The Sandbag Times Remembrance Special

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Worcester Memorials Project Worcestershire War Memorials Cycling Project By David Waite Ok, so that is easy. Not so. There are many different types of memorials; plaques, windows, crosses, battlefield crosses and towers – just to name a few. These number many hundreds, however to me and my childhood and adult memories the type I want to visit are those in the hamlets, villages, towns and cities of the County. The ones where we visit and pay our respects on the 11th November each year. So I have managed to reduce the numbers to at least 192. And these are the known memorials! Surprisingly there is no completely accurate record of all memorials, where they are, and what state they are in. The County do not have the resources to monitor and record this. So my idea is still fairly open. So back to the drawing board. So readers, my revised idea, project, aim is to encompass the past, present and future. How? I am going to road cycle to all the 192 free-standing War Memorials in Worcestershire. In May 2018, taking about two to three weeks. I want to do so then as it gives me longer daylight hours to ride, and not to deflect from major commemorations later in the year by the many combatant nations, British Counties and local folk. I am going to photograph the front of each Memorial and send it to the County Archaeology Department and Remember the Fallen. It will be the first proper audit of these. The County will then have a photograph data-base that was attained in a condensed time-scale. Something positive. I look at 2018 as a highly significant moment in both British and world history. In case you need to be reminded, it will be 100 years since the Armistice came into force. When the industrialised slaughter on the Western Front and other theatres ceased. The British nation suffered massive casualties both in terms of dead and those injured. Many injuries were physical, and many more were physiological. As a British Army veteran of twenty two years’ service, an avid road cyclist and pay keen attention to elements of British – especially military history; an idea sprung to mind. It started as all good intentions, just a brief skimming idea to mark the centenary of the Armistice and pay a personal tribute to those that have fallen in the County of Worcestershire. For those reading this article overseas, this is a smallish County situated in the heart of England. My idea? I want to cycle to all the known War Memorials in Worcestershire. And pay my personal gratitude and thanks to all of the fallen. Linked loosely into this, I work as a local volunteer for Help for Heroes, and sufficiently disciplined to pursue objectives even when these look difficult. So, I dived eagerly into this project. I have found a great deal of assistance, and confusion! The huge assistance came in various guises such as the County Archaeology Department, a small organisation called ‘Remember the Fallen’ and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. I will create feasible day cycling routes (initial thoughts are of 60 to 70 miles daily), in logically geographical chunks of the County, that will be published and thus viewed by other cyclists. If they wish, can join me on the pilgrimage. Not only will more fun with others, but by doing so raise the awareness of the Memorials as the last vestige of the link between our land and those who died 100 years ago. I have been offered practical support from a local bike shop and by The Tommy Atkins Centre in Worcester. I am going to get a loan of a second bike (in the event of a catastrophic failure on mine) and vehicle and driver support. The Tommy Atkins Centre is new and deals with ex-servicemen and veterans who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Readers are aware of this as they may receive the Sandbag Times. The Centre are going to open up a Just Giving page, and do a daily blog. A bit difficult to do on a bike! As the Centre is so new, we estimate that it cost about £5,000 to run annually, the cost of Remember the Fallen about £1,000 for two years. So our target (it is a team effort) is to raise at least £6,000. Is that reasonable to you? Nearer the time, I am sure you will hear more of this project, please tell everyone, and please feedback to The Tommy Atkins Centre. To me, this links the past servicemen, women and nurses to those of today who are suffering to. Sponsored by THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE | 8 www.sandbagtimes.co.uk
