Category: Remembrance

When will we learn?

Please read the whole of this post as it is a reminder that in these strange times we need to support the work of the Royal British Legion. Poppy sales in some venues will possibly be limited due to social distancing.

 

POPPIES

Why are they selling poppies, mother? Selling poppies in town today?

The Poppy, my child, is the flower of love for the men, who marched away.

Why did they choose a poppy, mother? Why not a beautiful rose?

Because, my child, men fought and died in the fields, where the poppy grows.

But why is the poppy so red?

Red is the colour of blood, my child, the blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black mother. Why does it have to be black?

Black is the symbol of grief, my child, for the men, who never came back.

But why, mother dear, are you crying so? Your tears are like winter rain.

My tears are my fears for you, my child, for the world is forgetting again.

 

The Somme, Dunkirk, Malaya, Northern Ireland, The Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan . . . . .

Wherever the conflict is, our service men and women and their families, deserve our support via the Royal British Legion Poppy Collecting Tins?

 

 

 

Remembrance Service arrangements 2020

Please pass this information to anyone who would normally attend our annual Remembrance event.

The Friends deeply regret that in these strange times we are not able to hold our usual Remembrance event as we often have in excess of 100 attendees, which under Covid restrictions would not be allowed.

An alternative arrangement has been agreed, details of which are listed below.

 

All Brandwood End cemetery gates will remain closed to the public till 11.30am, to allow for a service and the private laying of wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice.  All the usual organisations will be invited. The cemetery gates will then be open to the public from 11.30am (after the service) till-5pm, for anyone wishing to visit family graves or pay their respects at the Cross of Sacrifice.

These arrangements follow discussions with Bereavement Service staff and we agreed on a compromise.  We need to protect the public but also acknowledge the importance of the day.

Can we thank you for your understanding and trust that you will all return in 2021, when we hope things will have returned to some normality.

 

Battle of Britain Memorial Day

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

Winston Churchill

 

Battle of Britain Day is one of the important memorial days that is observed in Great Britain annually on September 15, since it was the day in 1940 when the Luftwaffe embarked on their longest bombing attack against Britain.

 

This event forced the entire Royal Air Force to be engaged in the battle in defence of London and the South East. This resulted in a decisive victory for Britain and marked a turning point in the course of the war.

 

Remembering VJ Day

The 75th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan) will be recognised on 15 August 2020 commemorating the final end of the Second World War.

This anniversary is rarely ‘celebrated’ publicly as widely as VE Day but it was, never the less, just as important for many reasons.

If you would like to know more about what is planned, then follow this link.

https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/vjday/

On August 6th, at 8.15 a.m. Japanese time, the United States dropped the atomic bomb ‘little boy’ on Hiroshima and on August 9th at 11.02 a.m., dropped the bomb ‘fat man’ on Nagasaki. This resulted in the Japanese formally surrendering to the Allies on August 15th.

This was made official on September 2nd 1945 with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

 

Remembering Dunkirk.

Between the 26th of May and the 4th of June 1940 over 300,000 British and allied troops were evacuated through the combined efforts of the Royal Navy and 700 ‘Little Ships’. The evacuation was ultimately a success rescuing a far greater number than the 45,000 expected. In excess of 330,000 troops made it home.

Please follow this link to the Royal British Legion site for an insight to the events from those involved.

 

Funerals still happening at Brandwood End

Staff were on duty at the gate of the cemetery today as they prepared for the arrival of a funeral hearse. They still have had no instructions relating to public access or allowing limited access for loved ones to visit graves. Please remember that ground staff do not make the decisions and they must abide by instructions from their superiors.

One plus of an ’empty cemetery’ is that staff have been able to get lots of work done so we are looking forward to the day we will be able to enter….using safe distancing of course!  Keep safe.

Polish War Graves remembered

Just prior to Remembrance Sunday, the Friends placed Polish flags on 2 adjacent War Graves in Brandwood End. We were especially pleased to tell members that the flags had come all the way from Poland , brought back for us by a Polish National.

You can imagine how heartened we were when we visited those graves earlier this week and found that both now had ribbons encircling them.

We would love to get in touch with the Polish community and those involved in this act of Remembrance. If anyone knows who we can contact, please can you e mail us on friendsofbec@gmail.com

Dry and sunny for 2019 Remembrance Event

Today’s Remembrance event was very well attended. Representatives of West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service, Local Councillors, The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB), the Catholic Women’s League, FBEC and members of the local Beaver Pack all laid Wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice.

Deacon David Fairbotham gave a short thought provoking Service of Remembrance and the Wreath Laying was preceded by a Bugler and 2 minutes silence.

 

Everyone then processed down the main Drive to the WW1 Memorial, where further wreaths were laid.

Our thanks to everyone that attended this event. We have collected a few photographs via this link should you wish to see more.