Piddingworth Greg Benton |
|
|
 |
| 'Piddingworth...where St. George's Cross is not yet banned.' --Mark Steyn |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| They shall grow not old as we who 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. |
 |
|
|
|
|
| Some photos and other images courtesy: The Canadian War Museum The Royal Canadian Legion The Royal British Legion Department of Veteran's Affairs (Canada) Department of National Defence (Canada) |
| In Flanders Fields by Colonel John McCrae (animated) |
 |
 |
| Piddingworth honours and reveres the memory of those who serve and have served, fought, and died for Britain, Canada, the Empire and Commonwealth and our friends and allies the United States of America, in war, for the cause of freedom and civilsation. The Act of Remembrance, deeply entrenched in our culture since the Great War, is one of the highest duties of a citizen. Focused as it is on the sacrifice of our servicemen and women for the sake of our precious freedoms and way of life, Remembrance Day transcends politics. Although it breathes the history from which it came, Remembrance itself is not meant to be an occasion for academic or military debate on the merits of this or that conflict or strategy or the advancing of a particular political ideology. There is more than enough time for that outside of this occasion and in classrooms where our young people deserve to know their history. Whatever the underlying causes of the wars, or the well-known mistakes made by politicans and generals, the heroic virtue of those who loyally served and died, and continue to do so, for their homes, Sovereign and Country remains unsullied and worthy of our respect. Through the enormous efforts of the Legion in Britain and Canada, and of Veteran's associations here and abroad, the observance of Remembrance has recovered it's significance following the unfortunate and mocking indifference that was so prevalent in the generation that followed the second world war. With our troops presently engaged in battle, and our wounded and dying returning home, the meaning of Remembrance has become perhaps even more poignant for today. Certainly, as the older generations pass away, it is incumbent upon us to inform, and lead the youth of today towards a deeper understanding of Remembrance and of their responsibilities as citizens toward the observance. I have included some recommendations for schools as well as a sample of a Remembrance Assembly along with a variety of resources to use and I am very glad to know that these have been helpful to many. I welcome your comments; especially from those who have found it helpful in schools. You are invited to send me a note with your comments and/or suggestions. Greg Benton |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| REMEMBRANCE |
| The Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge, 1917 Original Footage from the National Archives of Canada |
| THE SAPPER MIKE MCTEAGUE WOUNDED WARRIOR FUND Helping our wounded soldiers as they return home.... |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Canadian Students Pilgrimage To Vimy, April, 2007 |
| I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY (animated) |
| REMEMBERING... my friend from Hampton.... Private Stephen Philbrick United States Marine Corps Killed In Action, Viet Nam 1969 Hampton Memorial |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
| Hear from the daily commemoration at Ypres, Belgium |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR OF THE ELVENTH DAY OF THE ELEVENTH MONTH At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead. On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919 two minutes' silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the armistice "which stayed the worldwide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom". The two minutes' silence was popularly adopted and it became a central feature of commemorations on Armistice Day. On the second anniversary of the armistice in 1920 the commemoration was given added significance when it became a funeral, with the return of the remains of an unknown warrior from the battlefields of the Western Front. Unknown soldiers were interred with full military honours in Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de Triumph in Paris. The entombment in London attracted over one million people within a week to pay their respects at the unknown soldier's tomb. Most other allied nations adopted the tradition of entombing unknown soldiers over the following decade. After the end of the Second World War, Armistice Day was changed to Remembrance Day. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Trust in the Lord and He will give you the strength & courage to do your Duty... Rose West Leonard |