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The One Show's Lucy Siegle has been exploring the issues surrounding modern day symbols, such as the poppy, and the controversy that can lie behind them.
In the build up to Remembrance day (11th November), the poppy is a prevalent symbol. Worn by many, lain as wreaths by plaques and memorials, its associations are well known.
But what does the poppy mean to you?
For many the poppy signifies commemoration and remembrance for those lost in World War One. It was immortalised in John Mcrae's words:
"In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses - row on row".
But for some the red poppy symbol holds negative connotations - of support for the act of war, that they would rather not be associated with. Some pacifists have adopted the white poppy which honours the fallen soldiers without, in their view, condoning war.
The Royal British Legion told us: "You can wear a white poppy or a purple one or even a black one. A red poppy is not about glorifying war, it's simply a recognition of human sacrifice... The Royal British Legion and Poppy Appeal is totally neutral on war and
totally pro the armed forces community".
The One Show wants to know why you do, or do not, wear a poppy.
What do you feel when you pin a poppy to your chest? Is it something we should all wear? Is it a outdated symbol? Does it represent a pro-war stance? What does the poppy mean to you?
See also: BBC Remembrance website - bbc.co.uk/remembrance/
The best comments may be mentioned on The One Show, so please add your first name and location to your comment if you'd like to be mentioned on the programme.
Comments
I am 61 years old and have NEVER| worn a poppy for the 11th November.
As I was born after the two World Wars nobody who fought in those wars fought for me.
Nobody who has fought in any wars since 1947 has fought for me as I have never asked them to, and most of the wars the British forces have been involved in have in fact been interfering in countries that have nothing to do with me.
The sooner remembrance day is forgotten about the better.
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I wear a poppy in memory of my dad who died in 1977 as a result of the second world war. He was a prisoner in a Japanese war camp which left him a changed man. I would dearly loved to have known the man he might have been.
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My poppy means to me,rememberance of my Uncle "Harry" who died in the first world war,Thanks that my Grandfather got through the first world war with the Belgian Croise de Guerre that he" found in a corned beef tin" thanks for my Dad getting through the Battle of the Atlantic, Thanks that I am alive after the Falklands and the Gulf1991 war,and thanks for the HELP that the Royal British Legion have given me in my recent depression,along with combat stress,
Unlike the previous lady war has affected me,and did she vote for a Government at any time,who represents her (or at least they are suposed to)because if at anytime she has then Yes she had asked the lads to do it for her.
Your Aye Rog
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I'm Richard from Buckinghamshire and
I'd like my blog read out on the one show thanks you.
In my veiw the poppy symbolises the fallen soldiers and in no way does the red poppy symbolise any kind of act of war.
The flanders poppy (the red poppy) was used because they grow in ground that has been disturbed and therefore they grow on battle fields and also on the marked and unmarked graves of fallen soldiers, and for this reason the red poppy became the national symbol of rememberance and respect for fallen soldiers and it should not be changed in any way as there is no need.
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I believe the poppy means a lot. We need a time to remember the people who so bravely and tragically gave their lives away to prevent the progression of empires of hatred. We get involved because if we didn't the world would dwell with mishap and evil.
To me each part of the poppy means a different thing:
The red leaf signifies the blood that was spilled by the brave ones who fought side by side.
The black center signifies the evil powers which have been halted.
The stem represents life - the lives that have been spared
the leaf represents the greener hills which it helped create
Yes there will always be wars and death and bravery. There will always be a viscious and painful side to war but surely we should remember all those who faught with great pride that they faught to save our hearts and minds and movement and words that so easily could have been take away.
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My last post was by Joel Calder, London
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Ref your item about the swastika.
Check the 1914-18 war memorial a few yards from the main entrance to Balmoral Castle. You will find ...... a swastika!
I was amazed until I discovered the original meaning of the symbol.
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Last year, I was at the poppy parade with my husband. I go nearly every year since my son started the army cadets in our town. It is a sad event by any means. Although people don't really know how sad and painful it is to remember our fallen soldiers unless it actually affects them, they attend out of respect of the men and women who have fought for us and our country.
I was there last year, knowing my son was going to Afghanistan this year. I tried to contain my feelings at the parade but could'nt. I was heartbroken as I was standing there. I was dreading him going, and grieving for my son even before he actually got there.
Luckily he came back unscathed and safe. Others were'nt so lucky, my heart goes out to the soldiers and their families. They deserve the parades, and the best treatments,ect, our country should be giving them out of respect of what they do for us and have done for us, and will carry on doing for us. I wear my poppy with pride, would wear it all the time if need be.
I still have my son, and one on the way, i will teach my new child about rememberance sunday, and what our soldiers, men and women alike went and go through for us. Donna, Bolton. Love your show.
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in reply to rhw666.
You have the life you now lead because of the soldiers who gave thier lives in the world wars.
I have lots of choice words i could say to you, being of the short tempered nature, but I won't. How ungratefukl you are, Enjoy the benefits of the world you live in. The freedom you have, the choices you have, everything that you have because if we had lost these wars, where would you be now.
Whinging about it, no doubt. Don, Bolton
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I do not wear a poppy for 3 key reasons. My parents lived through the war and my mother has hated it and wants not to be reminded of it, the forces are extremely sexist (amongst other things) and I have experienced a lot of sexist discrimination in my life, so I don't want to support those organisations and more recently I do not accept our involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq (and have never done so). I do not count our forces there as heroes but people who are doing a job that they have freely chosen (they are not conscripts) and as a result many local inhabitants have died. Those people deserve the medals.
