Remembrance Day

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11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month
to remember not just the sacrifices of the servicemen and servicewomen but also that of the civilians
forgetting can only increase the chances of more

 

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.Straight of limb, true of eyes, 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........

 

As most of you know music is a thing of pleasure to me, but also can be very powerful.

Have a listen to this and watch this - The Pouges - and the band played waltzing Matilda a moving tribute

a line from the song " I never knew there was worse thing than dieing"

 

British folk singer Mike Harding has written & sung some very moving songs.

Christmas 1914

 

I wish that were really the case. The poppy takes on even greater significance this year with the war in Afghanistan. Have just finished writing a new song called the "Soldier Laddie" which we are recording this weekend - will upload a copy here later in month. Here's a wee snippet for now....

When I was only seventeen, my father said to me
If you'll be a soldier laddie, I'll be as proud as I can be
You'll travel over the world and see some distant lands
When you serve your Queen and Country, you'll come back a different man

From the streets of Wooton Bassett to the valleys around Sangin
A hundred souls lie wishing of a future that might have been

I suppose it'll only be when our so-called leaders put the value of men above that of money that we'll truly have remembrance, until then we'll continue to have reminders.

MR

 

yep, it seems we don't learn, i just got a nephew (wife's side) back from Afghanistan, 21 years old, spent 9 months detecting IED's .... risking his life to help "maintain American prestige"......most conservative estimate of Afghani civilians killed as a result of US/NATO/ISAF activities is of the order of magnitude of 10,000's.....making the world safer?, I think not, making more anti-western 'terrorists' more likely! sorry today is supposed to be remembering the sacrifice of many not mentioning those that sent them to be sacrificed

 

....and with the release of documentation on wikileaks recently, the number of civilians killed by coalition forces in Iraq has been conservatively increased to 150,000 since 2003. Was interesting to hear Mr Bush's comments regarding the authorised use of torture (waterboarding) and rendition of suspected "terrorists". What a fine future we build whilst denegrating the memory of those who gave their lives in WWI and II.

Have a good one

 

Was appalled by the footage of Parachute Regt. shown
from Colchester barracks at 11am today on TV. The soldiers were
obviously unaware the cameras were rolling as they laughed & chatted
through the 2 minutes silence!!!!

 

Some things never change...

The first verse is the second verse of a poem written by Rudyard Kipling before the turn of the 19th century. The other verse was written by an anonymous soldier in Afghanistan in 2009, and sadly, every line is true.

"I went into a theatre, as sober as could be
They gave a drunk civilian room but 'adn't none for me
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they shove me in the stalls
For it's Tommy this and Tommy that, an' Tommy wait outside
But it's 'special train for Atkins' when the trooper's on the tide
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide
Oh it's 'special train for Atkins' when the trooper's on the tide."

"An' the town is full of maniacs who want me dead toot sweet
Yes, it's 'Thank you Mr Atkins' when they find you in the street
There's supposed to be a covenant to treat us fair and square,
But I 'ad to buy me army boots and me combats is threadbare
An' 'alf the bloody choppers can't get into the air
An' me pistol jammed when snipers fired, that's why I'm laid up 'ere
Yes, it's Tommy this and Tommy that, 'we have to watch the pence'
An' bold as brass the PM ups and sez 'We spare them no expense'

But I'll tell you when they do us proud and pulls out all the stops
It's when Tommy lands at Lyneham in a bloody wooden box"

 

This is possibly my favourite anti war song.
'No Man's Land' by Eric Bogle.
This version is sung in English and German.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUzQ6Am-bbc&feature=related

It makes you remember that there are victims on both sides

 

Another year... the sacrifice / waste continues
LEST WE FORGET

 

This year we have 11-11-11-11 and it is good to reflect on one of the greatest poems of one of the greatest war poets.

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, –
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Wilfred Owen

 

Its just gone 11.00AM on the 11/11/2011 here

 

Lest we forget.

 

I too will join the millions across the world remembering those lost & thoughts to those still fighting. On Sunday we will be at the Rembrance Sunday parade at out local cenotaph.

The courage of those who fought & still fight for our freedom has been desecrated in recent times by shameless, selfish individuals who would not understand sacrifice at any level. Sadly this is not the only case, there have been a number of thefts from war memorials across the country.

War memorial theft.

 

Nice to see that after the poppy burning incident last year, the group "Muslims against Crusades" were not allowed to demonstrate in London this year. The Met promised "robust policing". And absolutely nothing happened to require it.

Which is nice. Whilst I support the group's right to exist, there is a time and a place.