Rememberance

Jacko · Rememberance

I thought, with November 11th approaching, it would be appropriate to post a thread to mark this important time of year. And to post our thoughts if necessary.

I was visiting the Somme and Passendale areas in October and although I have been there before it still impresses upon me the sacrifices made and the carnage caused through the first mechanised and truely world war. Seeing the 72, 000 names on the thiepval somme memorial (the names of those commonweath troops who have no known grave from just a few months of 1916) is quite thought provoking. After the war, approximately 1 adult male in 66 of the conscriptable population was dead -many more than this numbers were home with life affecting injuries

Similarly from a WW2 German Gebirg point of view, reading James Lucas's book, he points out that because the Gebirg (like the 5th Division) served in numerous theatres and were on the losing side there are Mountian troops buried in places many miles from their mountian homeland. The Germans do not tend to cover the war in the same way our education system does -so consequently there does not seem to be as many 'pilgrimages' to german cemetaries around the world. Also many of the burials in the eastern block areas where are are desecrated by the authorities due to the memories of the harsh fighting and atrocities that happened - there are many gebirgs with no known grave. The mountain memorial in Bavaria (i understand that is where it is) is the focal point to remember the fallen gebirg troops who never returned.

But I think its also important to recognise that UK service personnel have been killed in conflicts/in service every year since 1945 except 1967. Of course this is now much more in mind with our commitment to Afghanistan and Iraq. Overall veterans or families of those killled who need support are not elderly people but can as young as 20 years old. So the contribution given to the British legion/help for heroes is still important to help these charities do their work.

So why have i posted here? Apart from the above, it reminds that when we aim to represent a real unit of men who fought and died for real. We must always do our best (as we do) to get the impression right out of respect for the servicemen who did it real, regardless of what side they fought on.

Remember them.

peiper

Greetings gentlemen
Well put Jacko, WW1 i reckon was the most horrific of the World Wars in the amount of slaughter on both sides for a few meters of mud, and most of these soldiers were kids aged 16/17 yrs old.
Some of the stories that my Grandfather told my Dad were pretty horrific as he had volunteered to go to War at the young age of 16 in WW1 in a naive youthfull sense of patriotism.
He was still sent to France a second time in 1939 with the B.E.F, as well as most of his sons being called up in WW2, (one of them being killed on the HMS Royal Oak)
My story is one of thousands from famillies of ex servicemen who have served in all Wars, the list is endless, we should remember them all.

To the Soldiers of all Wars, we Salute you!

Kris

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915

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.

Kris

'Bombed last night'
Bombed last night, and bombed the night before.
Going to get bombed tonight if we never get bombed anymore.
When we're bombed, we're scared as we can be.
Can't stop the bombing from old Higher Germany.

They're warning us, they're warning us.
One shell hole for just the four of us.
Thank your lucky stars there are no more of us.
So one of us can fill it all alone.

Gassed last night, and gassed the night before.
Going to get gassed tonight if we never get gassed anymore.
When we're gassed, we're sick as we can be.
For phosgene and mustard gas is much too much for me.

They're killing us, they're killing us.
One respirator for the four of us.
Thank your lucky stars that we can all run fast.
So one of us can take it all alone.

Kris

'I want to go home'
I want to go home, I want to go home.
I don't want to go in the trenches no more,
Where whizzbangs and shrapnel they whistle and roar.
Take me over the see, where the Alleyman can't get at me.
Oh my, I don't want to die, I want to go home.

I want to go home, I want to go home.
I don't want to visit la Belle France no more,
For oh the Jack Johnsons they make such a roar.
Take me over the sea, where the snipers they can't get at me.
Oh my, I don't want to die, I want to go home.

[Alleyman = German (from Fr. Allemagne)]

[Jack Johnson = heavy shell (from a boxer of the same name)]

Kris

'When this lousy war is over'
Tune: 'What a Friend we have in Jesus'

When this lousy war is over no more soldiering for me,
When I get my civvy clothes on, oh how happy I shall be.
No more church parades on Sunday, no more begging for a pass.
You can tell the sergeant-major to stick his passes up his arse.

(Repeat first two lines of first verse)
No more NCOs to curse me, no more rotten army stew.
You can tell the old cook-sergeant, to stick his stew right up his flue.

(Repeat first two lines of first verse)
No more sergeants bawling, 'Pick it up' and 'Put it down'
If I meet the ugly bastard I'll kick his arse all over town

Kris

'Never Mind'
Tune: Never Mind

If the sergeant drinks your rum, never mind
And your face may lose its smile, never mind
He's entitled to a tot but not the bleeding lot
If the sergeant drinks your rum, never mind

When old Jerry shells your trench, never mind
And your face may lose its smile, never mind
Though the sandbags bust and fly you have only once to die,
If old Jerry shells the trench, never mind

If you get stuck on the wire, never mind
And your face may lose its smile, never mind
Though you're stuck there all the day, they count you dead and stop your pay
If you get stuck on the wire, never mind

If the sergeant says your mad, never mind
P'raps you are a little bit, never mind
Just be calm don't answer back, cause the sergeant stands no slack
So if he says you're mad, well - you are.

Parody of:

Though your heart may ache a while, never mind
Though your face may lose its smile, never mind
For there's sunshine after rain, and the gladness follows pain.
You'll be happy once again, never mind

peiper · Re: Rememberance

Jacko

Sorry to read about the wargraves in Greece, I guess the issue is to do with the post war tensions in Greece, Im no expert on what went on, but I understand there was internal struggles with the British involved in a peacekeeping role-so in some areas the fromer comrades were now enemies. On positive note, the Commonwealth War Graves commission are on the ball with maintaining the cemetaries and Id imagine if you went back there you'd see the cemetary back to rights. With the german cemetary, I understand that in some cases the Commonwealth War Graves commission also tends German graves in a riciprocal argreement with the host and former enemy countries -again im no expert on this, but picked this up when I had the arrangements explained to me when I visited France/Belgium.

On a similar note...what happened to commonwealth WW1 graves in German occupied Europe?..Nothing. Not even the graves of commonwealth Jewish soldiers. I believe Hitler forbade any interference and amyway, soldiers respect other soldiers.

I read today that there has been 44 British service personnel killed while operation since last rememberance day.

Whatever the conflict, Remember them, for your tomorrow they gave their today.

Rememberance

Re: Rememberance