Poppies

[ramone]

And another modest man

Worth a visit to Dawlish Museum next time anyone is passing by.

 

[Greyhound]

Mention of soldiers' humour reminds me about a story my Grandad told of his time at the Western Front in the Great War. He was on a wagon, carrying supplies to his unit, when a shell exploded nearby and buried him alive. Luckily his mates saw what had happened and dug him out. Grandad commented, "I don't suppose they'd have bothered if I hadn't been bringing the grub."

 

[Alistair20000]

Mention of soldiers' humour reminds me about a story my Grandad told of his time at the Western Front in the Great War. He was on a wagon, carrying supplies to his unit, when a shell exploded nearby and buried him alive. Luckily his mates saw what had happened and dug him out. Grandad commented, "I don't suppose they'd have bothered if I hadn't been bringing the grub."

These men really were proper heroes.

 

[Stuffy]

Mention of soldiers' humour reminds me about a story my Grandad told of his time at the Western Front in the Great War. He was on a wagon, carrying supplies to his unit, when a shell exploded nearby and buried him alive. Luckily his mates saw what had happened and dug him out. Grandad commented, "I don't suppose they'd have bothered if I hadn't been bringing the grub."

It's amazing how humour existed under such trying circumstances. I'm reading 'Forgotten Voices'... of the great war.

Some of the stories are no more than half a dozen lines, but nearly all are about the agonies and hardships the soldiers on both sides had to put up with...

Fleas, yes. Every man in the front line had flies after about two or three weeks. Fleas used to get into the seam of your underclothes, and the only way to get red of them ws to get a candle and go along the seams with the candle and you could hear the eggs crackling. And the extraordinary thing is these lice were so bad in places, I've seen men taking off their shirts with the skin on their backs absolutely raw where they'd been scratching. Lice was a curse, a real menace to us. For one thing, you had very few chances of a good sleep.

The rats used to pinch our rations at night, they'd gnaw through anything you put them in unless it was a metal container. But the gas attack finished them. In the morning there were dozens and dozens of these rats crawling about on their bellies. We just stubbed our toe beneath them and sent them into the moat. Yet there were two swans which lived on the moat and they were up on the ramparts apparently unharmed.

 

[Billy The Fish]

There's a book called Somme Mud by an Aussie soldier Edward Lynch that is an amazing read and I highly recommend it. I mentioned it on the "Book you're reading" thread.

It's why we buy a poppy.

 

[IndoMike]

It's amazing how humour existed under such trying circumstances. I'm reading 'Forgotten Voices'... of the great war.

Some of the stories are no more than half a dozen lines, but nearly all are about the agonies and hardships the soldiers on both sides had to put up with...

Fleas, yes. Every man in the front line had flies after about two or three weeks. Fleas used to get into the seam of your underclothes, and the only way to get red of them ws to get a candle and go along the seams with the candle and you could hear the eggs crackling. And the extraordinary thing is these lice were so bad in places, I've seen men taking off their shirts with the skin on their backs absolutely raw where they'd been scratching. Lice was a curse, a real menace to us. For one thing, you had very few chances of a good sleep.

The rats used to pinch our rations at night, they'd gnaw through anything you put them in unless it was a metal container. But the gas attack finished them. In the morning there were dozens and dozens of these rats crawling about on their bellies. We just stubbed our toe beneath them and sent them into the moat. Yet there were two swans which lived on the moat and they were up on the ramparts apparently unharmed.

Just incredible the strength of character of these blokes and their ability to deal with the constant threat of death and the awful conditions.

 

[ramone]

While out and about today I got talking to an old boy I know and he related the story of his Aunt who was apparently dropped behind enemy lines during the war to help with subterfuge and supplying the resistance with radio parts.
She must passed away some time ago but he still stopped me to buy an extra poppy for her grave as he has done for numerous years.

A special thank you to all those people who even though they had already bought their poppy took time to put some more in the collection box.

 

[Billy The Fish]

....and a thank you to you and all the others who give their time to sell the poppies - especially this year.

 

[Hants_red]

More BBC ********. Why is the poppy used in this way by the right?

 

[ramone]

More BBC ********. Why is the poppy used in this way by the right?

This isn't a left or right thing , This is just to highlight the fact they had them removed !