From: Rick Andriés [mailto:rick@durbs.com]
Sent: 03 November 2015 09:25 PM
Subject: Wearing the Poppy
"Fellow Legionnaires & friends of the Legion.
If you’re already doing so, that’s great… but in case not, please may I remind you that, wherever practical, you’re expected to “Wear your Poppy with Pride”, daily at least until Remembrance Day - i.e. Wednesday, November 11th.
Kindly refer to the attached story of the Poppy, which I’m sure you’ll find of some interest.
Thank you.
Regards,
Rick
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
HOW ‘THE FLOWER OF FORGETFULNESS’
BECAME ‘THE FLOWER OF REMEMBRANCE’
BECAME ‘THE FLOWER OF REMEMBRANCE’
History relates that out of the land of the white poppy, came Genghis Khan in the wake of the Great Khan’s bloodthirsty warriors, wherever the blood of man was spilled, the seeds of the “flower of forgetfulness” (the opium poppy) budded in full flower.
Now, huge transformation has turned blood red and in
the center of each flower was outlined a cross, as though Nature herself was
crying in protest at the wanton slaughter during both world wars. On battlefields which before had been bare
wastes, there sprang up the poppy, it’s symbol carpeting the graves of men who
died.
Capt John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer,
experienced the carnage and destruction of the First World War on the Western
Front. Torn by the misery of war and
confronted with the dead and wounded being part of his everyday life as a
surgeon, he wrote his celebrated poem “In Flanders Fields”. This poem bought him fame in and beyond the
British Empire. This poem was written on
3 May 1915 on a slip of paper from his dispatch book:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields
This poem was
published by “Punch” anonymously on 8
December 1915. It was a success and
soldiers copied it, quoted it and discussed it in the trenches. The poem became a source of strength and
determination.
Why did this poem
have such an impact on soldiers and later military veterans?
McCrae conveys the
message that it is the common soldier who is speaking in this poem, speaking
directly from the battlefield, who begs not to be forgotten after his death and
who urges others to continue the battle.
The poem passes many subtle contrasts and messages to the public, the
generals at high command and bring home a message that cannot be ignored, for
instance:-
·
He
refers to the fact that despite the fighting and killing, the poppies keep on
growing from the blood stained earth, disturbed by trenches, shell holes and
human remains, “And the larks keep on singing”, making soldiers sense that no
matter how long the war might drag on, it would not last for ever and at the
end, life and peace will prevail.
·
He
emphasises the fact that most soldiers were in the prime of their lives between
the ages of seventeen and twenty three, who possibly volunteered for their own
reasons, but experiencing the harsh realities of war, indicated in their
diaries that they bore the testimony of fear and loneliness.
·
This
poem won the support of the establishment, because it’s value as good
propaganda, especially in the beginning of the war, young men thought that to
die in battle for a just cause, would not be in vain and others would follow to
“pick up the torch”.
·
If
you died for your country, you were regarded as a hero, and this was
continually promoted by high command.
However, as the war dragged on into a stalemate war of attrition, this
conviction started to be abandoned, slowly, soldiers were showing signs of
physical and mental depression, longing to be back home. In contradiction, he indicates that, even if
there was doubt and depression “if
you break faith with us who die/we shall not sleep”, he considered the war a just one, the only means to achieve a
lasting peace.
This poem certainly
served its purpose well in the war effort and it became a symbol of sacrifice
and peace throughout the world.
Great poetry or not, McRae’s
poem spoke to something in the spirit of wartime England and beyond. It was reprinted in the USA, where it made a
deep impression (especially the last verse) on the mind of an American lady,
Miss Moyna Michael. The wearing of a
poppy appeared to her to be the way to keep faith. In reply, she wrote a sequel:
The Victory Emblem
Oh! You who sleep in Flanders’ fields
Sleep sweet – to rise anew.
We caught the torch you threw
And, holding high, we kept
The faith with those who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where
valour led.
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above
the dead
In Flanders’ fields.
In Flanders’ fields.
And now the torch and Poppy red
Wear in honour of our Dead.
Fear not that ye have died for
naught:
We’ve learned the lesson that ye
taught
In Flanders’ fields.
She suggested that
the poppy should be used as a symbol for all those who died in the war and
suggested that the wearing of a poppy on a collar or blouse would be the most
effective and eye catching way of remembering the dead. Some time later, a Mrs. E. Gaèrin, secretary
to the French YMCA branch, suggested selling artificial poppies as a symbol de souvenir, a symbolic souvenir
to the war dead, but with a view to collecting money for needy veterans and
their families. The suggestion was
immediately accepted by Earl Haig.
From 1920, the Poppy
was internationally accepted as The Flower of Remembrance and every year
thereafter on the 11th November, countries hold remembrance
services. For those of us of each
generation, who fought in a war, this is a poignant and solemn occasion; we are
reminded with deep emotion of the survivors and those who did not survive.
Throughout the
history of war in Europe and Asia, the phenomenon of poppies growing in places
where battles had raged and where the soil was disturbed occurred
frequently. Blood red poppies grew in
place of the more common white specimens as if nature was protesting to the
bloodshed of war. In Flanders, the
poppies had clear black crosses, formed inside.
Botanists could argue that dormant seeds grew better when the soil was
disturbed, whatever the reason, the appearance of these flowers in areas of
battle clearly had an impact on soldiers, reminding them of their fallen
comrades.
Just prior to
remembrance days, poppies were “sold” to
donors during street collections for needy veterans and their families. In some cases prestige Poppy Balls were held
to collect funds and wreaths laid by veterans’ organisations on remembrance
days, comprising of poppies or replicas of it.
Whenever you buy a poppy from a military veteran’s organisation, you are
paying tribute to those who have died and you are helping those who have
survived.
THE PURPLE POPPY
This
poppy was created to remember the animal victims of war. All donations go to the charity Animal Aid,
who say of their appeal: "During human conflicts, animals have been used
as messengers, for detection, scouting and rescue, as beasts of burden and on
the front line. Please wear a purple poppy
and help us to raise awareness of these forgotten victims."
A
spokesperson for Animal Aid told Newsbeat: "Animals are not heroes, they
are victims. They do not give their
lives, they are taken."
This is a relatively new poppy, first conceived in 2006. The Royal British Legion says of the purple
poppy: "While organisations use Remembrancetide to draw attention to their
causes through poppies of many colours, the Legion is the only organisation
which acts as the national custodian of Remembrance. We are also the welfare and campaigning
organisation representing all men and women who are in service, who have
served, and their families. We see no
conflict in wearing the red poppy next to the purple poppy. Many animal rights supporters also support our
work. We do ask that the items are not
offered alongside each other, however, as this would confuse the public."
DON’T FORGET TO
REMEMBER!
11 November 2015 Early
Anza will be represented at the Durban Cenotaph and a wreath will be laid.
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