Two Minutes – It's not enough

He used to play the organ in his local village church and had been having his own little Armistice Day service at his piano when I arrived. He played me a tune called Voluntary to Armistice Day which reduced me to floods of tears, it was an incredibly beautiful and moving piece of music. When I asked him where it had come from he explained that he had composed it himself. I asked how you went about composing something like that and his answer was simple but made perfect sense…….he said “you write what you feel”.

That’s a little piece of magic.

I visited my 89 year old grandfather today and took him a poppy as he had been unable to get out and buy one himself. He was in the Army during WW2 and served overseas in India.

He used to play the organ in his local village church and had been having his own little Armistice Day service at his piano when I arrived. He played me a tune called Voluntary to Armistice Day which reduced me to floods of tears, it was an incredibly beautiful and moving piece of music. When I asked him where it had come from he explained that he had composed it himself. I asked how you went about composing something like that and his answer was simple but made perfect sense…….he said “you write what you feel”.

Apparently it is too much effort here to ring the fire alarms – it was suggested…..

Which seems strange to me considering that they test the fire alarm every friday morning.

I was on a training course with work and at 11 the fire alarm sounded briefly.
All stopped and fell silent for the two minutes until the alarm sounded briefly once again and the course resumed.
I always find it a moving time.
It makes me humble that I was lucky enough to know my granfather who served whilst others my age have not been so lucky.
Thank you to all servicemen and women whatever nationality that paid the ultimate price.

We had an email from our HR director yesterday, telling us the two minutes silence would be announced, “to commemorate those who died and those who are serving today”. As I’m ‘working from home’ today I have no idea how well observed the silence was in the office, but given the experience of previous years I would imagine it’s been quite well respected.

Meanwhile, in the outside world (well, in St Ives at least), the sun shone on a cold but crisp November morning. The traffic stopped, pedestrians stopped, most of the shops on the High Street had signs in the windows pre-advising people that the two minutes silence would be observed. Representatives were present from the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Forces Association, RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire Police, and various others. The appointed hour came, the Last Post was sounded, and silence descended upon this little market town.

Veterans stood with heads bowed.

The occasional handkerchief dabbed at an eye.

Birds sang as they circled overhead.

The bugler sounded the retreat and the standard bearers lifted their standards. Slowly the town centre came back to life, but as I walked back towards my car, people seemed to hold doors open for older members of the public, seemed to be slightly more respectful and reverential than they might have been ten minutes before. Or maybe I just imagined that bit?

I do know that I overheard one old lady say to another as the crowd dispersed – “It seems like there’s almost as many turn up on the eleventh now, as turn up on the Sunday…”. Maybe, in this little corner of rural Cambridgeshire, we’re becoming a bit more respectful? I do hope so…

I know most of us on here think about that sacrifice for a lot more than two minutes a year. EN830 with the work he does in Jersey, Snapper and the selfless way he gave us the opportunity to remember Johnny, Babe and Francois, and the countless others who each in their own way are trying to give just a little something back.

Last night I was re-reading my notes and cross-checking with the 37 Squadron ORB and it suddenly struck me, harder than ever before. I was reading about a particularly hard period for the Squadron and the losses incurred. Reading lists of casualties and the almost clinical way in which the ORB recorded these incidents. I realised they were no longer just names, they were much more. The archive of reminiscences I have access to gave these names form, character, identity.

My turn to say thank you publicly comes next April when the Squadron history is launched. I wrote to one of the Veterans recently asking if he would consider signing books with me at the launch. His answer? “I would be honoured to sit alongside you.” Here I am, the most dangerous and selfless act I have ever done in my life is fetching someone’s shopping for them, and this man, who will be 89 considers it an honour to sit next to me?

No, they will NEVER be forgotten, we have to make sure of that.

And the Veteran’s name…… Wing Commander Ken wallis.

Regards,

kev35

Poppy Day..Week…Month…Year – We Remember!

New member speaking for the first time on a serious note, close to my heart.

The amount of ‘Poppies’ sold each year never ceases to gladden my heart.
People do stop in supermarkets or in bars to buy them. The minute it takes to do this in all of our very busy lives are to my mind tributes in themselves.

Official minutes silences are important and must never stop, but people remember, I’m sure of it…

Well I have to hand it the company I work for, an email went around this morning with a meeting reminder attached, this flashed up on our PC screens at 10.59 and at 11;00 am the phones fell silent as did the office. Very commendable.

