In Ireland it’s an issue and in Britain it’s an issue if you’re Irish; so when, where, or maybe never, should we wear the poppy?

Although Remembrance Sunday has come and gone, the issue about wearing the little red poppy in Ireland is still a divisive one. With the centenary of World War 1 fast approaching, it’s only two years away remember, is it not time we truly heralded the Irish men who sacrificed their lives in one of the most disastrous conflicts in history?

The furore over this symbolic image of bloodletting in war announces itself every November. Albeit furore may be too strong a word,  it does though still cause a stir. However Roy Keane wore the poppy on ITV last week and it wasn’t worth a mention while Brian O’Driscoll on the other hand opted out and again no-one batted an eyelid.

It’s a strange subject though, the wearing of the poppy in Ireland. As innocuous a symbol as it might seem, to many it still represents British dominion and rule over our nation. While the Royal British Legion advocates an apolitical stance in regard to the little red flower, over the years this symbol of remembrance has caused outrage and disquiet in Irish political and media circles. Mary McAleese ruffled quite a few feathers when she decided not to wear a poppy at a Remembrance Day ceremony in 1997, while Paddy Harte, a former Fine Gael TD, really tested the water in 1996 after he became one of the first politicians ever to wear a poppy in the Dáil.

Why the fuss though? 50,000 Irishmen died while fighting for the British Armed Forces during the First World War. They fought not because of a youthful exuberance to seek adventure, or for a wage, many fought thinking it would increase Ireland’s billing for Home Rule. John Redmond championed the idea and thousands of men followed his call. In fact countless individuals believed in the cause as a whole and simply felt Britain’s stance against Germany was a just worthy reason to fight. However while it’s easy to commemorate the ideal, it’s not so easy to forget the baggage that comes with it. During this same period the Proclamation for the Irish Republic was drawn up. While men fought and died in the trenches, at home in Ireland rebels were planning an insurrection to take down the British establishment. Herein lies the dilemma. The 1916 leaders were  brutally executed and within 3 years our country was at war with the Empire. The poppy therefore not only represents the men who died in WW1 it also represents those sent to quash our struggle for independence. It’s a double-edged sword. How can we commemorate the brave men who fought and died in Europe while still staying through to our nationalist routes?

The thing is there are alternatives to the red poppy. The white poppy is one exception to the rule. Pacifists, or anyone with an interest can wear it to commemorate all those who lost their lives in war, not just the British dead. Also the Limerick branch of the Royal British Legion have devised their own symbol, one that more represents the Irish who died. On their website it is said to represent “the sacrifice of the people of this island in both World Wars”.

Irish Poppy badge

In essence however the meaning of the red poppy is blurred because it does not transgress the full parameters of Irish society. If truth be told there is no mystery as to why. History dictates our attitudes, as was so aptly presented by Derry born James McClean last weekend. Growing up in Creggan the Sunderland winger would have been acutely aware of the impact Bloody Sunday had on his community and city as a whole. The historical significance of the event and also McClean’s decision to declare for the Republic must have swayed his hand. I’m sure his personal decision not to wear a poppy was by no means taken lightly. Earlier this year he faced extensive abuse when debuting for the Irish national team but still he was not swayed.

Ironically the debate over wearing the poppy proves one thing, that we have the liberty and freedom to freely discuss these issues. Was it not this freedom of rights that was fought for in the first place? Admittedly the zealots will always complain, you’ll find them at home and abroad. Some will say it’s a slap in the face to the men who died, others will see it as treasonous and unpatriotic. McClean and others will certainly have their critics but hey, we live in a democracy, not an autocratic society where “poppy fascists reign”.

Related articles

• Irish TD will wear poppy to commemorate the British war dead (irishcentral.com)
• Death threats for soccer player James McClean over Remembrance Day poppy protest – VIDEO (irishcentral.com)

Remembrance Sunday Lunch

Following the beautiful Remembrance Sunday service at the Old British Cemetery, a large group of RBL members made their way to the Ship Inn, Karaoğlanoğlu for lunch.