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I have never worn a red poppy but I wear my white peace poppy with pride. I found it quite by accident in a local organic farm shop. Perhaps more people would choose the white poppy if it were sold alongside the red in mainstream society. It's not just veggie munching middle class intellectuals who need peace – it seems to me that we all do! War is a very sad affair. More focus on peace in our society would not hurt one bit! It could only help.
Roz Ffitch, Isle of Wight
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I was born on remembrance Sunday 1946, lost an uncle in the first world war, but my reason for being proud to wear a poppy is to show support for the people who are still out there trying to make this world a safer place to live.
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I wear a poppy every year. The UK could have been very different if our servicemen and women and civilian staff hadn't fought during WWI and WWII. What they did changed how I live my life. Things could be better, but now it'dwon to me to impact on what happens in the world.
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My 3 year old son and I, wear a poppy each. I am proud to wear mine and i think we must never forget those who lost their lives to allow us to live the way we do. My son know that the poppy means 'soldiers marching in heaven'. I want my son to understand that he must also be proud to wear his.
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The red poppy represents one word . FREEDOM !
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The poppy does not symbolise militarism to me, but grief. My father's favourite brother was killed near Ypres in 1917 (I still have the telegram). My grandfather, a country vet, who was intensely patriotic, had tried to join up himself and encouraged both his older sons to do so. When the news came, he was so desperate that he neglected his health, went on his rounds on horseback in the rain with no coat on, and died of pneumonia at 53,only three months later, crying out the dead son's name in his fever. My aunt's room became a shrine to her brother, decorated with sepia photographs of him in uniform, with poppies round the frames. I grew up under the shadow of that war, in which my mother had nursed in France. She had seen at first hand the mortal wreckage of the Somme. Poppies in our household did nothing to glorify war; quite the reverse. They were a reminder of the horror of it.
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I wear a Poppy in remembrance of my father who died in the RAF in 1945 at age 29.
I was one year old and never had the privilege of growing up with a father in my life. I was not alone as many kids of my age were in the same situation . Both my grandfathers served in WW1 and survived to return, but one took his own life a few years later, probably because of what he had been through.
The Poppy does not glorify war, it symbolises the sacrifice and suffering of those who answered the call of their country, willingly or otherwise. The bitter person who refuses to wear a poppy deserves our sympathy. Had it not been for the men and women who were prepared to put their lives on the line in both wars and are still doing so today, none of us would have the freedoms that we have. Sadly there are those who would deny us the right to live our lives in that freedom even today, and for that reason our service men and women still need to be out there to protect what so many of us take for granted. I pray to God that one day all wars will cease, but I don't see it in my lifetime.
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Poppies – November 11
Poppies worn in buttonholes,
one for every soldier’s tale that’s told.
Poppy weeps, Poppy cries
for father, brother, a long last child.
Poppies grown in foreign fields
returned with interest here to steal
our children’s open hearts and minds,
walking time bombs cocked and primed.
Poppies here, poppies there,
Blood red they lie, everywhere.
A soldier writes, ‘Bye Mum,
just popping out’,
sent home in wood, mother howls.
The good and the great issue forth,
‘Pop over there, we’ve got a war’,
Poppies dead or forever scarred,
Plastic and paper pinned to our hearts.
At gravesides and in tombs,
in memorials and silent rooms,
Poppies once fresh, now lie forlorn,
crushed by poppycock sold as truth.
But if memory serves us well and true,
their spirit speaks to me and you,
and each and every year
they are reborn, afresh, anew.
Mr Les Grice
Burton on Trent
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I am 68, my father was killed at Dunkirk WW2 3 months before I was born, in researching my family history I discovered that HIS father, my grandfather, was killed at Ypres WW1. Although I never knew either of them their sacrifice has had a significant effect on my life. I wear my poppy with pride and also arrange each year for 2 crosses to be planted in the Field of Rememberance at Westminster Abbey.
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the british legion use professional advertising bodies to create maximum salesof Poppies. They flood members on public display with early poppies - i.e. all media on T.V. - members of parliament etc. for maximum publicity. Remembrance dayis not Poppy day. the sale of poppies gives the legion (twenty five million pounds a year) Their annual income is now
in excess of fifty million pounds. From the sale of poppies not one penny goes to the other WW2 associations- the Royal Navy, The Royal Air Force-and the many other WW2 bodies.The Legion floods the papers
to give the impression that they are the only body of ex-service-men. They are not.
The RAF Association are desperately short of money, so are many other ww2 bodies.
Stop giving them free cover on the bbc unless they agree to share the poppy sales
with other ww2 asociations. November 11 is being used unfairly to boost BR. Legion
coffers.
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In direct contrast to rhw666's quite frankly shocking and insulting comments, I wear a poppy every year. My great great uncle, Arthur Stennett-Johnson fought in the Great War for this country with the Royal Horse Artillery as a Gunner. He thankfully survived the war and went on to live to a happy, fulfilling post war life.
I wear my poppy in memory of his fallen comrades, and for all the other soldiers who so gallantly gave of themselves for this country's freedom. Those individuals who fail to recognise or appreciate this should keep their opinions to themselves.
I must add I am significantly younger than rhw666 at 37 years old.
David (Andover)
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The red poppy is a deeply emotional symbol. Unfortunately the red poppy and Rememberance Day is heavily militarised and thousands of people no longer want it to be this way. The Peace Pledge Union started in 1927 for all people's who abhore war and wish to prevent it and since that date they have produced the white poppy. The woman on your programme tonight who said that the white poppy is not popular and she said nothing more, clearly was lacking the depth of knowledge about the white poppies 'history and peace movement issues of the 20th and 21st history. e.g. 20,000 Quakers will wear their white poppies in Britian alone in the week of Remembrance Day you will find the white poppy for sale in churches ,schools and all groups who abhore war and the military way that Remberance ceremonies are carried out at the Cenotaph. I would suggest that The One Show gets in touch immediately with The Peace Pledge Union to read the vast amount of pamphlets cards etc which are requested and sent out each year including of course the white poppies. From Shirley Heathcote (Marple Quaker)
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The Poppy Appeal must move with the times to appeal to a younger generation of donors. We must remember those who gave their lives, but I feel Poppies should very much represent those who have been terribly injured too. Many injured require much special care! This is what The Poppy Appeal should focus their fundraising on. Many people are missing the point. Yes, remember the dead but we need to look after the living injured.
