Respect for the Fallen.

[slow scot]

I think you're right. People generally don't realise just how much effort was put in on the Home Front during WW2 to "keep the home fires burning" - the Land Girls and the Lumberjills were only recently recognised for their efforts in the general scheme of things, which is a bit mad considering that Britain suddenly had to produce more food and timber to make up for the lack of imports.

Then you had the people at the Ministry of Food making sure that everyone was fed and getting their fair share. The WI had a big role there, because much of the country's jam ration was made by the WI locally from donated fruit and then sent nationwide for distribution. Ration jam was made to a specific recipe which was 65% sugar to 35% fruit. You also had the ladies touring the country doing cookery demonstrations - Marguerite Patten spent the wartime years doing the MoF demos and writing leaflets and the like, although she was largely based in London.

And that's not taking into account the fire watchers and the ARP wardens and the people manning barrage balloons and ack-ack guns and the like. Then there's the fire brigade, who probably had one of the hardest and most dangerous domestic jobs during the war.

I actually find that the history of the Home Front is actually more fascinating than the military stuff - though that's interesting too

The best book on what actually happened on the Home Front during WW2 is probably:
“The People’s War” by Angus Calder. Very highly researched, but also readable.

 

[ianrauk]

ack-ack guns

Also the railway workers. My grandfather worked on the railway all his life and during the war manned an ack-ack gun in Crystal Palace.

 

[Beebo]

Also the railway workers. My grandfather worked on the railway all his life and during the war manned an ack-ack gun in Crystal Palace.

To keep the Chelsea fans out of Selhurst Park? 😁

 

[Drago]

My Great Grandad was awarded the Legion of honour for his part in saving civilian lives during the demolition of a bridge that went slightly awry during ww1. I never wear it on my right though, stays safely tucked up at home.

 

[Reynard]

The best book on what actually happened on the Home Front during WW2 is probably:
“The People’s War” by Angus Calder. Very highly researched, but also readable.

That one's on a shelf *somewhere* here chez Casa Reynard.

The BBC's tome "The Wartime Kitchen and Garden" which accompanied an eponymous series offers a really good insight into the Kitchen Front, as do Marguerite Patten's wartime recipe books / booklets - available in a collection as "The Victory Cookbook"

I've made a few of the recipes out of both, and tbh they're not half bad. The mock marmalade made with orange peels and cooking apples is actually very nice. Tastes just like marmalade the day you make it, but it mellows out and sweetens with keeping. I tend to label it as orange & apple jam, as that's what it's really closer to.

 

[Tenkaykev]

We've just been visiting Newcastle and booked into the Holiday Inn at " The Gate " an amazing Art Deco building tha used to be a Co-Op. We tend to use the stairs wherever possible, walking from reception up to our floor we saw this memorial on the wall. So many, from just one store.

 

[Proto]

Took these photos in the German cemetery near the Normandy beaches in 2019. A very sombre and moving place, so powerful. A contrast to the US cemetery nearby which was impressive but somehow lost the gravity and meaning. German soldiers just 18 years old. Heartbreaking.

Wreaths and poppies. Randomly, my son was working at South Devon College at the time I took the photo, so was astonished to see a wreath from the college at a German cemetery. Another amazing coincidence, there was a second wreath along side it, from Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield where my son was born. No idea why either wreath was there. They were very few others, really not many.

 

[Gunk]

British Legions seem to be disappearing at a hell of a rate ....

Very true, I noticed in Bracknell last week the BL club is now empty and up for sale.

 

[PeteXXX]

Took this photo in the German cemetery near the Normandy beaches in 2019. A very sombre and moving place, so powerful. A contrast to the US cemetery nearby which was impressive but somehow lost the gravity and meaning. German soldiers just 18 years old. Heartbreaking.

Wreaths and poppies. Randomly, my son was working at South Devon College at the time. A more amazing coincidence, there was another wreath from Good Hospital Sutton Coldfield where he was born. No no idea why either wreath was there. They were very few others, really not many.

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I've visited the German War Graves Commission Cemetery at Cannock Chase. It's only a short distance from the MTB trails and worth the diversion.

 

[Gunk]

We visited the American Cemetery and Memorial near Maastricht about 7 years ago, a very moving and peaceful place

 

[matticus]

This is rather moving:


View: https://twitter.com/AdrianEdmondson/status/1723077928546660757

 

[geocycle]

I found this story of the unknown soldier quite moving.

https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-story-of-the-unknown-warrior/

 

[bikingdad90]

I’ll be at my local memorial service in the morning as my eldest is representing his cubs section.

He will be there with the fellow scouting uk sections (squirrels, beavers, cubs, scouts, explorers) as well as the girl guiding sections (brownies, rainbow, guides, rangers) and then the army cadets, all in full uniform and with their flags.

It’s a very moving service where the flag bearers place their flags down and observe 2 minutes service after laying wreaths. If we are lucky we’ll be joined by a bugle player.

We haven’t asked him to attend, it’s something he wants to do despite neither of us having a military background or interests.

 

[Beebo]

Very true, I noticed in Bracknell last week the BL club is now empty and up for sale.

It’s not surprising.
My mum’s WI group struggle for new members. My dad’s bowl club will close if they can’t attract new blood.
My local church has recently closed, which threatens my survival of my son Scouts group. (I didn’t attend church)
People simply have other things to do these days. And as the shadow of war fades people will forget. I suspect that most people under 40 don’t have grandparents who were in the war.

 

[Reynard]

My Great Grandad was awarded the Legion of honour for his part in saving civilian lives during the demolition of a bridge that went slightly awry during ww1. I never wear it on my right though, stays safely tucked up at home.

You might like this, then... My Grandad Arthur - Legion d'Honneur, Virtuti Militari, Kryz Waleczny with two bars. Served with Josef Pilsudski's Legions in WW1, with the Polish army in the Polish-Bolshevik war, with the Polish border guards on leaving the army, and then was called up again to serve in WW2. Began his military journey as a rifleman, finished it as a Colonel.