There were 171 people attending the lunch so the dining room of the Ship Inn was buzzing.  Major Brian Thomas BEM, the Chairman of the Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch, made a short speech of welcome and spoke about the reason for all of us being together on that day.   He told the members of the very successful Poppy Walk the previous day and said there were 261 people participating and from the registration fees and raffle alone 3,500TL had been raised.   The final figures for the Poppy Ball and Poppy Walk will be published in our article “News in Brief” in due course along with the results of other charity events.   Brian thanked all of the walkers who had arranged sponsorship and made special reference to Lilian White who had raised a staggering 700TL from her sponsors.

The Ship Inn did us proud with a 3-course meal comprising soup, a roast chicken dinner followed by apple tart and ice cream.   The food was hot and delicious and the service was excellent especially with the number of diners present.   Well done to the management and staff of the Ship Inn.

Once the meal was over, Anne Lloyd gave a repeat of the performance she did at the Poppy Ball much to the enjoyment of those present, some of whom had not been at the Ball but even having seen it before, it was well worth watching and listening to Anne rendering again “Walter, Walter lead me to the Altar”, The Biggest Aspidistra in the World” and the “Thingy-me-Bob” song (my personal favourite).

The tables were cleared by the very efficient Ship Inn staff and following this we were all given a song sheet for a spot of community singing.  There were 14 songs, well-known wartime songs which also included “Land of Hope and Glory”, “Rule Britannia”  and “Jerusalem” all very rousing and sung with great enthusiasm.  Of course, the members were not on their own as we had the support of some of the recognisable members of various choral groups to give us some help who Brian christened “The Legionettes”.

During the afternoon there was a presentation of a banner from Roger Handley, ex Royal Corps of Signals, and he proudly took it around the dining room for a closer look by the members.  It was indeed a work of art and must have taken weeks if not months to complete.  Brian Thomas had told us when the banner was presented that Roger had come to Cyprus for the last 4 years and each time he brought a banner for the RBL.  

I spoke to Roger at the end of the afternoon and he gave me some information about himself.  He served in Cyprus in 1955 and 1956 and was based in Famagusta with part of his service also in the Troodos area and since that time he had never returned to Cyprus.   4 years ago he had read about the Memorial which was to be erected in the Old British Cemetery in Kyrenia and his daughter persuaded him to make a trip back, which he did and during this time he met 2 other veterans who he now keeps in touch with and for the last 4 years they have all come back to Cyprus together for the Remembrance event.  What a lovely story.

Roger joined a company in Leeds after his demob which he then ran for 50 years and now his son and 3 daughters manage the business.  They produce specialised band uniforms, (Roger has spent more than 50 years visiting bands all over the country and in those years has travelled in excess of 2 million miles),  they also make banners, accessories etc. and Roger said one of their major production items is waistcoats which are made in all shapes, sizes and colours.    The company did a huge amount of work for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games when they produced 100’s of items for the opening and closing ceremonies.

As we were about to leave I spotted the bugler who played the Last Post at the Remembrance Service and asked him for some information as well.   This is Andy Cornish who did band service for 23 years and is now with the Royal Naval Careers Advisory Section in Chatham.  He has served a total of 28 years with another 11 years to complete so this really is a long term service career.

Andy was at leisure but he kindly donned all of the trappings of his uniform so that we could take photographs and he looked so smart.  We positioned him in front of a large poppy backdrop and he was then joined by Mick Bone with the Union Flag so we managed to get some really nice photographs of them together.

Time was getting on and people were leaving so we said our goodbyes and thanks for an exceptionally poignant but lovely day.

By Margaret Sheard

For those that would like to hear the sounds of this great event, please click on the links below and then minimise your windows media player so you can continue to view the slide show.

RBL speeches: click here   Thanks to Roger Handley: click here

Mrs Thingy-me Bob: click here         Songs of Yesteryear : click here

Finally for those that would like to relive the experience of the Remembrance Sunday event. Please click here.