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By wearing a poppy, I am showing respect to those who have died for our freedoms, solidarity with those currently fighting for them, and respect for all people involved in wars on our behalf, whether the reasons for sending them there are right or wrong.
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My parents came from Derry. My father served in WW2. My husbands family also served and came from Fulham. For the first time we travelled to Ypres last year for Armistice Day. It was immensley humbling. The parade emcompassed many nationalities Sikhs,Canadians,Scots,Irish,English,Welsh,
French,Belgium and many more. All these units had a history of serving in WW1. I understand that although the concept of the poppy was born in Flanders an American lady decided that it was a fitting tribute, possibly she had served herself, she made the flowers and sold them to her friends. And so the poppy as an act of rememberance was born. That is the story as I understand it.
I saw the places that these young men died,.I visited the museum in Ypres but mostly when you see the trenches and the medical stations it breaks your heart. The scale and horror of this conflict was horrendous. If wearing a poppy on one day of the year, and remembering the sacrifice that very ordinary people made , just like you and me, then that is a small thing to do. These young men in their hundreds and thousands went to their deaths. In the years that followed many more men and women gave their lives in our name. Whether we asked them to or not. They demand our respect.
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I wear a white poppy to:
remember ALL those who have died in wars (civilians as well as the military);
support conflict resolution programmes around the world such as the Nonviolent Peaceforce;
help fund education programmes about pacifist approaches to problems;
and help raise awareness of past & present Conscientious Objectors who refuse (or refused) to kill another human being.
"Jaw jaw" is ALWAYS better than "war war", and the more people who support the Peace Pledge Union's white poppies, the more pressure we can put on politicians to realise that fact. War is NOT inevitable.
Clayton Doyle,
Manchester.
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In reply to all the notices posted on here by those who either dont wear a poppy or if they do its a white one. You only have the freedom to express those views on this blog because of the men who fought and died for this country. I am 51 yrs old and I wear a poppy every year as a mark of respect to all the young men and women who have fought and died for this country in all wars for the freedom that we nowadays take for granted. Both my grandfathers fought in the first world war, Grandfather Fred was gassed and lost all the hair on his body, he returned from France at the end of the war but never spoke of the horrors he endured. He lived to be 93, my abiding memory is of an upright quietly spoken gentle man not a man who glorified in war he just did his duty. Grandfather George came home at the end of the war but was badly injured, he died in 1919 from the flu epidemic as he was too weak to fight the disease. He left behind my Grandmother who then had to raise 3 children on her own. I have visited Ypres and the cemetaries that surround the area - its a humbling and moving experience. So I shall continue to wear my red poppy every year with pride and I shall still shed a tear whilst watching the service from the cenotaph and no comments from people like you will ever make me change my mind.
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My Grandfather served in the 1st world war in Egypt and many years later I was in the 1st Gulf war. So to me the poppy means a great deal especially as i have friends in that area of the globe again,putting their lives on the line.I WEAR MINE WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE. Never let us FORGET,for that way cCHAOS lies. And although I became ill possibly due to my service I would of course go again as I believe many ex servicemen and women would. Jon Teague (ex RAMC Sgt)
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I wear my poppy with pride every year. We should never forget the sacrifices made to secure our current way of way.
Below is apersonal recollection from my visit to dieppe earlier this year
Lest we Forget
Operation Jubilee, was the codename for the allied raid on the French port of Dieppe on 19th August 1942. It was intended to be a “reconnaissance in force” and in addition to opening up a second front in Europe to divert “axis” forces from the Russian front it was designed to test the ability of the different branches of the armed services of the allied forces to work effectively together. Of the 6,108 men who took part in the raid 4,963 were Canadians, 1,075 were British Commandos, 50 were American Rangers and there were 20 others. In addition to this, 49 squadrons of the R.A.F. were committed to the battle (which saw some of the fiercest air battles of W.W.2), as well as the numerous vessels of the Royal Navy that were utilised to transport the land forces and support the attack.
The raid was an unmitigated disaster for the allied forces. The attacking convoy had been spotted in the English Channel and so the German forces were alerted to their presence. It was also widely suspected that advance news of the raid had been passed to the German occupying forces.
The attacking forces came under fire immediately they landed. The heavy armour sank in the stones of the steep shingle beaches and so was stuck fast and unable to move. Much of it was destroyed on the beaches before it could support the troops.
The battle lasted a mere 4 hours before the allies were forced to retreat, leaving behind 1,099 dead and 2,215 missing or captured. There were 2,460 casualties. The raid saw the death of the first American soldiers of the European campaign. However it was the Canadians that suffered the heaviest losses with 907 dead and 1,946 captured. The battle was indelibly etched on the psyche of the Canadian military and will be remembered as one of the greatest disasters of the war.
Each year on the anniversary of the battle, the people of Dieppe pay homage to the participants in the battle as they honour the dead in a series of remembrance services and vigils across the town. Representatives from all the respective nations lay wreaths on the many memorials across the town and on the beaches. The most significant service is for the Canadians. A formal service of remembrance at the Canadian cemetery is held in the morning and is repeated on one of the landing beaches before moving on to the Canada square gardens in the heart of the town.
