I can't imagine what thousands of people went through to allow us to live out lives today. They are all heroes in my eyes, real heroes unlike overpaid footballers that many seem to idolise.

My father in law was involved in the D-day landings. We only found this out 7 years after a holiday in France & we were going showing him the photos of the beaches & museum there. He had never been back, he didn't even know that there was a museum or anything like it there.

It later transpired that he had been sent to the beaches 3 weeks before the d-day landings under the cover of darkness to collect soil & sand samples & study the topography of the land to find suitable landing sites. Apparently he & some others were taken across in a submarine & released in a rubber dinghy to row ashore. They then had to return to the sub at a set time or they would be left behind. All that at the age of 19.

It took him about four months to come out with this story, whenever he came round he would ask to look at the photos of the Normandy beaches. My mother in law new nothing of him being there 3 weeks before the invasion & she has been married to him for over 50 years.

He later went on to fight the Japenese Army, he has never told any of his stories about wher or what happened.

So whatever war or battle they fought in, which ever war, I say thank you to each & every one of them.

 

Respect

 

Well said Burr, My dad was a pow for 4 years, he was taken prisoner at Tobruk. Such a terrible waste of a young man's life for all those years too. He volunteered to go and fight from the beginning. I too have so much admiration for what those men did for our futures.

Les

 

Lest We Forget



climbed down off my ladder just prior to 11 this morning.. put down my drill and stood in silence for two minutes... Customer threw me a look out of the window as if to ask wtf ....
then obviously realised due to the fact I stood proud, poppy pinned to my chest, and remembered....
then , again, climbed my ladder and cracked on, customer did comment that they thought it was 'tomorrow' but just reminded them of the Eleventh hour of the Eleventh day...

no more was said.

John.

 

it was very touching to see the dedication of the ANZAC war memorial in Hyde Park.
It is hoped that it will become a meeting place for Kiwis just as Gallipoli has on ANZAC day in April.
Every town and city in NZ has a war memorial as this country suffered huge losses during WW1 - more Kiwi soldiers were killed per capita than any other nation.

Lest we forget.

 

We done our bit today at eleven





Brave brave people !!

 

Nice to have this thread bumped back to the top on this day.

 

Respect to every single one of them. I went to a sporting event yesterday, they held a minutes silence and The British Legion played the Last Post, very moving and emotional experience.
BTTT

 

Sadly since this was first posted my Uncle has sadly died from parkinson's, in May2006, I found it very emotional wathching the remembrance program last night, and again this morning, but he was in my heart
Cheers
Colin

 

My dad was sent to France and has never spoken about it he never will I guess

 

Was at Tesco's at 11 this morning.

Very impressed that pretty much everybody stood in silence .

Definately a good Idea to have this every year to remind us all of the sacrifices that have been made for us.

 

*a solemn bump, I'm afraid*

My grandfather, Eric Simpson died last Sunday aged 90 years. One more from a very brave generation.

I am trying to find the poem "No tears were shed at Kohima" for his funeral, however I'm not having any luck in doing so online. Can anyone help please?

Thanks, and thank you and the greates respect to all those that have posted in this thread.

 

im sorry to har about your loss. One hell of a man! a man many generation owes a lot to, with out the likes of your grandfather and brave folk alike we wouldnt be here.

R.I.P Mr Simpson and thank you

 

Is it in this page - <http://www.burmastar.org.uk/gian_singh.htm>

Trying to find it through the usual portal - Google revealed some very brave people and poignant stories.

 

RIP It was only when we went through my Grandads stuff when he died, I realised what he did during ww1.

 

I've had a good long look around the internet for the poem, but like you said, I also can't find it.
I did however find this one;

Heroes of Kohima

Heroes sleeping, softly lying
'Neath soil for which you fought.
Sleep on, your rest in Heaven assured
This soil was dearly bought.

Deeds that echoed round the world
Were yours and truly earned
A place for you in history
Such things not easily spurned

Serious the situation was
As o'er Indian soil you rushed
The Jap o'er the frontier hurrying was
Assured and with victory flushed.

To stem his might and hold him
Kohima was named the place
Where you, brave fellows met him
Picked then of a gallant race.

From Dimapur he'd nearly reached
Slowly your power gained sway
Up through Zubya and beyond
To Kohima where he meant to stay.

But you didn't think the same as he
As you dug into the 'khud'side
Only to move him whatever the cost
Regardless of numbers who died.

For forty odd days this battle raged
For a tiny Assam town
Time battalions shared attacks
Two divisions. was ne'er let down.

Once the Jap was on the run
How easy it was to keep him
O'er hill and dale and the winding road
Pursued by you good men of Shin.

Imphal had been besieged for weeks
But you chased him miles beyond there
Over the ghats and through Samum
To end up only God knows where.

 

Thank you for taking the time to look for the poem. I appreciate the links and will have a good look.

Much appreciation to all.

