RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/11

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RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/11 - 11/11/2011 10:18:39 AM

Twisted Kitty

Posts: 464
Joined: 3/9/2009
From: Belfast

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.

RIP to all who have given their lives in service to their country.

Today, I will be mainly thinking about my grandad. He was on the HMS Dumana when it got torpedoed and sank. He lost many friends and comrades. Luckily he survived and still tells me stories about the war although he gets very emotional when telling them. His twin brother died in the war - they were due to meet but missed eachother by a few hours. He still cries because he never got to say goodbye.

< Message edited by Twisted Kitty -- 11/11/2011 10:48:25 AM >

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Post #: 91

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/11 - 11/11/2011 10:31:07 AM

sharkboy

Posts: 6031
Joined: 26/9/2005
From: Belfast

Well, how do you do, Private William McBride,
Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside?
And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone you were only 19
When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916,
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?

Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

The sun's shining down on these green fields of France;
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plow;
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard that's still No Man's Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.

And I can't help but wonder, no Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?

We will remember them.

< Message edited by sharkboy -- 11/11/2011 10:33:58 AM >

_____________________________

WWLD?

Every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless

I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit.

(in reply to Twisted Kitty)

Post #: 92

RE: We Will Remember Them. - 11/11/2011 11:02:00 AM

matty_b

Posts: 12879
Joined: 19/10/2005
From: Outpost 31 calling McMurtle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IglUmgYGxLM

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cool Breeze
Mattyb is a shining example of what the perfect Empire Forum member is.

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Post #: 93

RE: We Will Remember Them. - 11/11/2011 12:23:09 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield

Just read through this whole thread again. There are some astonishing stories from posters here.

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That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne.

TREK WARS

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Post #: 94

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/11 - 11/11/2011 12:38:41 PM

Harley Quinn

Posts: 5767
Joined: 23/1/2008
From: Arkham

quote:

ORIGINAL: sharkboy

�

Well, how do you do, Private William McBride,
Do you mind if I sit down here by your graveside?
And rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone you were only 19
When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916,
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?

Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old photograph, torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

The sun's shining down on these green fields of France;
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plow;
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard that's still No Man's Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned.

And I can't help but wonder, no Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you "The Cause?"
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing, the dying, it was all done in vain,
For Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they Beat the drum slowly, did the play the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fir o'er you as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sound The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?�

We will remember them.

Am in tears reading that sharky.

_____________________________

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."

Owner of the Naughty Milkmaid.

(in reply to sharkboy)

Post #: 95

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/11 - 11/11/2011 6:20:52 PM

JIm R

Posts: 9185
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Surrey

Forever in my heart Dear Grandad, on the shores, on the beaches, you passed on greatness, you gave us love.

To each and every one of you who sacrifieced all I say thank you and your courage shall never be forgotten.

God bless you all xxxxx

(in reply to Harley Quinn)

Post #: 96

We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 10/11/2012 8:00:42 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield

Now coming into its fifth year, the annually-bumped thread of amazing stories of forumites' relatives' bravery in war.

For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
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.
They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Laurence Robert Binyon, 1869-1943

_____________________________

That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne.

TREK WARS

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Post #: 97

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 10/11/2012 10:14:42 PM

steffols

Posts: 7619
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Jungleland

Earlier this year I discovered that my Granpa had an Uncle who died at Flanders in The Great War. His name was David McLaren. He also had a cousin die in WWII. As far as I'm aware we never knew of them as my Granpa never spoke about his own family.

This year, I wear my poppy for them.

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It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad dog's promenade,
So walk tall, or baby don't walk at all.

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Post #: 98

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 10/11/2012 10:43:46 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield

That's a good point. Since last year I have discovered that my grand-uncle - my father's uncle - emigrated to Canada before WW1, joined the Canadian Army, got shipping to France, where he died in WW1. I found the reference for the graveyard and plot he's buried in in France.

Considering none of my close family has ever served in the army - as I probably mentioned back in post 1 of this thread - it was really curious to discover that I had had a relatively close family member serve and die in the war. And so young too, he was early 20s. It's a clich�, but it really does make it all the more real to one personally when one has a connection like that, even though he died nearly a century ago.

_____________________________

That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne.

TREK WARS

(in reply to steffols)

Post #: 99

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 10/11/2012 10:59:05 PM

steffols

Posts: 7619
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Jungleland

Yeah it's weird, I have a military family. Both my Grandfathers served in the Army in the 50s, my Uncle was a career soldier working himself up to Sergeant Major, my other Uncle was in the Navy but because I never heard my Grandparents talk about relatives dying in the Wars, I just thought we were a lucky family so it was humbling to discover close relatives perished in both Wars. It makes it that bit more emotional.

_____________________________

It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad dog's promenade,
So walk tall, or baby don't walk at all.

(in reply to homersimpson_esq)

Post #: 100

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 11/11/2012 1:46:12 AM

tommyjarvis

Posts: 6609
Joined: 2/11/2005
From: Caught somewhere in time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFoqtpUFY8

Lemmy

_____________________________

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My Top 101 Rock Songs - The first Audiophile list to actually get completed!

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Post #: 101

RE: We Will Remember Them 11/11/12 - 11/11/2012 9:52:16 AM

sanchia

Posts: 16711
Joined: 3/1/2006
From: Norwich

I was reading something the other day where they were espousing that everyone should wear a white poppy supporting pacifism rather than a red poppy. I really think they do not get what it is all about, it is not a matter of supporting war or violence but rather a matter of remembering those who have died or suffered as a result of war and sadly these happen and will happen in the future.

My granddad had flat feet so could not fight in the war but was involved in transportation of vital materials on the Home Front. Sadly it involved the transportation of dangerous chemicals which in those days were not stored properly which is believed to be a contributing factor to the pulmonary fibrosis which led to the last decade of his life having to be attached to an oxygen tank.

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Nothing to see here.

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Post #: 102