This year I went to Dieppe with my father in law and his friend, (who are both armed forces veterans) to attend the proceedings. My father in law had lost several friends from the R.A.F. during the battle in 1942 and throughout the rest of the war whose bodies had never been found. So, on the day before the scheduled services we went to the Canadian cemetery and paid our own private respects to the dead and in particular to those in graves without a name and marked as “A soldier /airman known unto God”. I found it to be an extremely emotional and thought provoking experience, particularly as it followed on so closely from our stop at Ypres and the Menin gate on our way to Dieppe. I was glad that I had brought my cornet along and I felt moved to play the last post. For the first time there were tears in my eyes as I played.
The next day at the main service we were approached by the son of a veteran of the Dieppe campaign from the Canadian Hamilton regiment. He had travelled from Canada and he intended to lay a wreath at the memorial on behalf of his father, who had recently died and so was unable to lay it himself. He had brought along a recording of the last post to play on his portable stereo. He had been made aware by someone that had witnessed the events of the previous day that I had my cornet with me and so asked me if I would play for him later that afternoon. I felt honoured and agreed to help out. Shortly after this we were walking along the beach when we met a former British commando who was making his first return visit to Dieppe since the raid. He recounted to me how he and his commandos had scaled the cliffs during the battle in order to encircle the town and shortly after achieving their objective they were ordered to retreat. They fought a rearguard action back down the cliffs to the beach only to find that there were no boats waiting to take them home. After a futile attempt to swim back to Britain in full kit he was captured. He joked that it had taken him 66 years to get off of the beach.
So later that day I went to the Hamilton memorial on the Dieppe seafront where I met up with members of the Hamilton regiment and a half dozen standard bearers of the Royal British Legion and together we paid tribute at the private remembrance of a son for his father and his many comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day in 1942. I was pleased to see that my new-found commando friend was also present and laid a wreath.
In the words of Laurence Binyon
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.
FOR THE FALLEN - LAURENCE BINYON
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 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 daytime;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires and our hopes profound,
Felt as the 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 that shall be bright when we are dust
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
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I wear a red poppy and a white poppy. The red poppy is to commemorate all those who died in the two World Wars-including my Mother's fiance shot down over the Channel- so that we now have freedom in our country. The white poppy is to show that I favour jaw jaw over war war, which I have shown in my own life, so that we do not abuse that freedom.
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After telling my 6yr old grandson why we wear poppy's . I told him that the easy way to remember was remeber 11 11 11. Oh Grandma he replied I dont know my eleven times I'm only on my 3's.
Such innocence.
SUE GRECO (somerset)
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I have recently published my first novel, "A Pattern of Shadows" which relates to the first month of the First World War. My reasons for writing it and my feelings about the red poppy are encompassed by the foreword which I am taking the liberty of reproducing here:
As a child of the Thirties, I lived in a world that constantly looked back at the Great War of 1914-1918 which had destroyed and shattered so many people. I think my family came out of it pretty lightly compared to some. But even so we lost my uncle Gus who, though a Londoner, served with the Australian army, winning a Military Medal in the process. Had he lived, he would have taken my mother’s family to Australia where he’d worked for some time as a labourer prior to the outbreak of hostilities. I was very proud of his heroism and for years wished I could have known him, not realising such a thing was impossible for his death was a pre-requisite for my birth. Had he lived, my mother would not have met my father. Nevertheless, his memory became as real to us – my Dad and me – as my mother’s side of the family.
Perhaps because of this, I spent a good deal of my reading time going through two thick volumes of a work entitled WORLD WAR 1914-1918 – A PICTURED HISTORY. It was published somewhere between 1934 and 1938 by The Amalgamated Press and was edited by Sir John Hammerton. Much of its content was gleaned from two wartime publications: The War Illustrated and The Great War, both of which were also edited by Sir John. I was both fascinated and horrified by the content, some of the illustrations being so ghastly I could imagine a stench rising from the pages. What I didn’t fully realise at the time was that the great majority of hideous corpses shown were those of German soldiers. There were pictures of British dead as well of course, but somehow their bodies had remained remarkably intact with little sign of injury. Propaganda, it seemed, was still with us long after that war had ended.
I was also influenced by a monthly magazine my father subscribed to, called Air Stories. As the title suggests, it was devoted to stories and articles about flying and, in particular, to those concerning air power in the First World War. Much of the fiction was both jingoist and trivial and flavoured with divisions of class. The ground crews – the riggers and fitters – were always slightly dim and bumbling cockneys, while the pilots were brave, upper class daredevils who regarded the whole business of air-fighting as a bit of a lark. And here too, the Brits were mostly courageous while the Germans were mostly dastardly, although some balance was restored by the articles of A.H.Pritchard which briefly chronicled the careers of not just the most successful aces on all sides, but many of the minor ones also.
Overall though, I was left with a somewhat romantic view of British warriors and of the British Empire. So much so that had the Second World War not broken out when it did – a month before my ninth birthday – I think I would have been disappointed. I had this unshakeable belief in British invincibility. I knew that even in the face of overwhelming odds, our boys – with perhaps a little help from the French – would soon have Jerry on the run. As part of my contribution to the war effort, I stuck small paper Union Jacks on one set of pins and Nazi swastikas on another and carefully placed them on the Daily Express map of the Western Front which my father had put up on our dining room wall. For six months they hardly moved, but then, suddenly, within the space of another month, the union flag had been wiped from the face of the map. The Western Front had ceased to exist and Britain, in that immortal phrase, stood alone.