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News in Brief

15^th November 2012

This page is to inform readers of the results of charitable events and will be updated on a regular basis.   Any North Cyprus Charities wishing to inform the public of the results of their various events, please contact margaret.cyprushome@hotmail.com

Throughout the world British people come together to remember those that have fallen in the service of their country. This Remembrance Day ceremony has been going on since the end of World War I to remember the members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

This day is observed on 11th November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 05:12 and 05:20 that morning.  (“At the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

The Red Remembrance Poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

The Royal British Legion takes 350,000 volunteers and staff to organise the Poppy Appeal each year and money raised goes to support the welfare work to provide practical care, advice and support to serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families. for the Armed Forces community.

So came the eleventh hour here in Kyrenia and there was a great gathering of ex-servicemen and women, plus many expatriates and not forgetting many local citizens who value the ultimate sacrifice that so few made for so many.

( To hear a recording of this event, please click here and minimise your windows media player  and continue to read this article and view the pictures.)

Sunday started cold and blustery but by the time of the coming hour, the sun had broken through the clouds and it brought a feeling of warmth and comfort to those seated in the main road just outside the Old British Cemetery in Kyrenia. The service of Remembrance was led by The Reverend Richard Frost of St Andrews Church, Kyrenia with hymns and prayers for her Majesty The Queen, for those who serve and for those who mourn.

There followed The Address and The Act of Remembrance and finally the Celebrant.  This was followed by The Dissertation by Mr Keith Lloyd followed by the Last Post, The Silence, Reveille and finally The Kohima Epitaph was read by Mr Keith Lloyd.

There followed the laying of wreaths at the foot of the Cyprus memorial which was dedicated to the 371 British Servicemen who gave their lives during the Cyprus Emergency.

To see a the order of service and list of the wreaths laid, please click here and also here.

There then followed Prayers and the Hymn “O God Our Help” and then the  Lord’s Prayer,  the National Anthem and finally The Blessing.

With the end of the ceremony there was a gathering of many relatives and friends of those who gave their lives so they could remember them. At this point I was reminded of some of the other people buried here including military figures and in particular, that of  Sergeant Samuel MacGaw of the Black Watch and holder of the Victoria Cross who was buried with four colleagues in this ancient cemetery in 1878 .

It is just over a year since the formation of the Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch in North Cyprus and this year their Branch Standard Bearer Kim Tyler had been invited to attend the Royal Albert Hall Remembrance event with the Branch Standard which was a huge honour and a sign of recognition in the UK of something good in North Cyprus. For your final enjoyment click here to see the the Royal Albert Hall Event in all its splendour.

The Union Flag was, therefore, carried by flag bearer Mick Bone at the Kyrenia Remembrance Day event.  To give our readers a view of both last year and this year’s events we have used two sets of photographs in a slide show and it was nice to see that the weather this year was so much kinder.

To read more and hear the sound tracks of the splendid Royal British Leagion, Kyrenia Branch lunch that was held after this event click here

By Chris Elliott

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Ms Jack Monroe, Southend on Sea.

By Margaret Sheard

RBL Group in Gallipoli

RBL Group at Troy

I don’t do a lot of travelling nowadays but when I do I have always found the staff at Ankara Travel to be very helpful and ready to give advise regarding my intended journey or holiday.  They did a great job for the recent Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch, trip to Gallipoli and Troy, which was a very enjoyable experience and one I would like to do again maybe independently next time so that more time can be spent at Gallipoli as there is so much to see there.

I suppose it is inevitable that people visiting various businesses really know nothing about the people they are dealing with and for this reason Chris and I paid a visit to Ankara Travel to get a bit more information about the people who do the work behind the scenes and the company itself.

Ankara Travel was established in Ankara Street, Limassol, South Cyprus in 1971.It was a 3-storey building which was built by the family and they started the travel agency there.  With the intervention by Turkey in 1974 and the movement of people between the North and South of Cyprus, the family had to leave Limassol and they settled in Girne to resume their business from the north part of the island.

