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Lest We Forget

It will soon be Remembrance Day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month when the United Kingdom honours all those who died for their country. We wear a red poppy as a symbol of survival, a tradition started by an American lady called Moira Michael. She wrote a poem in 1918 in which she promised to wear a poppy in honour of the dead in reply to the well-known verse by john McCrae called "In Flanders Field"

The first Poppy Day was held in Britain in 1921 when poppies made by the British Legion raised money to help those disabled by war. They still continue this work today.

Flanders, in Western Belgium, suffered the greatest devastation during the Great War. All life was destroyed except for the poppy that continued to reappear each year. It brought hope to those who were still fighting on the bloody battlefield, and was fittingly adopted in remembrance of those who died.

My maternal grandmother's brother, William Percival was killed at the battle of Loos on 25 September 1915. He was eighteen years old. His battalion, The Kings Own Scottish Borderers was ordered to advance and take the German lines at 10.30am on 25th. They were mown down by the Germans while crossing open ground without supporting cover and only 70 of their men made it back to safety. 650 others died. In all, 61,000 men of the allied forces died in the battle of Loos.

On 25 May 1914 before he went to France, William was given an active service testament and carried this small book into battle with him. I have it in my possession. On the first page there is a message from Lord Roberts as follows:-

"I ask you to put your trust in God. He will watch over you and strengthen you. You will find in this little book guidance when you are in health, comfort when you are in sickness, and strength when you are in adversity.

Roberts."

As I hold it in my hands, I wonder if it was a comfort to William who had barely had time to read it. I hope so, for he and his fellow soldiers died in a savage war far from their homes and loved ones.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army
In Flanders Field 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.

Learn more about this author, Dorothy Skinner.
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