| 11th November 22:42 - Nov 1 with 2068 views | 1462jack |
The reason we wear a poppy
On November 7th, 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British bodies were exhumed from temporary battlefield cemeteries at Ypres, Arras, the Asine and the Somme.
None of the soldiers who did the digging were told why.
The bodies were taken by field ambulance to GHQ at St-Pol-Sur-Ter Noise. Once there, the bodies were draped with the union flag.
Sentries were posted and Brigadier-General Wyatt and a Colonel Gell selected one body at random. The other three were reburied.
A French Honour Guard was selected and stood by the coffin overnight of the chosen soldier.
On the morning of the 8th November, a specially designed coffin made of oak from the grounds of Hampton Court arrived and the Unknown Warrior was placed inside.
On top was placed a crusaders sword and a shield on which was inscribed:
"A British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for King and Country".
On the 9th of November, the Unknown Warrior was taken by horse-drawn carriage with Guards of Honour and the sound of tolling bells and bugle calls to the quayside.
There, he was saluted by Marechal Foche and loaded onto HMS Verdun bound for Dover. The coffin stood on the deck covered in wreaths, surrounded by the French Honour Guard.
Upon arrival at Dover, the Unknown Warrior was met with a nineteen-gun salute - something that was normally only reserved for Field Marshals.
A special train had been arranged and he was then conveyed to Victoria Station, London.
He remained there overnight, and, on the morning of the 11th of November, he was finally taken to Westminster Abbey.
The idea of the unknown warrior was thought of by a Padre called David Railton who had served on the front line during the Great War, the union flag he had used as an altar cloth whilst at the front, was the one that had been draped over the coffin.
It was his intention that all of the relatives of the 517,773 combatants whose bodies had not been identified could believe that the Unknown Warrior could very well be their lost husband, father, brother or son...
THIS is the reason we wear poppies.
We do not glorify war.
We remember - with humility - the great and the ultimate sacrifices that were made, not just in this war, but in every war and conflict where our service personnel have fought - to ensure the liberty and freedoms that we now take for granted.
Every year, on the 11th of November, we remember.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
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| 11th November on 23:08 - Nov 1 with 2008 views | onehunglow |
Hope James McClean reads that
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| 11th November on 07:12 - Nov 2 with 1972 views | builthjack |
| 11th November on 23:08 - Nov 1 by onehunglow |
Hope James McClean reads that
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Can he read? |  |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| 11th November on 09:05 - Nov 2 with 1933 views | trampie |
Didn't we copy the idea of the unknown soldier off other countries, it seems to be something that happens across the World. |  |
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| 11th November on 09:37 - Nov 2 with 1930 views | britferry |
USA have a few, they had one from Vietnam. Then a family came forward and said we believe that is our son, they did a DNA test and it was, so he was re-buried with a headstone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Blassie | |
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| 11th November on 10:34 - Nov 2 with 1908 views | Boundy |
| 11th November on 09:05 - Nov 2 by trampie |
Didn't we copy the idea of the unknown soldier off other countries, it seems to be something that happens across the World. |
I believe the the first to do so was British army chaplain David Railton, who served on the Western Front. his inspiration came in August in 1918 after seeing a wooden cross at Armentières in France, on which was written ‘An Unknown British Soldier of the Black Watch’. | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| 11th November on 15:09 - Nov 2 with 1864 views | Flashberryjack |
| 11th November on 09:05 - Nov 2 by trampie |
Didn't we copy the idea of the unknown soldier off other countries, it seems to be something that happens across the World. |
Does it matter if we were the first, it's the sentiment that counts, although I'm not surprised that you had to make the point. |  |
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| 11th November on 16:51 - Nov 2 with 1851 views | CountyJim |
I always donate to the British legion but don't wear a Poppy because I believe that there is something of a issue with those that ram it down your throat if you're not seen as supporting or showing your respect
I'll do it my way and respect |  | | |
| 11th November on 18:26 - Nov 2 with 1821 views | Catullus |
| 11th November on 16:51 - Nov 2 by CountyJim |
I always donate to the British legion but don't wear a Poppy because I believe that there is something of a issue with those that ram it down your throat if you're not seen as supporting or showing your respect
I'll do it my way and respect |
I'll buy and wear a poppy and happy to do so.
This year, in my opinion, carries a special significance because of those who are losing their lives inUkraine, some of them have been British. Wherever in the world it is and whoever it is that dies fighting against dictators and the evil scumbags that support them, they should be remembered and paid due respect.
It's never about glorifying war, it is always about the selfless sacrifice those brave individuals make. | |
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| 11th November on 18:52 - Nov 2 with 1800 views | Flashberryjack |
| 11th November on 18:26 - Nov 2 by Catullus |
I'll buy and wear a poppy and happy to do so.
This year, in my opinion, carries a special significance because of those who are losing their lives inUkraine, some of them have been British. Wherever in the world it is and whoever it is that dies fighting against dictators and the evil scumbags that support them, they should be remembered and paid due respect.
It's never about glorifying war, it is always about the selfless sacrifice those brave individuals make. |
That's why I always wear my poppy with pride.
I grudgingly respect the right of people that refuse to wear the poppy, but for the life of me I can't understand why they won't, whilst happily applauding all the virtual signalling, such as taking the knee and wearing rainbow laces, but yet refuse to wear a poppy in remembrance of the men and women that gave their lives, so they have the right to have that choice. | |
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| 11th November on 20:33 - Nov 2 with 1766 views | pencoedjack |
| 11th November on 18:52 - Nov 2 by Flashberryjack |
That's why I always wear my poppy with pride.