So from 1974, Ankara Travel was established in North Cyprus where they have continued to give excellent service for the traveller.The building they occupy was refurbished in June 2007 and we were told that it took 9 days to complete, the results are a very well laid out and comfortable office both for the staff and clients alike.

Cenk Turmen

The business is headed by Cenk Turmen, and he has a staff of 4 very able people.There is Radiye Oday who has been with the company for 8 years.  Şeniz Halford who has 5 years service,  Soydaş Altugan has worked at Ankara Travel for 4 years and last but not least Eren Seferber who has also been with the company for 4 years.   Eren has always been our main contact at Ankara Travel, he speaks excellent English and is very knowledgeable as far as geographical locations are concerned, probably as a result of his extensive travelling when he took 2 years out to visit the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, Nepal, India, Egypt, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.As well as Eren, both Şeniz and Soydaş have excellent English

Eren Seferber

Radiye Oday

Seniz Halford

Soydas Altugan

Şeniz recalled the past days when everything was done by hand and the issuing of tickets which all had to be hand-written was a painstaking task which at the end of the day saw her going home suffering from “writer’s cramp”.

Of course those days are long gone and it is so much easier now to arrange bookings, although I would think, like me, it took people quite a while to accept that you would arrive at the airport without a ticket and hoped there was a note of your booking on the computer and you would be on the flight!  but for the staff of Ankara Travel, the job of organising travel for their clients became so much easier even with the increase in the numbers of people who like globe-trotting.

Ankara are licensed to issue tickets for all airlines, they are IATA approved and can tailor a holiday to suit individual requirements, so whether it be a flight only, a package holiday, or a few days in Istanbul, they are happy to cater for whatever is needed.Why not think about a short break to Cappadocia or perhaps somewhere further afield like New York, Sydney, Paris or maybe a cruise. Personally, I have to admit that I have not yet visited Istanbul, other than for  flight connections, and this is certainly on my list of places to visit so maybe a trip to Ankara Travel will be on the books in the near future to see what they have to tempt me.

Eren said they have details of some of the 2013 flights to London and no doubt there are some people already thinking about a trip to the UK next year.

Ankara Travel is open Monday to Friday – 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.30pm and on Saturdays from 8.30am to 2pm.

For more information from Ankara Travel,  email tickets@ankaratravelagency.com.

We so enjoyed the trip to Gallipoli and Troy and wrote a day by day diary about the trip.   Visitors to this website can read the accounts and see and enjoy the pictures.

Click here –  Day 1     Day 2     Day 3     Day 4     Day 5   to see the RBL trip to Canakkale including Troy and Gallipoli.

To put you in the mood for a holiday do watch the video below and remembre those days of yesteryear.

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]]> http://cyprusscene.com/2012/11/13/8369/ Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:45:31 +0000 kyreniacommentator http://cyprusscene.com/2012/11/13/8369/ Cyprusscene – Pick of the Week – 10th November

CESV Volunteers – More First Aid Training 2012 – More free First Aid Training is now available from the CESV Volunteers. To read more click here:

Events Calendar – Issue 9 – cyprusscene – 8th November 2012- Latest news of events which increase in number week by week. To read more click here:

FINANCE – Troika begins talks with Greek Cyprus-  The story is starting to unfold! To read more click here

Friends Line Dancers – Social Evening – North Cyprus – They are back with more fantastic moves and music, see the video “Moves like Jagger”. To read more click here

German Intelligence Report Warns Cyprus Not Combating Money Laundering – More hard times ahead. To read more click here

Girne Municipality trial animal feeding stations – Now this is a refreshing news about the human face of authority. To read more click here

Grup Umut at The Bedesten – A lovely concert at the Bedesten on 14^th December.  To read more  click here and also listen to their music with our music link!