Steve

 

Thanks Burr,I support everything you have said. My father went through a hard time in the war as well.

My regret is that for some reason I can't see those pictures.

Les

 

....

My Grandfather (a Green Howard) was killed on the 6th June 1944 with two of his fellow soldiers aged just 29. They survived the initial D-Day landing but were killed while attempting the big push inland some time that afternoon in a small village, the local French people recovered their bodies and buried them in their own graveyard and that's where they stayed up until some time in the 60's when they were moved to the war cemetery at Bayeux. Until they were moved the local school children used to place flowers on their graves every single Sunday as a sign of respect and thanks. Broke my Gran's heart... he never even got to she his newborn daughter, my mother

The Green Howards were also awarded a VC on that day, namely for charging a German machine gun bunker (zig zag stylee) lobbing in a grenade and dispatching Jerry before he had chance to off a few of the them..... brass *****, big feckin 24 carat ones

He, and the rest of our brave lads make me VERY proud to be British

 

Sorry to hear of your grandad's passing.

RIP.

Been looking for the poem;

No luck so far but did find this interesting read;
http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4C2B2...ww2_kohima.pdf

 

Is this the poem?


Brave Pilgrimage
(A Tribute to the 1st Glosters, 1942)

By swamp and tangled jungle way,
From Rangoon on to Mandalay!
Thy after day, week after week,
By thorny path and poisoned creek;
or, where there is no path at all,
Where it is death to fail or fall,
Where sun, soil, insect, beast and snake,
Their toll of every traveller take;
Where fever lurks in every breath,
And every yard Li’ walked with Thath;
The venomed and forbidden way
From Rangoon on to Mandalay!

That is the route the Gloucesters went —
Our own, our glorious Regiment —
When every bog, and bush, and tree
Gave cover to an enemy.
Unfed, outnumbered, and worn out,
Yet with the strength to turn about
And change the overwhelming foe,
And turn again, and onward go
Along the muddy, bloody way
From Rangoon on to Mandalay.

For two long months, by day and night
They fought, marched, turned again to fight!
Their dead they must leave where they stay
Along the road to Màndalay.
March/Halt! Turn!Charge!DidGlory’s page
E’er holda braver pilgrimage?
Mark it in gold on Honour’s Scroll,
And with just pride of race extoll
These, who their lives for England spent,
Our own, our glorious Regiment.


Add Letpadan and Paungde
To Alexandria, long ago,
And all the other honours won
Since their proud history was begun.


These men did all that any might
All stress and strain that men may know
They fought and conquered, plus the foe!
And Letpadan and Paungde
Stand out in their especial fame,
Because here was a place to name!
‘Gainst Burman dacoit, cruel Jap,
‘Gainst natural peril and mishap
They battled on, and justified
The Back Badge emblem of their pride,
Making each day a “Crispin’s Day”
On that dread road to Mandalay.

Honour the living! For the dead
Let no unhappy tear be shed;
They fought and fell as brave men should
For England, and the common good.
Pray God that we our part may play,
Like those who stay ‘til Judgement Day
Along the road to Mandalay.

H.A. Dawson

 

Sorry, I think that was totally the wrong one.


This is the Kohima Epitaph..........

"When you go home
Tell them of us, and say,
For their tomorrow
We gave our today"

Kohima Epitaph

 

again, thanks for the input so far. The poem is proving quite difficult to source. I heard it at a memorial service for the fallen comrades at Kohima. I remember the words 'no tears were shed at Kohima' being repeated several times during the poem.

I really appreciate the support in this thread, for both my family and others who know loved ones and have lost loved ones who experienced similar in their lifetimes, in both historic and modern warfare.

 

You could perhaps try contacting the Burma star association. I'm quite sure someone there will know of the poem.

 

Burr, sorry to hear of your loss, brave brave men the lot of them, I lost my uncle Harry 3 years ago now, the way I remember him is we shared the same birthday and I am very proud to do that, every birthday I raise a large glass of red wine in his honour(It was his favorite drink and mine too)
Cheers
Colin

 

Was quite weird to read this thread again. When I first replied, I had no idea I was to serve myself a short while later, albeit in a far lesser capacity than those that fought in other wars.

Lest we forget.

 

my grandad spent a time in the Auschwitz when he became a POW, he's never opened up till recently about what happened, some of the stories are sickening, the films that people comment on and say things could never have been that bad are not far from the truth, if anything they don't go far enough.

we all enjoy our freedom to come on here and post away with no fear of reprisals etc, but its down to the sacrafice of many that we are here today.

May we NEVER forget.

RIP those who lost there lives and may we honour them all.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss, I have the upmost respect for anybody who faught in those wars.

Something random, I was watching the Secret Millionaire last week, and the chap befriended two old boys who both proudly wore their medals they'd won in service (and quite rightly so) he asked them "do you class yourselves as heros" they replied "no the heros are the ones we left behind" It never ceases to amaze me the generation these fantastic people we're from.