Looking back now, I can see that the British Empire was never in the same military league as the German war machine. In that year when we stood alone, our army was evacuated in disarray from Dunkirk and although we were victorious in the Battle of Britain, as well as briefly against the Italians in the Western Desert, we suffered many more defeats at the hands of our enemy. We had the Blitz which, though it brought little damage to us living in Barnet, forced us to spend our nights trying to sleep in a draughty, corrugated Anderson shelter in the garden. There were few bombs dropped in our area, but at night the deafening sounds of battle were all around us as anti-aircraft guns fired round after hopeful round at the raiders in the sky they seemed powerless to stop.
After initial success in Libya, our army was pushed back to the Egyptian border by General Rommel. We were driven from Greece and then from Crete. Worst of all, HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck. This for me, at the age of ten, was the most devastating thing that could have happened to our nation. I had believed what I had read about the Hood; that it was the finest warship afloat with the speed of a cruiser and armament of a battleship. Yet it had gone down within minutes of being struck with all but three of its crew of 1,200. I was in tears at the news, but looking back I think perhaps, that was when I started to grow up. I had been greatly influenced by my father’s ideals. He was a fierce believer in fair play. He didn’t cheat; he didn’t break rules; he didn’t boast and he was scrupulously honest. He played football in the winter and cricket in the summer and he never had the slightest doubt we would win through the war, even in the darkest days of 1940, 1941 and 1942. But the Hood disaster, though it didn’t shatter my belief in him, did make me think that the British might not be the race of supermen I’d though they were.
I have never wanted to be a citizen of any other nation, but age and experience have made me realise that the English are very little different from people of other tribes. Amongst us are vicious criminals; cowardly bullies; brave bullies; cheating scoundrels; pathological misfits and all sorts of other flawed individuals. I still think though, that the majority of us are decent and honest – like my dad – despite the efforts of the modern media to make us believe otherwise.
And so, I have tried to write this book with that gradual revelation in mind. That we are mostly ordinary, not extraordinary; that we are neither superior nor inferior to other races; that we are all the same race of human beings who face unexpected and sometimes dangerous events in the best way we can.
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I have really thought about ‘why I wear The Remembrance Poppy’.
I wear my poppy with greatest pride in remembrance of those of our family – alongside everyone who took part in both World Wars – in whatever capacity.
I wear my poppy in deep remembrance of my friends’ 28 year old son, killed in Iraq in February 2006 and for a work colleague of my husbands’ killed in Afghanistan last year.
I wear my poppy, and donate particularly to the Royal British Legion, in support of all those who have survived these terrible wars and who are damaged, physically and mentally, as a result and who so desperately need our assistance and understanding of their experiences.
I wear my poppy in the sincerest hope my son, serving with The Royal Army Medical Corps, never needs the services of the Royal British Legion.
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I will not buy a poppy-not because I don't think of all those who lost their lives in the wars, my father died in a Japanese POW camp-but as a seven-year old child in 1942 I remember vividly queuing up with my mother and brothers and sisters for four hours for a hand-out from the British Legion. When we got to the front of the queue they refused my mother any help because my Father was in the Far-eastern conflict and not the European one. I have never understood this and my mother was in tears.------Philip.
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I remember a friend killed in the Falklands.
It reminds me of the continuing stupidity of politicians and the need to hold them to account for their actions.
It reminds me of the debt we owe to those who fought for our way of life and the need to prevent that way of life being destroyed whether it be through terrorism or teh erpsion of our liberties through compulsory ID cards, monitoring of citizens etc.
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The poppy will always remind me of the thousands of service personnel who have given their lives from the First World War up to the present day.
It also reminds me of the fantastic ongoing support that the Royal British Legion have given me and my family.
Please remember regardless of any anti-war feelings that the poppy and the Royal British Legion help to change people's lives for the better.
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I wear a purple poppy along side my red one.
I wear this for all the animals that have died in wars. They are hidden victims who cannot volunteer but are still used for human use in conflicts.
Animals have been used in war as messengers, beasts of burden, for detection, scouting, rescue and on the front line, and they continue to be subject to warfare experiments in laboratories.
Every poppy consists of a double flower, with a black pansy style centre and green leaf.
They fought and died alongside our brave men and woman. I believe they should be remembered alongside them to.
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My poppy means to me
M for Money Much needed - well spent on each veteran who receives it
Y for the years of suffering - endured by them through wars, the scars remaining yet
P, mercifully, for Peace won
O, thankfully, for Old enmities gone
P for past sacrifices, remembered each eleventh hour of the eleventh November
P for pride tinged with sorrow
Y for Yesterday’s brave generation - who gave "their todays for our tomorrow"
Peter Lewis
Aston, Sheffield 7/11/2008
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The poppy is a reminder of the three brothers - my great uncles - who were killed in the Great War. As a 58-year-old and therefore born even after WW2, I have no personal knowledge of these boys, but I am constantly reminded of their sacrifice each time I walk past the small monument next to Surbiton Library, near Kingston in Surrey. No other family in this corner of London, I am sure, lost three sons, and I can only begin to imagine the dreadful grief of their parents and sister, my grandmother, on learning of their terrible loss. My grandmother never spoke of her own feelings, forever retaining a stoic silence about her brothers' deaths. But there's no doubt her grief was passed on to my father, her son, a melancholic man who to this day, aged 89, refuses to delve into the family's tragedy. It nonetheless had a profound effect on his own life, which, I guess, has affected my own life. Frankly, I shudder at the way such young boys were urged to take up arms in a largely pointless war waged by cowardly politicians and an arrogant ruling class. God bless F.Sweet, H.Sweet and S.Sweet. What different lives those young boys should have had.
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The poppy will always remind me of the thousands of service personnel who have given their lives from the First World War up to the present day.
It also reminds me of the fantastic ongoing support that the Royal British Legion have given me and my family.
