Friday 11 November 2016

Remembrance Day.

A pause from holiday photos for Remembrance Day today.

Remembrance Day (sometimes known informally as Poppy Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month", in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.) The First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.







Tommy Fleming singing Green Fields of France.
Written by Eric Bogle, also called No Man's Land.

"No Man's Land" (also known as "The Green Fields of France" or "Willie McBride") is a song written in 1976 by Scottish Australian folk singer-songwriter Eric Bogle, reflecting on the grave of a young man who died in World War I. Its chorus refers to two famous pieces of military music, "The Last Post" and "The Flowers of the Forest". Its melody, its refrain ("did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly"), and elements of its subject matter (a young man cut down in his prime) are similar to those of "Streets of Laredo".
It's a song that was written about the military cemeteries in Flanders and Northern France.
Wikipedia.

Peace graphic I made a few years back.

16 comments:

  1. Remembering our service people is so very important.
    Kudos to you.

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  2. We call it Veterans Day here, and I pretty much forgot it was tomorrow

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  3. I know this will sound curmudgeonly, but it's always interesting to me when they interview vets that they make it sound as though the wars were entertaining games. Have they forgotten the horror? I remember hearing one fellow who had served with the RAF in Britain during WWII talking about how the skies were lit up over their targets and that is was "pretty lively." None of the horror of the cities they were bombing was conveyed, no remorse for the innocent lives that would be extinguished. But we never seem to tire of war do we? In my entire lifetime I don't think there has a been a single minute when a war somewhere in the world is not going on. And each side thinks it is right and prays to its God for victory.

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    1. They don't mention the horror of the Wars they fought in - maybe they would cry if they did..
      You are correct about War - always one going on somewhere if not several, I bet that has been going on since time began.

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  4. Margaret Happy Poppy Day we have Independence Day as well 11th November

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  5. Lest we forget indeed.
    And how I hope we can learn from the sacrifices made.

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  6. A sad day but one always to be remembered.
    Merle..........

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  7. Appreciate your post - thank you.

    All the best Jan

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  8. Very moving words and music. Lest we forget.

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  9. I'd forgotten it is remembrance day, those thoughts just don't cross my mind anymore.

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  10. Winston Churchill said it best. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

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  11. Let us never forget
    Thank you

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