The Commonwealth War Graves Commision website

Thanks SG. - Remembering those who are buried (1940) in Le Parade in France so far from home, RIP.

Someone's worked hard there. It's nice that these places are looked after

I love the work that the CWGC do, their cemetries are wonderful, peaceful,tranquil places and I have visited quite a few. Have you ever been to the Menin gate Scot.? they have a ceremony there every evening at 8pm and play the last post, it makes you tingle, its amazing. I lost an uncle in Japan and the CWGC found the memorial to him, sent me photos and even apologised to me because he does not have his own grave. I was so touched.Their work is to be commended. 'We will remember them'. x

We will remember them x

Remember them too.

Thanks for that link, Scotsgran, a tremendous lot of work has been done in so many places. Rather a coincidence that I have just mentioned an American airman who died in 1944 when his plane came down just outside our village (in response to my Shoofly photo). Perhaps it's not such a coincidence - I think many people's thoughts turn to the heroes who gave their lives for us at this time of year.

Grandmage I have never been there for the 8pm ceremony which happens every evening and has been kept up by the local people since WW1. I did see a programme about it on TV many years ago and the occasion was so powerful I do feel as if I was there. Both my OH and I had fathers who returned as war pensioners from WW2 and they were both diligent in instilling in us that we owed a great debt to those who did not return. Both were able to work but both died in their 50's because of what they had suffered. My OH and I attended a ceremony in the Scottish Parliament where he was one of the merchant seamen presented with medals for work done by the MN in WW2. Some of them had a horrendous time but a cheerier group would have been hard to find.
Gee I will look at your mention of the American.

Scot. as Gee said, it is this time of year that we remember our heroes and I hope you dont mind but I too was going to write a blog on a similar vein, I am not copying you. Lovely story about the ceremony you attended and yes it is incredible how happy these folk are.

The more we remember the better Grandmage. I'm sure there may be others who want to write blogs too. I'm pleased to see that we do remember them.

Thank you x

I'll remember them with respect. If my Dad hadn't came back from the war, I wouldn't be here!

I know a lot of small groups and individuals are working now to get the stories of the men in their area lost in the First World War ready for 2014 - the centenary of the start of the conflict

Same here Sheilar. My Dad was a desert rat in the 8th army and lived because his friend shielded him from enemy fire .His friend died and my Dad lived.So , yes we do remember them.

My Dad was in the Durham Light Infantry, lied about his age (he was 17 and said he was 18) and was a volunteer. He served four years abroad but didn't return to England until around 1948 (where had he been until then? - he was reluctant to talk about it). My brother did some researching after my Dad's death in 2004 and found he had been in some sort of special unit abroad. He had medals, but was a very modest man and as I said earlier, was reluctant to talk about it in detail. When my Mam and Dad were first married (1950) Mam said he used to scream out in the middle of the night and she had to calm him down until he realised it was just nightmares. What had he seen and what had he been through?, bearing in mind all this was happening to him at only 18 years of age.

I will always have immense respect for anyone who has served in any conflict, whether it was in the past, or indeed, in the present time.