[News] Remembrance Sunday

[Dave the OAP]

Today I will be remembering my two relatives, great grandad Leonard Wilcock and my great great uncle Arnold Wilcock

Leonard died in Scarborough after contracting TB we think in the trenches and Arnold who died around Ypres aged 25! Leaving a wife and a year old son

God bless you.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I know it is over 100 years ago, but I feel so ridiculously proud of them. I cannot list3n to the lament flowers of the forest played by the pipes without becoming a blubbering mess.

 

[whitelion]

Watching on BBC1. I was going to go down to the service in Southwick Square and then on to the Royal George for the football only to find that the Albion wasn't to be featured.

I'll be remembering my dad who was with RAF Regiment and served 1942-46. RIP old fella.

 

[maffew]

I know it is over 100 years ago, but I feel so ridiculously proud of them

And rightly so. It's quite amazing to think that just 100 years ago these great men went to war to defend our country,duty bound, knowing full well they mightn't come back

 

[wellquickwoody]

And rightly so. It's quite amazing to think that just 100 years ago these great men went to war to defend our country,duty bound, knowing full well they mightn't come back

Probably wouldn’t come back, but they weren’t to know that. Respect.

 

[GT49er]

Always very moving. I feel it now more for the old men from my father's war (1939-45). Not so many of those left now, either. RIP.

 

[Norman Potting]

Today I remembered both Fred Mills - my great grandfather and grandfather who fortunately both survived despite both having "close shaves". Older Fred survived this (many from the Tunbridge Wells area didn't)

http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/HMS%20HYTHE.pdf

Younger Fred signed up at 17, served in the Lincolnshire Regiment and took a bullet in the shoulder - a few inches different and I wouldn't be here to type this. Ever one for a "leg pull" he assured me that it was one of his own regiment, a notoriously poor marksman, who fired the bullet and that he was wounded in the course of an act that should have earned him a VC but there was no one nearby to see him do it!

 

[portslade seagull]

We should never forget. Both my Grandads served in the 1st and 2nd WW. Both survived but their many friends and comrades didn't and both would not speak about it as it hurt so much. Bless them RIP

 

[Surrey Seagull]

Today I'll be remembering my Great uncle who fell during the First world war aged 16. I will also be remembering my grandfather who served as an anti aircraft gunner, my grandmother who followed him around the country and was saved 1 day during the war by the good grace of her train running late later helping dig out survivors of the bombed hotel she was due to stay at.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

 

[jakarta]

Grandad John Barnes Cheshire Regiment, France including Dunkirk, North Africa and Italy. Went through the whole thing 1939-45. Obviously had seen some harrowing things and couldn't settle down after the war. He walked out on my Grandmother in 1946 and I think he died an alcoholic a few years later.

Also late Father-in-Law Les Walker, Signaller but attached to Guards Armoured Division. Went over D-Day plus two and ended up in Germany. The only thing he shared with me was that the Black Watch got him drunk on his 18th which as a Methodist lad was a new experience and that since then he never ventured past a dry sherry at Christmas!

Will be at St Mary's Storrington for the Remembrance Service at 3PM and will be thinking of them both...

 

[The Oldman]

Just back from Seaford War Memorial and the remembrance service which was very well attended, many hundred of folk. Remembered my Dad, 1939 to 1945, Dunkirk, North Africa, Italy and Austria. Never really wanted to talk about it but once when I pressed him Dunkirk and Cassino were his worst moments. Lump in throat time.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

We should never forget. Both my Grandads served in the 1st and 2nd WW. Both survived but their many friends and comrades didn't and both would not speak about it as it hurt so much. Bless them RIP

Same with my Granddad. I know he was in North Africa and one of the lucky ones at Arnhem but not much beyond that as he never spoke about it. We found a macabre photo album after he died with photos he took whilst out there - one just titled "Dead Jerry". Can't imagine how horrific the whole thing must have been.

