Every time l see a shot of those beautifully maintained graves, and realise that is just a very small number of all those lives lost, it moves me to tears. Such a dreadful waste.
My paternal grandpa was gassed and wounded in WW1. Never talked about it. The other was too young. My dad joined up in September 1939, aged 17 and, as a volunteer rather than enlisted didn't get demobbed till 1948 so was in Palestine. Didn't ever talk about the WW2 bit tho.
I watched lots of yesterday's coverage of ceremonies in London, Paris and Ypres. They were right about the Menin Gate. It has a presence of its own made all the more strong if you go to Tyne Kot too and see all those headstones. Like Dove, I didn't watch that film but agree that all politicians should be "educated" about consequences. Top brass too.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
As was said in our Remembrance service at church yesterday, the statistics for those killed didn't bear any resemblance to the numbers whose lives were ruined, in WW1 and other conflicts. Post-traumatic stress is at least recognised now, whereas then it was called "shell shock", and seen as a sign of weakness. Many who served in the wars were completely incapacitated by it. My Dad was in the RAF in WW2, but other than knowing he trained in Canada and served for some part of the war as a rear gunner, I know nothing because he would never talk about it.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
There was a short article on the news about the Altricham Pals. Approximately 1000 went to war, only about 150 came back. Sadly a statistic which is matched by many other 'Pals' and other units.
My dad was stationed in Germany from 1956 to 1959 and, although I was only 6 or 7 at the time, I clearly remember visiting one of the war cemeteries. Although I didn't understand the real meaning, the image of rows of white gravestones in all directions has stayed with me.
As was said in our Remembrance service at church yesterday, the statistics for those killed didn't bear any resemblance to the numbers whose lives were ruined, in WW1 and other conflicts. Post-traumatic stress is at least recognised now, whereas then it was called "shell shock", and seen as a sign of weakness. Many who served in the wars were completely incapacitated by it. My Dad was in the RAF in WW2, but other than knowing he trained in Canada and served for some part of the war as a rear gunner, I know nothing because he would never talk about it.
As I've said earlier ... my grandfather and great uncle came home from WW1 but were so damaged, physically and emotionally.
Pa was a rear gunner in WW2 ... in Wellingtons and Lancasters. He was in some very scary incidents, including a homb passing through his plane in mid air ... he came home relatively ok but Ma said he had nightmares about it, particularly in his later years. My son helped him write and publish his memoirs.
His younger brother joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and flew in bombers over Germany ... he didn't come home.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Mum served on a number of bomber bases and it wasn't until late on in life that she told us much about that experience. She saw crews leave and not return; aircrew who could no longer cope with being "the lucky one's" who had survived when others on their planes had not; being attacked by a POW with a knife and only being saved by aircrew who jumped the NAAFI counter and stopped him. Many more incidents too...
I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for aircrew.
It's only when I think about it now that I realise that Dad only ever told us about the silly things that happened to him during his time in the Middle East and North Africa with the RAF. We never heard anything about other events.
I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for aircrew.
It's only when I think about it now that I realise that Dad only ever told us about the silly things that happened to him during his time in the Middle East and North Africa with the RAF. We never heard anything about other events.
That's where Pa was for a lot of the time ... do you know which squadron your father was in? Wouldn't it be a coincidence .............
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
OH's grandpa was a Desert Rat. When we see programmes about them we always wonder if he's one of the people on the screen. But he's not around for us to ask. And his great uncle (OH's) was the Lancaster test pilot - I wonder if he met the crews? I expect so. Maybe he knew your Dad, Dove.
My grandad came back from France having been gassed. He only told the funny stories too.
I will certainly watch the film, but not yet.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
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I watched lots of yesterday's coverage of ceremonies in London, Paris and Ypres. They were right about the Menin Gate. It has a presence of its own made all the more strong if you go to Tyne Kot too and see all those headstones. Like Dove, I didn't watch that film but agree that all politicians should be "educated" about consequences. Top brass too.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My grandad came back from France having been gassed. He only told the funny stories too.
I will certainly watch the film, but not yet.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.