Armistice Day - 90 Years On.

Today we commemorated the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1. I was at home around 11am so watched the ceremony at the Cenotaph and as ever found it deeply moving. Particularly (like no doubt many others) the three old soldiers who were laying wreaths who had fought in the first World War (one of them had actually fought in both wars). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7720601.stm

I know many people who had loved ones who were involved in the two World Wars and several who had relatives who sadly, never came home. My Mum had several cousins and uncles who died for their country. It makes it even more poignant now that I have a son as my Mums cousins were boys really, 19 and 20, no age at all.

Anyhow, we used to attend Remembrance services with my dear Dad every year as he was in the RAF for a time and later in life became a member of the Royal British Legion, where he had some fun times with his old mates :) I'll have to do a post about their fundraising books that helped to build a local war memorial sometime. Here is a poem that was always read at the services and one that I personally find extremely moving and evokes memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who are doing the very same thing today and finally my dear old Dad.

The Soldier (War Sonnets No. 5)

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blessed by the suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts a peace, under an English heaven.
Rupert Brooke (1887-1915)