 

[majnoon]

If it wasnt for them, i would not be alive today,god bless them all

 

[swindonseagull]

Just back from the Swindon service, 100's there nice to catch up with guys I was in the RAF with.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I was thinking my Grandad who sailed aboard the HMS Sheffield during the second World War. He passed in 2001, his wife, my Nan, passed away a few weeks ago aged 89 and was laid to rest on friday. She worked in a pharmaceutical laboratory during WW2, she never told us what she did there as a 13 year old, but we know that they were shipping out medicines.

They never wanted to speak about the War, but in many ways I wish they had. There's no better context for the problems of today than the problems they faced. Respect to all who have served and are remembering loved ones today.

 

[Surrey Seagull]

I've found this in my feed on YouTube, thought I'd share it here.

https://youtu.be/ahGRNKi8-18

 

[portlock seagull]

With each passing year we seem to think more about people long gone that versus the thousands of casualties from recent wars that need our help right now. Just as when world war survivors were alive scant attention was given to them until they were nearly all dead. It’s peculiar really. Anyway. Slightly off topic, I wonder how many more generations will pass before people stop remembering their ancestors at the Somme etc? It’s already longer than those who fought then would have been if remembering their ancestors at Waterloo - and I just can’t imagine people commemorating burning the White House, Salamanca, Quebec etc then as we do today for ww1&2. I guess war, or at least dying in uniform was more an everyday or at least every year type event 200 years ago, dare I say ‘normal.’ Thoughts?

 

[Dave the OAP]

With each passing year we seem to think more about people long gone that versus the thousands of casualties from recent wars that need our help right now. Just as when world war survivors were alive scant attention was given to them until they were nearly all dead. It’s peculiar really. Anyway. Slightly off topic, I wonder how many more generations will pass before people stop remembering their ancestors at the Somme etc? It’s already longer than those who fought then would have been if remembering their ancestors at Waterloo - and I just can’t imagine people commemorating burning the White House, Salamanca, Quebec etc then as we do today for ww1&2. I guess war, or at least dying in uniform was more an everyday or at least every year type event 200 years ago, dare I say ‘normal.’ Thoughts?

I only really found out about my ancestors military careers when I started looking into our family tree( watching who do you think you are). I was profoundly affected by my great great uncle, Arnold, whom it appears signed up for the West Yorkshire regiment and it appears he was transferred into the 118 machine gun corps as an infantryman. It looked like he and his wife had a son who died in infancy, he some time after went to war with his wife pregnant with their second, and from what it looks like, she had his son when he was at war and he died without seeing his child. That really affected me in a way I couldn’t explain but felt so sad . He died at the Canadian Casualty Clearing station( doesn’t that sound like a a horrible place.) after being shot as part of an attack seemly.

My great grandfather was a career soldier with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and served in India, South Africa, Far East , and then in 1912 was discharged...he rejoined at the outbreak of war, but died of TB back in the UK as a reserve. It looks like he was sent out to Europe and contracted TB in the trenches. Dad said that his dad never really talked about him but his wife was an eccentric who used to turn up to all the local funerals as a mourner....maybe she never got over him and that was her way of coping.

I have found out where Arnold is buried. Lisjenhoek cemetery near Ypres and I hope to go there to pay my respects soon.

I do get your point and actually when I was in Philli a while ago, I was caught up in a lot of “ celebrations” of killing english soldiers in a battle there, and one of the things that I realised, was that Americans were certainly no lovers of the English and also I wonder what happened to all the bodies of the fallen in that war....a bit like Waterloo and other great European battles...what happened to all of them?

 

[jakarta]

St.Mary's Storrington packed, standing room only.

Noticed that a couple of younger blokes with medals from 2018 weren't there this year, hopefully they are on deployment.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Went to the Plymouth memorial up on the Hoe this morning.
I would guess between 2 to 3000 there.
Full works as you would expect from a military city, full Royal Marine band, loads of Navy top brass, officers and matelots, Marines, commandos.
Hundreds of vets from all different forces and they all hang around afterwards.
And a nice warm sunny morning.