I grudgingly respect the right of people that refuse to wear the poppy, but for the life of me I can't understand why they won't, whilst happily applauding all the virtual signalling, such as taking the knee and wearing rainbow laces, but yet refuse to wear a poppy in remembrance of the men and women that gave their lives, so they have the right to have that choice. |
I have no respect for them. |  | | |
| 11th November on 20:43 - Nov 2 with 1753 views | pencoedjack |
| 11th November on 16:51 - Nov 2 by CountyJim |
I always donate to the British legion but don't wear a Poppy because I believe that there is something of a issue with those that ram it down your throat if you're not seen as supporting or showing your respect
I'll do it my way and respect |
What a ridiculous post.
Where has anyone ‘rammed it down you throat if you are not seen supporting’?
I have sat in a legion full of ex military every Remembrance Sunday for the last 40 odd years & never heard 1 comment from anyone about someone not wearing a poppy. [Post edited 2 Nov 2022 20:47]
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| 11th November on 20:44 - Nov 2 with 1753 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
| 11th November on 10:34 - Nov 2 by Boundy |
I believe the the first to do so was British army chaplain David Railton, who served on the Western Front. his inspiration came in August in 1918 after seeing a wooden cross at Armentières in France, on which was written ‘An Unknown British Soldier of the Black Watch’. |
Prior to the First World War I imagine there’d be a lot less unknown soldiers. The dead would have been identifiable. But in the Great War a lot of the bodies would have been unrecognisable after the carnage of the artillery and shrapnel and fire they were hit by. And so many of them.
Such a needless pointless war. At least in the forties we were fighting a real and genuine evil.
RIP to the lot of them. |  |
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| 11th November on 20:49 - Nov 2 with 1745 views | Dr_Winston |
| 11th November on 20:44 - Nov 2 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Prior to the First World War I imagine there’d be a lot less unknown soldiers. The dead would have been identifiable. But in the Great War a lot of the bodies would have been unrecognisable after the carnage of the artillery and shrapnel and fire they were hit by. And so many of them.
Such a needless pointless war. At least in the forties we were fighting a real and genuine evil.
RIP to the lot of them. |
It's even worse when you consider that WW2 was basically a continuation of the first one. WW1 essentially led to both the rise of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. How many dead in the 20th Century due to an utterly avoidable war? We'd have been better off teaming up with the Germans in 1914 and carving France up between us.
Then again, how much technological advancement as a result. Double edged sword really. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| 11th November on 21:18 - Nov 2 with 1709 views | onehunglow |
| 11th November on 16:51 - Nov 2 by CountyJim |
I always donate to the British legion but don't wear a Poppy because I believe that there is something of a issue with those that ram it down your throat if you're not seen as supporting or showing your respect
I'll do it my way and respect |
Highly offensive garbage
Maybe we should ram it down throats | |
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| 11th November on 15:36 - Nov 3 with 1644 views | Catullus |
| 11th November on 20:44 - Nov 2 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Prior to the First World War I imagine there’d be a lot less unknown soldiers. The dead would have been identifiable. But in the Great War a lot of the bodies would have been unrecognisable after the carnage of the artillery and shrapnel and fire they were hit by. And so many of them.
Such a needless pointless war. At least in the forties we were fighting a real and genuine evil.
RIP to the lot of them. |
Oh I don't know. Bodies used to get pretty churned up by heavy cavalry, by axes and broadswords. The Celts used to love taking heads, hard to identify a headless corpse.
Then they used to hurl burning pitch down at attackers which used to literally stick to people and burn the flesh off down to the bone. | |
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| 11th November on 21:04 - Nov 3 with 1622 views | BryanSwan |
| 11th November on 18:26 - Nov 2 by Catullus |
I'll buy and wear a poppy and happy to do so.
This year, in my opinion, carries a special significance because of those who are losing their lives inUkraine, some of them have been British. Wherever in the world it is and whoever it is that dies fighting against dictators and the evil scumbags that support them, they should be remembered and paid due respect.
It's never about glorifying war, it is always about the selfless sacrifice those brave individuals make. |
When the rich wage war it's the poor who die.
Many young men are sent to fight and die in pointless wars leaving behind their children and families.
I donate to most charities when they are collecting, but couldn't wear a poppy myself. | |
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| 11th November on 21:18 - Nov 3 with 1607 views | Flashberryjack |
| 11th November on 21:04 - Nov 3 by BryanSwan |
When the rich wage war it's the poor who die.
Many young men are sent to fight and die in pointless wars leaving behind their children and families.
I donate to most charities when they are collecting, but couldn't wear a poppy myself. |
Not all wars are pointless, unless you believe we should have left Adolph to get on with it. | |
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| 11th November on 22:44 - Nov 3 with 1575 views | BryanSwan |
| 11th November on 21:18 - Nov 3 by Flashberryjack |
Not all wars are pointless, unless you believe we should have left Adolph to get on with it. |
Maybe i shouldn't have been quite so broad, obviously there will be a tiny amount of circumstances where it is an inevitability and an entirely regrettable one. I would still say that war is a pointless exercise, how many ordinary people are sacrificed for whatever cause on any side of the conflict. None of them ever gain from it.
But on the whole for as long as i can remember all we have done is ship young men to fight for things that mean nothing to them or most of us. | |
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