-reads the news-print , which makes things more difficult when searching .

10764901164_59d5f00703_b.jpg

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My Granddad was a driver in the Army Service Corps. He had a cousin in the Royal Engineers as a Mines Rescue Instructor and another cousin was in the ASC (Train), luckily they all came home.

Below is a piece of trench-art that he brought home.

Trenchart_zps197d35b7.jpg

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