Unbelievably, there’s a phone-in on the radio discussing the idea put forward by someone official (didn’t catch who) suggesting that after next year’s 60th anniversary of the end of WW2, that we will have done “enough” remembering and we should switch our focus to perhaps using the occasion to remember those in the civil service who have died in the course of duty – e.g. firemen, police officers etc. They of course deserve remembering, probably at a greater level than they currently are, but to suggest we have ever done “ENOUGH” remembering with regards to our service dead fills me with disgust. Just another example of the PC/woolly liberals/moral “do-gooders” atempting to ensure we water down anything remotely worth caring about or believing in. Perhaps this same individual would like to personally write to the surving family members and comrades of these deceased WW1 & 2 veterans and tell them we’ve finished with their sacrifice, on your way, nothing to see here? 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡

We have a moral-bound obligation to remember these people. No earthly force or government can release us from it by saying “enough”.

“They 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”

Skypilot
While I tend agree with you that things like this are very irritating always try to remember ‘quiet news day’. It makes good copy to stir up the great unwashed, brings in viewing/listening figures, sells copy whatever.

Don’t rise to it. Even better don’t buy any of the comics these reptiles write in (or listen to their rubbish radio). I don’t.
Sorry to hijack a very serious thread but time and again just lately we’re all getting hot and bothered over newshound trash.
Cheers
Andy

I am just thinking how lucky they are to be able to have the chance to be oblivious to the two minutes silence after all if it was not for the men and women who gave everything that moment would not exist now,We must never forget EVER.

Unbelievably, there’s a phone-in on the radio discussing the idea put forward by someone official (didn’t catch who) suggesting that after next year’s 60th anniversary of the end of WW2, that we will have done “enough” remembering and we should switch our focus to perhaps using the occasion to remember those in the civil service who have died in the course of duty – e.g. firemen, police officers etc. They of course deserve remembering, probably at a greater level than they currently are, but to suggest we have ever done “ENOUGH” remembering with regards to our service dead fills me with disgust. Just another example of the PC/woolly liberals/moral “do-gooders” atempting to ensure we water down anything remotely worth caring about or believing in. Perhaps this same individual would like to personally write to the surving family members and comrades of these deceased WW1 & 2 veterans and tell them we’ve finished with their sacrifice, on your way, nothing to see here? 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡 😡

We have a moral-bound obligation to remember these people. No earthly force or government can release us from it by saying “enough”.

“They 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”

I find that I need to remove myself from the office, to go and have a private moment of quiet somewhere else.

Comments floating around over the last few minutes (“Oh, we forgot about 11:00…”) have confirmed my suspicion that the vast majority of people here carried on working and talking, completely oblivious of the moment…….. 🙁 :confused:

I am just thinking how lucky they are to be able to have the chance to be oblivious to the two minutes silence after all if it was not for the men and women who gave everything that moment would not exist now,We must never forget EVER.

I find that I need to remove myself from the office, to go and have a private moment of quiet somewhere else.

Comments floating around over the last few minutes (“Oh, we forgot about 11:00…”) have confirmed my suspicion that the vast majority of people here carried on working and talking, completely oblivious of the moment…….. 🙁 :confused:

As a Flt Sgt in the CCF i have just returned from our service at the war memorial in school. I felt honoured to be in the presence of those who have helped me enjoy the life i have now. As i walked back to school, two veterans were walking the other way, i halted and snapped a salute. As they returned it, i felt like such a phoney, but i am proud just to be able to stand next to them.
In Proud Remembrance,
BARNOWL

I always find the 2 minute silence very moving, and this year was no different from that aspect.

However reading books on the subject, talking to veterans and people that lived during those times, it is sometimes hard to really appreciate what it must have really been like, because they tell you ‘ oh that was how it was back then, you did what you had to’.

I often wonder whether we would have that same reserve as they did all those years ago, but then I remind myself that you cannot really compare the two as times are vastly different.

My thoughts and my gratitude are with those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and for those that survived. My thoughts are also with those who fought and died in more recent conflicts, the image of the wooden cross for the Black watch soldiers brought a tear to my eye.

In conclusion, how can two mintues silence be enough to say Thank You? That’s why when given the opportunity I will always say Thank You to the people that I meet, and that I am lucky enough to work with.

I feel very emotional going into work for the late shift today as I wonder if the Remembrance Service on the TV was put on..I hope so…I’m glad though that today I can talk and say Thank You to 30 people who made their contribution to the Second World war in their individual ways.

My thoughts are with you..
Sincerely
Snaps

I did have to speak sharply to a colleague who asked me a question mid way through.

They didn’t even sound the fire alarm here at 11am to signal the start of it – probably worried about the loss of productivity. Rsoles.

JC