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Thank you Richard for putting up the words of that peom.

I lost none of my immediate family in either war, and my Nan & Grandad had 7 children - all of whom served. We are a very lucky family.
It brought tears to my eyes just watching the laying of wreaths this morning by those 3 veterans.

My gt gt uncle Harry Hammond, died on the HMS HOGUE 22 sep 1914

R.I.P

AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO LOSTED THEY LIFES FOR US.

My GrGr Grandfather Samuel Floyd Gunner, Royal Field Artillary. Killed 03/10/1915. Aged 28.

Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow, In Flanders field where the poppys grow.

My great Grandfather Thomas Dinsdale 2nd Bn South Saffs killed in action 8/1/1915 aged 26

his brother Joseph Dinsdale 6th Bn Northamptonshire Reg killed in action 29/9/1918 aged 19 years

His cousin Wiliam Henry Dinsdale 10th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers killed in action 26/8/1918 aged 19 years

My Dad's cousin Harold White Merchant seaman killed 14.1.1942 onboard SS Caledonian Monarch aged 23 years

at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them

please also remember our civilian war dead during the two minute silence........RIP......

In my mind today and every day my daughter in law
serving in Basra

God keep her safe xxxx

Hi All

When I started this thread I didn't think for one minute so many people would add to it.

Its brought a lump to my throat reading some of the sad and beautiful messages.

Lets remember,as well as those who have fought and died for their Country, we still have Service Men & Women today fighting overseas to make this a better world.

God Bless them and keep them safe

Cheryl

nudge

Ann

The one Richard has given is the one

Robert Hardy read it beautifully-of course!

lancashire ann, just to let you know i sent elizabeth the poem earlier today.
Here it is for everybody to read.

IT IS THE SOLDIER
It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

by Charles M. Province.

Actually that does not sound like the one you meant from re-reading your description. There is another one 'soldier returning from the wars'(?) by Charles Carrington but I can't find the words.

Is this the one you meant Elizabeth (I missed that bit of Songs of Praise)

The Soldier
Rupert Brooke

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

My uncle
Flight Sergeant (Pilot) Augustus Howard
Died 4 March 1945 age 21
Shot down over England
Buried in Marlow Cemetary Buckinghamshire

My great uncle
Private John Richard Field
2nd Batt Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Died 11 September 1918
Memorial Haurincourt France

My 2nd cousin
Derek Arthur Little Flight Sergeant (Navigator)
Died 12 March 1945 age 22 Duisberg Germany
Buried in the British Military Cemetary Reichswald Forest Germany

My great uncle
Roderick Alexander William Pryse Richardes
2nd Lieutenant 1st Batt Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Died of wounds whilst POW in Bulgarian hands
Died 21 June 1918 aged 19 in Salonica
Commemorated on the Doiran Memorial Greece

My 3rd cousin
Douglas M Harwood
Died on HMS Eagle in 1944 age 31

To the men who were shot down with my Uncle Gus
Albert W Darling age 22
Walter J Pullen age 22
Kenneth C Millar age 21
Robert B Wilson age 23
Alexander W Taylor age 20

and to my Dad who came home safely but will not speak of his experiences

You are very much loved and we feel great pride

Remembering with such love.....Arthur Shaw (private)royal fusiliers died 18th may 1918 age 19yrs.
son of the late william henry shaw and agnes shaw.
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR.

that is so sad paul....elizaeth i would also like to hear this poem.

gwen,

On Songs of Praise yesterday Robert Hardy read a poem called "The Soldier" or "Soldier" I did not catch the name of the writer,

Does anyone have the words-I thought they were very relevant ..pionting out the various freedoms we enjoy today because of " the soldier."

GEORGE EDWARD SHERLOCK 1897-27/10/1918 France,
and brother
CHARLES DOUGLAS SHERLOCK 1919-17/01/1944 Italy
Both from Upton, Wirral.
Also ROBERT DARCY 1923-1945 from Upton, Wirral
Cassandra

I would just like to add my thought,s are today with those that gave the sacrifice of there lives so that they are not forgotten.
Fortunately my grandfather made it through ww1 and my father through ww2.

May those that lost there lives never be forgotten.

A proud grandson & son.

Richard.

I didn't know my uncle but I'm extremely proud of him

Lance Corporal HENRY JAMES JOHNCOCKS
died Monte Casino Italy - June 1944 aged 23
was awarded the Military Medal, posthumously for an act of great bravery and selflessness.

Remembering all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice

Christine

Raymond Steed

In a cool and shaded cemetery by the side of the road from Casablanca to Marrakesh lies the body of a Newport boy, the youngest person in British service to die in the Second World War.

Although the location of Raymond Steed is known to members of his family and, details of the 14-year-old’s untimely sacrifice have never been made public.

Calls for a memorial in Newport to the ex-Scout who went to sea aged just 14 years and two months. Have been backed by a senior member of the Merchant Navy Association.

The short life of Raymond Victor Steed began on October 1, 1928 at Rimberley Terrace, St Mellons. From there the family moved to 20 Christchurch Road, Newport, where he was one of nine children.

His story has been pieced together by ex-merchant seaman and maritime history enthusiast William McGee, of Stockton-on-Tees. “I was researching the history of the ship the Empire Morn, which hit a mine off Casablanca in 1943, when I came across a mention of young Raymond,” Mr McGee, 43, said.

“His ship carrying war material met up with its convoy in the Barry Roads and by April 26, 1943, was off Casablanca. At 9.45 pm an explosion rocked the ship, followed by another in the ship’s stern as the magazine blew up, taking a large part of the crew’s quarters with it.

The captain ordered ‘abandon ship’, and when a count was taken it was seen that 21 crew members were missing. The ship did not sink and was towed to Casablanca. A further search of the wrecked crew accommodation revealed the remains of Raymond and another crew member. The bodies of the other crew men were never found either being blown over board or incinerated.

On April 29 the two bodies were laid to rest in the Ben M’Silk cemetery in the presence of the captain and officers and members of the crew.

The Empire Morn had hit mines laid by the German submarine U-117. She survived the war and was taken to Gibralter where she served as a depot ship before being sold to the Spanish.

Some memorial should be erected to mark the sacrifice of the youngest sailor to give his life in the last war” added Mr McGee.

Mr Bertram Bale, National Vice President and Chairman of the Newport Branch of the Merchant Navy Association, contacted surviving members of the Steed family. Raymond’s father and mother were Mr Wilfred Steed and Olive Steed, whose maiden name was Bright. “It was a fair bet that there would be surviving members in a large family like that. I struck gold with my first call”.

Mr Bale has been active in the local the local campaign to get the historic jolly-boat of the Anglo-Saxon repatriated to Newport.

The jolly-boat of the doomed Anglo-Saxon now in the Imperial War Museum in London is important because of the epic story of the two local men who sailed 1,500 nautical miles to safety in it.

“Young Steed’s story supplements this heroism”.

“At the very least there should be a memorial for the lad, and the Merchant Navy Association would be prepared to set the ball rolling” he said.

MIKE BUCKINGHAM


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 WILL REMEMBER THEM.