"... and we were young".

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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:50 am

More than 100 Australian and over 400 British soldiers who lay in a forgotten mass grave after the failed and tragic battle of Fromelles in 1916 are to receive full military honours.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/01/2321088.htm?section=world

Quote:

What these men did, nothing can alter now.
The good and the bad, the greatness and the smallness of their story will stand.
Whatever of glory it contains nothing can now lessen.
It rises, as it will always rise, above the mists of ages, a monument to great-hearted men;
And for their nation, a possession forever

Charles Bean

Quote:

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.

Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.

A. E. Houseman

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:22 pm

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.

I have 2 grand uncles buried there,

ty yastrab

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission are wonderful.
They helped us find the grave of a relative killed in WW1.
My son was over doing the Battlefield trip with his school and someone from the CWGC took him to the grave where he paid his respects and left a tribute
(I'm so proud of my boy for doing that, without being asked )

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

Try this excellent CWGC site
http://www.cwgc.org/

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:16 pm

"They shall not grow 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." - Laurence Binyon

My Uncle's plane crashed near Somersdyjk (not sure of the spelling) in the Netherlands, the locals put up, and maintain a memorial to the crew. Such kindness towards people they never even knew.

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:26 pm

All gave some.... Some gave all.
T me thats it in a nut shell.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery (1,763 burials)
The cemetery was constructed on the site of the airborne landings and contains
the graves of the majority of those killed during Operation Market Garden and
many of those who died in later fighting in the area.
In 1945 some 1,200 children "adopted" the Commonwealth cemetery at Arnhem,
placing flowers on the graves and developing close bonds with the relatives of
those who had died - a tradition that continues among Arnhem school children to
this day.

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:11 pm

I just have to say that reading this thread brings tears to my eyes. I am glad to see those forgotten soldiers receiving their due in military honors. And I am touched by the devotion of the Europeans in maintaining the dignity of the many graves.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 720

Thank you Titania Smile

Master Baiter Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 146

green fields of france lovely song. Always liked it as a child, though I was an odd child at that.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

For those who haven't heard the Eric Bogle song The Green Fields heres a version on youtube
Dropkick Murphys
YOUTUBE

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:13 pm

I've been following this thread all day,and can't put in words what I want to say.Maybe that sums it up best.I'm American,but dad and grandma were both citizens of the UK.Guess on a certain level I feel a pull.

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:46 pm

This week I had the opportunity to help an organization find the descendant of a local Korean War hero. His plane was shot down in Northern Korea and they are just now honoring the soldiers. Normally we charge a fee at the library to do this type of research but I didn't. The fee was paid many years ago. His descendants were very happy that they were found and are proud that at last he will be remembered.

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

We remember.

Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 1:23 am

Lest We Forget! Wink