Kyrenia Animal Rescue – KAR – Christmas Bazaar – 1st December 2012 – Now here is an event with a little Christmassy sparkle plus Santa will be there – To read more click here

Kyrenia Amateur Dramatic Society – KADS Keep on Playing – A fantastic history of those KADS players over the years with videos. pictures and newspaper clips.To read more click here

Kyrenia Municipality and KADS presentation to SOS and KAR - News of joint donations made by Kyrenia Municipality and KADS. – To read more click here

Lapta Belediyesi 2nd Cycle Tour – 18th November – News of the Lapta Belediyesi 2nd Cycle Tour with full details for those wishing to take part. To read more click here

Long slump beckons for Cyprus on Greek fallout – An interesting article about the pressures facing Cyprus over the Euro crisis. – To read more click here

New Kyrenia Municipality Sports and Leisure Project – A bright new project and news of the past. To read more click here

 NCCCT Bingo at The Ravine, Alsancak, North Cyprus – Another chance to win the jackpot and those elusive Mars Bars.. To read more click here.

North Cyprus – Orchid Walk -  2013 – Pro Cancer Charity Fund – Yes, the 2013 Orchid Walk is coming back to Cyprus and volunteers are needed to help. To read more click here

Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch – Annual General Meeting – Invitation to RBL members to attend the Annual General Meeting. To read more click here

The Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch- Poppy Ball- See and hear the Event of the Year, The Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch Poppy Ball – To read and hear more click here

TRNC PUMAS – Once a Puma Always a Puma – A sad tale of the loss of a friend and how his friends gathered to remember him – Please read more  click here.

Tulips Golden Hearts – Carole and Sue at the Soyz Bar – Get ready for the next Tulips Sale at the Soyz Bar. To read more click here

I wear no poppy today. But on this day set aside to remember the countless millions who have sacrificed and died in countries all over the world, that you and I might enjoy the life we do today, let us give pause and remember that the price of freedom has *never* been free.

POSTED ON BEHALF OF :  Éamon Poplin

Related articles

• ‘Wear poppy today’ – Snowdon (bigpondnews.com)
• Government defend Taoiseach decision not to wear poppy (independent.ie)
• Remembrance Day: The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month (zaraalexis.wordpress.com)
• Leaders attend Poppy Day services for first time (independent.ie)

Hey public servants, get back to work!

It’s not Black Monday, it’s Remembrance Day.

http://rosalita55.blogspot.ca/

Flags over Dolton a book by Andrew Hobbs Photographer : Foreword by Robin Ravillious

To see the book click here

My trip to Dolton yesterday also coincided with a call by the Western Morning News who wanted photos from around the area of different remembrance services. The Western Morning News in the end went for events in Exeter at the cathedral. But like so often while the bigger towns and cities celebrated, or in this case remembered, under the gaze of the public eye Dolton did what it does best – it joined together as a community.

I think that yesterday’s shoot was the hardest I have done. It’s very hard to take photos with a noisy D700 when people are stood listening to prayers and the names of the men lost from the village in wars being read aloud. I try to tell a story with my photos but I haven’t really done Dolton justice this time.

My photos don’t show the amount of people who stood in the chilly sun and then the light drizzle as they listened to the Rev Carolyn Brodribb give a moving service at the village’s war memorial. My photos don’t show the age range that wore poppies and stood in total silence for 2 minutes and they don’t show how the people of Dolton gathered, not at the larger St Edmunds church, but at the Baptist church for the main Remembrance service. They also don’t show the “Big Lunch” being held after the service in the village hall. So I have failed to tell the story of yesterday; partly because I am not paparazzi enough to disturb a communities remembrance and partly because I had one eye on the clock and a deadline that didn’t matter if I missed.

What my photos do show is Matthew Oaten, a 16 year old lad who is studying level 3 Public Services at Petroc college in Barnstaple. Matthew is also a member of the Devon Army Cadets and hopes to join the Royal Logistics Corps as a driver when he finished his course.

Matthew Oaten stands at the Dolton war memorial.

The bell ringer of St Edmund’s Church ring the bells to call the village to meet.