Please remember regardless of any anti-war feelings that the poppy and the Royal British Legion help to change people's lives for the better.
Ian, Plymouth.
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I wear both a red and a white poppy. Red for remembrance , White for abolish war. I am against war as it does not work, 'Anything war can do peace can do better'
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IN the show you mentioned that White poppies are not popular with only 0.1% or less being white.
The reason for this is that many sellers REFUSE to sell them and I have even been verbally attacked by a British Legion Member for wearing them.
Remember that Concientious objectors were often shot by their own side for speaking out against the horrors of war. Something which the poppy is now supposed to represent.
Can we have all sellers offering the white poppy so those who follow the pacifist way can still show their support. And also make the British legion accept that the white poppy is not an attack on them but a support against the horrors of war.
I only wear the white poppy when I can find it but unless in London or a 'trendy' locations is it possible to find them as the 'official' sellers refuse to have them - this shows disrespect for those who were and are Concientious objectors.
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It would be good if you were able to read some of this on the show!
Reply to the one show Nov 6th Edition
Well done for featuring the White Poppy (Lucy Siegle) – long overdue!
I used to follow convention and wear the red poppy. More recently, having reflected long and hard on the ‘War to end all wars’ and what the pattern of war has been since, I switched to the white poppy – certainly not out of any disrespect for the fallen –but because in my view there has never been a greater need than there is now to raise awareness about the urgency to find other peaceful alternative ways to resolve conflicts. As long as we operate from a position of fear, bias and material greed war is likely to prevail! Can this barbarous act be the mark of a truly ‘civilised’ and progressive society?
The firmly entrenched position of the Red Poppy as a symbol of remembrance is unlikely to be changed for some generations to come ensuring respect for the millions of dead and maimed (both serving soldiers and innocent civilians!)
However, surely the only intelligent way forward has to be to raise the collective consciousness concerning the enduring value of peaceful resolutions and one way to do this is to use the potency of the symbol (as referred to on your programme by AC Grayling)- in this instance the white poppy to create a better, safer world for future generations.
Please repeat your white poppy feature in the years to come and perhaps give a little more exposure to the history of the Peace Pledge Union( PPU) movement – how and why it came into existence.
Finally – a brief quote to encapsulate: ‘The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart’ Herodotus
PS I am an ex-soldier with five years active service in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the 1960s.
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I always remember my grandfather Tom Gander on poppy day. He fought the whole of the 1914-1918 war in the Rifle Brigade in France and survived, although he did get mustard gas poisoning which later contributed to his early death in 1923 from pneumonia. He regularly sent my grandmother silk embroidered postcards from the Front which I still have. He would write short messages on the back of them such as " to my loving wife Nora " or "love to my wife and children at Christmas ". Amazingly he fathered two of his children whilst home on leave on two occasions ( my uncles born 1915 and 1918). I never knew my grandfather , but a poppy is always bought with him in mind.
Terry from Peasenhall, Suffolk
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If I were asked to wear my poppy with sorrow or just in remembrance I might do so but every year we are told to 'wear your poppy with pride'! Afraid I just cannot see anything to be proud of in the loss of millions of souls especially as we seem not to have learnt anything from their sacrifice.
Liz
Waterlooville
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Following your information on white poppies, I asked for one at the British legion stand in Farnborough town centre, I was shouted at, and called a coward by the man who got so cross his speech became indecipherable, so much for peace
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Jan, South Wales
The wearing of the poppy is very significant to me, and is something I have always worn with great pride. Even if I am unable to attend the Remembrance parade, I always stop wherever I am at 11:00am for 2 minutes silence to remember those that fell, and also on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and to remember that they gave their all so that we may walk in peace today. So many take our freedom for granted and do not realise what was sacrificed for this to be so, and how very different our world may have been.
My Great Uncle who fell in the First World War, was always remembered by Mam, & we continue that tradition today with placing the cross at the cenotaph and field of remembrance. Just before she died in 2002, Mam made a pilgramage to visit his graveside at Ypres, and pay her respects to an uncle she never knew, but who she loved dearly, and was greatly moved by the experience.
Dad, fought in the Second World War, and was at Dunkirk, and he was also one of the Liberators at Belsen. Dad would very rarely talk about the war, but on the rare occasions he did, silent tears would fall down Dad's face when he spoke about Belsen, even up to just before he died in 2007. We can only imagine the horrors that he and others witnessed there, and he never forgot the sights or smells that greeted him as he entered Belsen, or the skeletal figures he saw eating blades of grass to survive.
They say that we should forget the past and to move on, and we each have a right to our own opinions, however, I, and I know many others will never forget the unsung heroes who gave their lives for us in those two world wars, and the wars which have been fought since. We should never forget the sacrifices they made for us, and will leave you with the last verse of a poem I wrote:
As the poppies sway gently in the breeze,
you will hear the whispers of those who fell saying,
Comrades tell the future generations of what happened here,
so that no more will ever have to fall.
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In reply to Don of Bolton, if we had lost WW2, I believe that I would not have been born, so I would not be complaining about anything.
You ask me "....where would I be now, if we had not won the war?" I believe that the citizens of Germany, Japan and Italy are all as free as I am (and I think they all LOST the war), and citizens of many other countries are free without ever having fought wars for these freedoms.
War is evil and should be avoided at all costs.
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When I lived in England I would wear a poppy every rememberance day, as I was part of the brownies and then sea scouts. I don't think I really had any particular idea why we had to, apart from knowing that the soldiers died in fields of poppys (think thats right?) in France.
Then we moved to France, and even though I still join the rememberance parades (although no longer a scout, I play in the orchestra and we parade through the town) there are no poppys in sight. The french don't actually know about the tradition. Either that, or they just can't be bothered, which, to be honest, I wouldn't put past them...
