Military Chat

Being retired, I have been fortunate over the last two days to watch on television the 100 Days Remembrance Service since Passchendaele ,I thought that after all this time the service by all involved, was a wonderful tribute to all those who lost their lives, were injured, and also the soldiers that were fortunate to come home.

Moved by a visit to the Battlefields including Passchendaele many years ago, and again by the Service over the last two days,I have brought out my thoughts in print again, to pay tribute to a Grandfather who at some point took part in Passchendaele.It is also to share with others who may have also had a grandfather who took part in the same war.
We visited a place where you had been.
What we saw were fields of green,
Its not the same as it was then,
When you were fighting with boy,s and men.

In those small trenches the horror,s of war,
Where boy,s became men, after what they saw,
In trenches and fields,you fought side be side,
No place to run, no where to hide,
Each day you fought in different places,
But due to them killed, with different faces.

The war went on for quite some years,
Until victory came to horrendous cheers,
But sadness overtook for those that died,
When remembering those men, killed by your side.

Now the last post is played each day,
For the men that gave their all that way,
And for the men that came home to,
These grateful people, still remember you.

We now return home, as you did to,
With a better understanding of what you went through,
Your Medals and Diary, are in a special place,
To help us remember that special face.

By a Grateful Grandson.

That is a very nice tribute Malcolm

I watched the various Rememberance programmes and have also visited Passchendaele plus several of the other small cemeterys scattered over Belgium several years ago.

The brasses in the Church of St George in Ypres show just how many families lost several sons

All so sad

Hi Elizabeth.
Thank you so much for your comment its very much appreciated.When visiting Ypres,as you say there is such a lot to see but well worth the visit. We were also fortunate to visit Talbot house in Poperinge - Belgium, and again such an interesting place never realizing that it is said that there are about 160 battlefield cemeteries which surround Ypres.
Take care.
Malcolm.