Before the village gathered at the war memorial the bell ringers of St Edmund’s met to call the village to meet. The bells rang for half an hour, I left after 15 minutes to make sure I got to the memorial in time (a 2 minute walk). As I stood at the memorial with the bells ringing the streets started to fill with people, young, old, some in uniforms of the Scouts and Guides. A Community Police Officer and many faces I recognised from the summer. Smiles and nods where exchanged and I knew I wasn’t going to be a good press photographer this day. But with my head half in the paper and half in documentary photographer mode I wasn’t going to be good at either.

Villagers stand in silence as wreaths are laid.

Matthew plays the last post.

Young and old show respect as the last post is played.

Matthew stands to attention as the people of the village move to the Baptist church for the service.

Thank you to Matthew and Ellie (bell ringers) for your help and cooperation yesterday; and as always to the people of Dolton.

A fine crisp morning for the Remembrance Sunday service at the war memorial in Greenford Broadway. Unusually it fell on Armistice Day this year. The parade formed at the Royal British Legion in Oldfield Lane North then marched along Coston’s Lane, Greenford Road and Greenford Broadway, halting in front of the war memorial. The police re-directed traffic and set up rolling road blocks along the route. Wreaths were laid by local dignitaries as well as individual crosses. A considerable crowd attended the service, representing a wide range of ages, nationalities and faiths. Greenford’s war memorial was unveiled on the 12th June 1921 in remembrance of the nineteen local men killed in the Great War. You can read more about it on the Ealing Council website by clicking here.

Images and text ©Albertina McNeill 2012. Please do not reproduce without permission. All rights reserved. Do not add any of these images to Pinterest or similar sites as this will be regarded as a violation of copyright.

I’ll be remembering the fallen at 11 o’clock #2MinuteSilence #LestWeForget

About a week ago I signed on to allow the Royal British Legion to post this on my behalf on Facebook today, which is of course Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth, for two reasons: #1 is that I am fascinated by new media and it is fast becoming a strange sort of academic specialization of mine but #2 is more important: I value the message. I remember having a conversation on the podcast with Mat about the book Der Vorleser which sparked off a debate about how Germans born after WWII didn’t have the same baggage as those born two generations before, that their memories weren’t scarred in the same way, and this I suppose extends to most people born in the years after the two World Wars. The question I often ask myself is ‘who does the remembering?’; does it decrease in magnitude every time a new generation springs up? I suppose this is why I was so enamoured with the Legion’s attempt to spread remembrance through social media and equally disheartened that their goal was to have 500 supporters, and whether that was all they thought they could muster, but seeing the goal being achieved and then 400-fold over that gave me some hope.

While I am a bleeding heart liberal and a pacifist that doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t hold the men and women sent to fight, and possibly lose their lives, in the highest esteem. They’re fulfilling a role that has been created by international forces in sometimes unnecessary fights and do so voluntarily. I can’t imagine anything much braver or self-sacrificing. There is, as there would be for a lot of Britons like myself, a family connection: my Dad hasn’t told me much about his father, but one thing I do know is that he was torpedoed while serving in the British Navy during WWII, and washed up somewhere in the Caribbean. My Dad was born in February 1946, which counting back from his birthday a round nine months is a week after VE day, making him literally one of the first baby-boomers. It is in part due to Grandad that I buy a poppy a week in advance (and that I bought a 1940s British Navy lieutenants jacket I spotted in a thrift shop in Lewes) and that I hold the armed forces in such esteem, but I also find it so very important to go through life and every new generation with a sense of historical perspective. The amount of death and destruction that humans have left in their wake through warfare should always serve as a reminder to those yet to come, which, aside from remembering who we’ve lost, in not just the armed forces but huge swathes of civilians either caught in the crossfire or eradicated in genocide, is for me one of the reasons to Remember today: we’ve suffered the pain of loss on an unimagined scale as a species, and every peaceful and diplomatic effort should always be taken to make this an impossibility in the future. This loss of life may never be forgivable but those we lose are commendable, and remembered justly.

