I had a walk round London yesterday after a morning appointment in Waterloo. It was such a lovely Autumn day so I wanted to take full advantage of it. By accident rather than design I found myself at the new Bomber Command Memorial at Hyde Park Corner. It’s a beautiful monument to all those brave aircrews and worth a visit. London looked terrific yesterday.
I’m probably off to Ieper (Ypres) on the 11th…
I’ve spent many an hour in Belgium wandering around British War Graves, reading the names and wondering about the stories behind them. It’s an incredibly humbling experience and it always reminded me that I really don’t have anything to complain about when I had been delayed at some factory or other for a few hours.
And no doubt the Muslim brotherhood will be burning the poppies again this year…as last year they wasnt even given a caution for the same thing…■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ bless all, who sacrificed their lives, so that others can live in peace…r.i.p.
Please don’t think the Muslim brotherhood actually represent their faith…
There were plenty of Muslims in the British Army of India in WW2: the largest all-volunteer army in history.
Harry Monk:
I’ve spent many an hour in Belgium wandering around British War Graves, reading the names and wondering about the stories behind them. It’s an incredibly humbling experience and it always reminded me that I really don’t have anything to complain about when I had been delayed at some factory or other for a few hours.
A lot of soldiers are there without a proper grave, I had a walk to a remote small cemetry in Belgium on the edge of a ploughed field, there were bits of bones still lying there, along with rusty bullets and shells. Alone there in the quiet countryside on a sunny day with the birds singing, and trying to imagine what went on there was very poigniant.
It’s a sad fact that when I was a boy (33 now) my grandparents would point out people who fought in WW1; I remember a man who regularly rode around town wearing several campaign medals from the Great War.
Are there any WW1 veterans alive at all now? (I know the last British one died recently). Have to say I’m very surprised at the lack of WW1 and 2 programmes on tv in the run upto Remembrance Sunday, are the tv companies scared of being triumphalist?