So, for the past 4 years, no poppys for me, or my family.
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Robin from Bushey, Herts.
Yes, a great deal of passion, high emotion and sentiment is expressed in these blogs - and an awful lot of black and white rather rigid thinking! The debate about the wrongs and rights of history will go on for as long as there are people who still remember the horrors or have been told the stories by their families and friends! Nothing much to be done about that, but what is 'conscientious objection' all about if not looking for better ('jaw jaw') ways to resolve human differences? All of those who insist on sticking rigidly to sentimentality about the past should really try and address where the human race might be headed in the future in an era when our collective intelligence seems to set a priority on improving weapons technology (and the quantity of weapons around the globe!) to the extent that there now allegedly exist sufficient weaponry (not including the completely nefarious chemical varieties!) to destroy the entire human population and its environment many times over! Not to do so means that they must accept reponsibility for the consequences of any or all future wars. It appears difficult for some people to see what alternative solutions were available in WW1 and2 - and far too long to debate here! But whatever side of the divide you fall onto is it not now possible - and in fact - imperative to move towards a world without the same values that prevailed all that time ago? Equally vital to look very honestly at the underlying causes for hostility and wars - more often than not to do with materialism, obscene levels of greed, ignorance, indifference and cruelty practised by governments and individuals primarily in the richer areas of the planet! Is this really the legacy we want to leave our future generations? Perhaps we need to re-define heroism?
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I have a great respect and sympathy for anyone who has lost a close friend or relative in any war.
What I don’t understand is why television seems to have a "red poppy policy" whereby everyone seems to be wearing the red poppy. Is this through freedom of choice the very freedom that these wars were fought? Are guests offered a white poppy? (I would be interested to know the answers if anyone can comment?)
I can understand a poppy day (11th November) a poppy weekend or even a poppy week but like Christmas the poppy seems to appear earlier and earlier each year. Middle of October? What is the reason for this?
In these times of change for the better I would love to see more choice being offered i.e. the White Poppy: respect for those who lost their lives but a voice for peace at the same time. How can this be achieved for next year? Sadly I somehow don’t think the choice will be offered by the British Legion
And finally perhaps the red poppy wearers could spare a thought for those who are not part of the United Kingdom (how are we viewed by the rest of the world?) who may think that looking back at war may be less appealing than looking forward to peace.
.
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I was born during WW2 and my leanings have always been towards the white poppy. The only Remembrance day hymn that I can relate to is Kipling's Recessional (http://www.poetry-online.org/kipling_recessional.htm). Today Remembrance day observances ignore Kipling's themes of our need for mercy and for humility while holding onto just three of his words Lest we forget!
A good part of the 19th century Recessional is not appropriate for the 21st century. Kipling's reference to our "dominion over palm and pine" is now inaccurate, and "heathen" is rightly out of favour, but I feel that his themes have become more urgent than ever. Can we update the words and keep his meaning? Here is my attempt:
Guided by God our fathers brought
A Commonwealth for us to lead.
When nations independence sought
They trusted us in word and deed.
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
For promise broken, trust abused,
For our departure from your side,
Their basic human rights refused,
For our blind ignorance and pride,
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Your mercy on your people, Lord.
Why fight the wars of yesterday,
Still stand where we should not have stood?
Our way is not the only way!
We've yet to work for other's good.
Judge of the nations, spare us yet
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
Now we accept empire's demise
The rule by might no more our part.
Still stands the ancient sacrifice
A humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
Your goodness, Lord, can run its course
From us to people in despair.
Peace grown within, not kept by force,
Love not self-serving, free and fair.
God of our world, we'll not forget,
Be with us yet! be with us yet!
Peter
West Sussex
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We are all entitled to our opinions. This sums up mine.
Representing the courageous
from the sea and land and air.
Men and women come together
to remember there.
Prayers are said and songs are sung.
Poignant every single one.
Then buglers call, to mark the time.
And a solitary figure recites the lines,
from a very famous poem … for the fallen.
And in the Royal Albert Hall
right on cue the petals fall.
Just a few at first, they come,
they flutter down and catch the light
and look like scarlet butterflies, in flight.
They land on hats and fall at feet.
They brush past faces wet with tears.
And while they fall, you think of them, the MANY dead.
My poppy I place on with pride in the memory of those that died
in order that the likes of me can live in peace and ……… free.
Linda Allen - Northampton
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For me, the red poppy symbolises the blood of those innocent men, women and children who never asked to die at the hands of our servicemen and women.
Since 1945, 16,000 of our servicemen and women died but killed very many more than that number in 20 countries that never had any intention of attacking us.
The white poppy symbolises the determination to use non-violence to settle disputes and, therefore, for our violent ways and present aggression to become less and less common.
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Remembrance Day inspired me to write this poem and if you think it worthy, perhaps you could read it out on the show.
Many thanks.
Tommy Jones,
Gronant
North Wales :-
Brave Lad
In this scrambled and hideous land of mud
Now barbed wire winds where trees once stood
I wake from sleep only to scream and yell
In this foreign land where my comrades fell.
‘Your Country Needs You’ is what the banner read
That was long ago and so many dead
This trench is home to old and young
To the very edge of life we have clung.
For King and Country is why we fight
Oh! Do they really know our plight?
The night sky turns red for a burning flare
It lights the scarred land up everywhere.
Far in the distance the Big Guns sound
Soon their carnage will be unleashed all around
Now their rage is raining and falling near
Oh how I hate it, living in fear!
Hard to bear the noise of the shells
But ever worse the carnage smells
Smells of oil and of gasoline
Smells of things that should never be seen.