Can’t see video player? Click here

Description: Camberley Remembrance Service 2012

For me that’s a moot question as while I disagree with the concept of war and killing other human beings, I believe we should all proudly support our war veterans, those who died in conflict, those still fighting in conflicts and also those still serving in our armed forces.

Remembrance Day is about remembering those who gave their lives so we could be free, but it’s also about looking forward and praying for peace.

So today as you’ve looked back and remembered the fallen, I hope you have also looked forward and prayed for peace.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we who 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 shall remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night.

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon
(Poem taken from the British Legion website)

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The Saturdays launch 2010′s Poppy Appeal – see how happy and liberated they are! That’s what Grandpa fought for!

I was always the belligerent child at school who spent far too long on my soapbox (little has changed), and every year I’d have the same argument about the poppy appeal. Yesterday I came across an excellent piece from Wales Online written ahead of Remembrance Day in 2010, where ex-SAS soldier Ben Griffin publicly, and excellently, criticised the Poppy Appeal as a political tool.

Griffin was the first SAS soldier to refuse to go into combat on political grounds, and left the army in 2005. He questions the Royal British Legion’s use of celebrities (such as The Saturdays, seen above), and reminds us there’s more to war than joyful frolicking in poppy-shaped confetti: “The RBL would say they are modernising and appealing to a younger generation. I disagree. I think that their stunts trivialise, normalise and sanitise war.”

Griffin also points out that the language of the campaign, urging us to remember our “heroes” and “support our troops” attempts to depoliticise and mystify not just the Poppy Appeal but war itself:

“The use of the word ‘hero’ glorifies war and glosses over the ugly reality. War is nothing like a John Wayne movie. There is nothing heroic about being blown up in a vehicle, there is nothing heroic about being shot in an ambush and there is nothing heroic about the deaths of countless civilians. Calling our soldiers heroes is an attempt to stifle criticism of the wars we are fighting in. It leads us to that most subtle piece of propaganda: You might not support the war but you must support our heroes, ergo you support the war.” (Emphasis mine)

Griffin of course is not alone in his critique of war from a veteran’s perspective, and Harry Patch’s famous quote has been given a thorough airing on the social network feeds of those with anti-war persuasions.

“War is organised murder, and nothing else”

But what is it “our heroes” are actually fighting for? The noble cause of “freedom” is a slippery category, which everyone can claim as their own, as shown by the bizarre cognitive dissonance that allows the EDL to throw Nazi salutes…

…whilst also “honouring” the fallen troops of WWII on Remembrance Day. For this and many other reasons, I share Griffin’s unease at the subtle ideology exercised by the all-pervasive poppy, claimed by the RBL to be “neutral” but in reality anything but. Happily, the use and misuse of political ideals such as humanitarianism, freedom, democracy, and female emancipation to justify imperialist military interventions has been written about by a selection of my current favourite writers.

In his introduction to Violence (read it, it’s excellent), Slavoj Žižek critiques the sense of “humanitarian urgency” so often used as window dressing to justify war. After all, if we’re fighting a war for human rights, freedom, democracy and all those great things, how can you be anti-war? How could you be anti-democracy, anti-freedom? Even Bush and Blair supported “democracy” after all.

Žižek has written elsewhere on the depoliticisation of “human rights” as “the ideology of military interventionism serving specific economico-political purposes“, and this has been explored brilliantly in Didier Fassin’s Humanitarian Reason and Eyal Weizman’s The Least of All Possible Evils: Humanitarian Violence from Ardent to Gaza (which I have still to read with the dedication it deserves, despite my excitable anticipation of its publication almost a year ago).

Nina Power, in One Dimensional Woman, draws attention to the increasing co-option of feminism to support military interventions, particularly with regard to recent conflicts in the Middle East. The Taliban’s abhorrent treatment of women was cited over and over again as the compelling reason why we have to go to war with Afghanistan, and we have to go NOW. How can you oppose war with Afghanistan, if peace with Afghanistan means supporting a brutal regime that throws acid in the faces of would-be school girls? Power points out, quite rightly, that the war made it even more dangerous to be an Afghan feminist, lest you be labelled an agent of the occupying forces. Not to mention the absurdity of the political right suddenly adopting women’s rights as their battle cry and cause célèbre, whilst simultaneously attacking women at home.

