The Eleventh Day

The Eleventh hour of the Eleventh day of the Eleventh month.  Armistice  Day, Remembrance Sunday.  We honour our fallen.  Not only the thousands that fell in the slaughter of World Wars One and Two but the thousands that have fallen in the many conflicts since then and those who continue to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their Country.

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is a music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted:
They fell with their faces to the foe.

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.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars thatshall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.

Laurence Binyon

There are scarcely any survivors from the First World War now and those who came through the second World War are themselves old men. Maybe there are those, especially among the younger generation, who wonder why we should remember, why we should continue to wear our Poppies, continue to hold services of remembrance -  maybe they think it is time it was all consigned to history.

Here are two examples, chosen by me at random from the BBC news website, that give us a reminder that even now we do not live in a peaceful world.  Troops are fighting at this very minute, some will not come home.

Leading Aircraftsman Beard,  aged 20, was taking part in a routine foot patrol in the Al Waki district north of the British base at Basra air station.

He sustained a gunshot wound when the patrol came under attack as it moved through Al Waki market, and was evacuated by helicopter to the field hospital where he died. 

LAC Beard, of Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, leaves a family and a fiancee.

His commanding officer Squadron Leader Jason Sutton, said: "Strong, fit and an exceptionally gifted infantryman, he had such a bright future and had already set his sights on selection for special forces.  

"I have no doubt whatsoever he would have succeeded in that as he did in all else.

"He was due to marry upon his return from Iraq and we all feel so deeply for his fiancee, Nic."

Defence Secretary Des Browne expressed his condolences to LAC Beard's family, friends and colleagues.

Corporal John Rigby, of the 4th Battalion The Rifles, from Rye in East Sussex, died from injuries sustained in a bomb blast. He died on his 24th Birthday. 

The blast hit a British forcespatrol, which was returning to base in Basra in a Bulldog vehicle, the MoD said.

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Sanders, Cpl Rigby's Commanding Officer said his battalion was "utterly heartbroken".

He said: "The death of any soldier is a tragedy and in death all are equal, but there are some whose loss is particularly hard to bear.

"The force of their personality, their personal and professional qualities and the love, respect and popularity they inspire set them apart. Corporal John Rigby was such a man.

"We are utterly heartbroken. But we are also unbowed, tough and determined: John would have it no other way."

Cpl Rigby's family issued a statement, in which they revealed his twin brother was at his side when he died.

"John was a cherished and devoted son and brother; a talented hardworking and successful soldier, popular with his peers and across all ranks alike."

"He was due to be promoted to Sergeant in September and had a very bright future ahead of him which included plans to undertake higher education."

His body was accompanied back to England by his twin brother William who is also serving in Iraq with the Rifles, and who was with him at his bedside at Basra military hospital when he died.

So we must always remember and honour our fallen and all those who have been left forever damaged in body and mind serving their country and all those families down through the years who have been bereaved and those still being bereaved.  God bless them all.  We can only pray that one day the world will know peace.

For our American friends it is Veterans Day. I would like to honour  all their troops as well and the sacrifices they made and continue to make. 

Today is a solemn day of reflection, a day to honour our war dead.  It is also a day to give thanks, thanks to them for fighting for freedom and democracy and for laying down their lives for all of us.

When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.