My mouth is dry, it’s hard to spit
The trench then takes a direct hit
My body is smashed and tired and weak
Cold and bloodied and hard as teak.
But still those screamers cut through my grain
Oh God will I ever see my family again?
I can feel a pain, it hurts to the bone
I see flashes of my brother and sister and my family home.
A ball is bouncing, I can see bare feet
It’s Danny and me playing football in the street
Sara is singing and pushing a doll’s pram
And Dad’s there laughing and tickling Mam.
They’re all together now, they look so near
I reach out to touch, but they fade and disappear
I look around, the noise has gone
Just that haunting colour I’ve seen for so very long.
I can see a bright light approaching me
My pain has gone, but it’s so hard to see
I don’t ever know the time of day
I just know its time for me to fade away.
This was the story of many a brave lad
And I know you will find it so very sad
But we mustn’t feel down, and we mustn’t fret
Just keep all their memories strong and don’t ever, every forget
Thomas Jones
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Pam - from mid-Wales:
Yesterday, I placed a poppy cross in the Machine Gun Corps garden of remembrance at Westminster Abbey. Row upon row of red poppies, and not one glorifying war; all remembering people known - and unknown - who died for us. I never met my grandmother's cousin, who died in Jerusalem in 1917, but he is as alive to me as any friend because I remember how my family talked about him. Remembrance - that's what it's about, and why I wear my poppy for him.
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"41. At 2:03pm on 07 Nov 2008, granvida wrote:
I wear both a red and a white poppy. Red for remembrance , White for abolish war. I am against war as it does not work, 'Anything war can do peace can do better' "
Not sure that those liberated from Belsen, Auschwitz etc. would agree.
Perhaps those totally opposed to war would like to explain their views to Holocaust survivors and the bereaved.
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I wear a poppy as a sign of my gratitude for those past and present who dedicate their lives to ensuring my freedom.
The soldier who died in the Somme - the airman who gave his life in the Battle of Britain - ALL of them, in all battles, all years.
When this week is over, I will take my poppy to the local cemetery where there is a stone to remember a fallen soldier of the war "who is buried elsewhere in this cemetery". I will leave my poppy there, and give silent thanks to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
We Will Remember Them
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A lot of people i have found think the poppy gloryfies war,but it is used to signify the bravery of all military persons past and present, and we must wear it with pride.so come on folks join the club.
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hello blackbertiesmum- I totally agree with you, I wear mine to give thanks to those who fought and still fight to ensure mine and my children's freedom.
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Although I think it is nice to wear a poppy to signify the rememberance of r those who died in the war they will never get to appreciate it. All we need to really do is let out our hearts to them and remember how brave they were to fight for the wellbeing of england. Just to be remembered would be good enough for me if I had been in the war. I know it is a way to show our thankfullness but we can do this by honouring them, we don't have to wear anything to remember...
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I live in France, and wear my poppy with pride and tears for all the lives lost, by so many young people. The British Legion are serving those who serve us, whether we agree or disagree with the various wars. My heart breaks a little every time I hear of a soldier dying, the grief to be faced by his/her loved ones, seems unbearable, because he/she chose to defend values sacred to us.
We have been invited to a little school in the Tarn, in France, to quote the letter. ' For the first time in the Tarn, we are using the day to remember the sacrifices made by our two countries during the two world wars of the 20th century'. The French children have made poppies to wear on Rememberance day. Normally France has a cornflower as a symbol, and the day is a bank holiday over here.
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Every time I see a poppy I think of this poem that I wrote some time ago.
Poppies
In the fields of France where poppies grow
Lighting the days with their crimson glow
They paint a moving picture bright
As they dance together in the sunlight
Beautiful flowers for the eye to see
In the fields of France where they grow free
Standing in crowds without a care
They bow their heads as if in prayer
Bending swaying nodding heads
With delicate petals of brightest red
Red as the blood that was spilt long before
In the fields of France in the midst of war
Such a peaceful picture before our eyes
Where the poppies nod 'neath clear blue skies
Casting their warm and brilliant glow
But what are they hiding? What do they know?
As they gently sway on, many secrets they hide
In the fields of France where so many men died.
J.Jones Manchester
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I enjoy wearing a Poppy however, I wish I could buy a proper 'jewellery-type' one that would last forever. Maybe the Legion could consider this idea in the world of reduce-reuse-recycle? I'd gladly pay good money for one, and I'd still contribute to their Poppy Appeal.
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My father won a MM in the second world war, my uncle was the only survivor of the submarine H49 and was a prisoner of war until the end of the war, this poem was found in his notebook :
In England now, the black cap sings,
and martins dart on tireless wings,
about their nests in cottage eaves,
Behind the lattice work of leaves
Across the meados there hath rolled
A rippling tide of green and gold
The flower is on the apple bough
And lilac blossoms in England now
The hawthorn whitens once again
along the hedge in the lane
and gay is every garden plot
with tulip and forget me not
the herds in quiet pastures stand
and beauty is upon the land as if it based in gods own smile
This dea, this sweet, this blessed Isle
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Sorry but I don't suppose this is about wearing a poppy, I heard on the news that an elderly war veteran had been beaten to death in his home. I don't know what to think- it's filled me with despair and I feel so sad- poor chap and his poor family.
Some sort of hero eh?
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wear a poppy never
and i wont let my kids wear them either
look at the state this country is in where they put foriegn people before ourselves and i know this from personally experience
is that what they fought for so the british people can be forgotten
my great grandad who died in the war would be turning in his grave so yes i also lost family in the war
i would never fight for this country
im sorry if this offends people
but take a look at this country
next thing you know they will grant bin laden asylum over here
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rhw666 its all about respect and support, and that we have choice in this country, its isnt just about me or you.
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