There’s many other compelling arguments against the Poppy Appeal and what it represents – the seemingly apolitical use of kitsch nationalism to dampen any critical reflection or dissent (as discussed with reference to the Jubilee and the use of nationalist rhetoric amongst some on the left by Wail Qasim); the absurdity of “remembering” the war, whilst we continue with multiple military campaigns and occupations around the world; the hypocrisy of a government that can afford to send soldiers to war, but leaves their welfare up to charity upon their return. All things considered, I still won’t be buying a poppy this year.

]]> http://mucktwineandthinker.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/remembrance-respect/ Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:27:03 +0000 beeseeker http://mucktwineandthinker.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/remembrance-respect/

Remembrance Sunday – crosses in church yard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m late setting out. But I walk fast. can cover the ground. My camera? Think I’ll need it? Yes. Double back, wasting time I didn’t have in the first place, smiling to myself. Locking the front door I decide to take the car. Detour to avoid the parade. park. Good decision; time made up.

The road and grass verges are buttered with strong, low autumn sunshine. The stronger winds from yesterday that piled up clouds in interesting forms and colours have abated. Deep and wide tractor ruts scar the verges, left soft by heavy rain. Puddles reflect the acrobatic geisha-complexioned aspen leaves clinging to the whip thin ends of high branches. But today is clear. Big skies, pale blue.

Amplified voices, with pauses for emotion, fill and re-fill the spaces below and between the trees that surround the memorial stone. Black coated people, an impatient dog, unsettled perhaps to be in such a crowd, surrounded by the unusual stillness. A man wearing a bobble hat in the colours of the German flag (but upside down) a stray fallen leaf atop balancing like a random piece of accessorizing.

Quiet, solemn brass tones of background music, respectful and balanced support the ritual lowering of standards.

The silence. Eleven a.m.

Light winds bend the branches closer to the people. Leaves, lantern-flame yellow lime and dry leather toned oak – shiver like clouds of benign spirits. A few fall, mimic-ing earlier loss of life and energy. It’s appropriate, this falling through time towards shadows. I feel the gentle, insistent gravity pull of generations. We are all falling towards shadows.

I am alone at a Remembrance Sunday parade for the first time in many years. her at my hometown memorial for the first time in as many years. No official duties. It is liberating, giving me time to think. I notice familiar faces: those I was at school with. Equally I notice spaces where stood those who have been here in previous years.

Ceremony over. Poignant as always. Ritual done, the standards lead the procession back to church. I walk away, the opposite direction, needing some time to look at waters.

11/11/2012

As usual I have bought at least 6 poppies and managed to lose most of them, apart from the three proudly worn by me and my two daughter’s this morning during the local Remembrance Service. I think it’s important that my children understand what Remembrance is all about and why we give thanks for those who gave their lives, often without choice, to ensure our freedom.

We have a strong military connection within both sides of mine and Geordie’s families and most years we all come together to have dinner and swap stories of time spent in camouflage. Each of us counting our blessings that we’re all here and in relatively good health.

To all those who have serve, thank you and all those who have lost their lives, we will remember you.

*

They fought the fight to keep us safe,
They fight the battle to this day,
The bravery and valor with which the fight,
Has made it safer for me.

*

Thank you to those fallen,
Your lives wont be forgotten,
Thank you to those survivors,
Your lives show our victories,
Thank you to those fighting,
Taking the hard task to make each citizen safe.

*

To those fighting,
May you have a quick and safe journey home,
Back to the land you protect.

*

To them all,
I salute you.

Poppy painting by Rachel Bishop for sale at Captured on the Rye

Rachel Bishop, Piano Teacher at SE22 Piano School and RBL Standard Bearer

If you would like to purchase this, pop in to 85 Pellatt Road, East Dulwich, SE22 9JD.