The Historical Tommy Atkins Written By Peter Macey Veterans – History in the Making Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian doctor, who was serving in Ypres in the Spring of 1915 when a close friend was killed. As the doctor looked out across the battlefields, scarred by mud, disused trenches and barbed wire, he noticed flowers, bright red petals fluttering in the breeze. Despite the fighting that was happening on those same fields on a daily basis and the increase in injured and dead on both sides, he realised that life still went on. John McCrae still suffering the early stages of grief for his close friend was inspired by the sight of the red flowers, in stark contrast to the horrors of war, to write a poem in memory of his friend. In Flanders’ Field In Flanders' fields 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. During the First World War much of the fighting took place in Western Europe on what became known as the Western Front stretching across France and Belgium. What had previously been a beautiful landscape was dug up, blown up, bombed and fought over for months and years. The same land that had been farmed and cared for, for hundreds of years before now became fields of mud, barren and unwanted where very little grew. The wild poppies at Flanders had always grown in the area, and still do today. With thin stems and almost silk like petals forming the crown of the flower they appear so delicate, but in reality are both hardy and resilient and grow in their thousands in whatever terrain they find themselves in. And they flourished in the battlefields at Flanders despite the chaos that was going on around them. Moina Belle Michael, an American Professor and Humanitarian was visiting Germany in 1914 when war broke out and fled to Rome in order to take safe passage back to America. But prior to leaving she also assisted 12,000 other American tourists to return to the United States. The US entered the war in April 1917. After the war Prof Michael vowed to always wear a poppy as a mark of remembrance for those who died in the war having been inspired by McCrae’s poem. Later she taught groups of injured servicemen and realised that whilst the Government of the Country appeared to care little for veterans, she did and came up with the idea of making silk poppies to raise money for the veterans in need. The idea was adopted by French national Anna Guérin who brought the idea over to England. The Royal British Legion was formed in 1921 and ordered 9 million poppies with the intention of selling them to support injured veterans across Britain. The poppies sold out almost immediately and the first ever 'Poppy Appeal' raised over £106,000 for the RBL. These funds were used to support the work of the RBL in helping veterans with employment and housing. The following year a Poppy Factory was set up to employ disabled exServicemen in the production of poppies to be sold to support veterans. The demand for poppies was so great that few were getting north of the border into Scotland so the Earl Haig's wife established the Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh in 1926 to produce poppies exclusively for Scotland. Over 5 million Scottish poppies which have four petals and no leaf unlike poppies in the rest of the UK are still made by hand by disabled exServicemen at Lady Haig's Poppy Factory each year and distributed by the RBL sistercharity PoppyScotland. When Moina Michael first saw the poem written on the battlefields by the Canadian Doctor she was inspired to write her own version. Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields, Sleep sweet to rise anew! We caught the torch you threw And holding high, we keep the Faith With All who died. We cherish, too, the poppy red That grows on fields where valor led; It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies, But lends a lustre to the red Of the flower that blooms above the dead In Flanders Fields. And now the Torch and Poppy Red We wear in honor of our dead. Fear not that ye have died for naught; We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought In Flanders Fields. Dr John McCrae died of pneumonia whilst still stationed in France before the end of the war. They shall grow not old, as we that 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. www.sandbagtimes.co.uk 9 |
Page 1: The Veterans’ Magazine Issue 37 |
Page 4 and 5: NEWS THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE SBT N
Page 6: SBT News Special For The Fallen - M
Page 11 and 12: Remembering The Royal Navy Bell pla
Page 13 and 14: THE TOMMY ATKINS TRUST The Tommy At
Page 15 and 16: REMEMBRING THE ROYAL AIR FORCE bomb
Page 17 and 18: poshoriginalart.co.uk
Page 19 and 20: HAVE FAITH Be Bold, Be Strong... So
Page 21 and 22: TO ORDER PLEASE CALL: 01226 734222
Page 23 and 24: Veterans Breakfast Clubs GLOUCESTER
Page 25 and 26: Veterans Breakfast Clubs BARKERS BR
Page 27 and 28: SPONSORED BY: SPONSORED BY: Informa
Page 29 and 30: ...For your tomorrow, we gave our t
Page 31 and 32: Poetry Corner Win This Fantastic Ti

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