Essex Farm cemetery contains the grave of Rifleman Strudwick, of The Rifle Brigade, who was killed in January 1916 aged just 15.
The Canadians took over this sector of the Ypres front in 1915 and his experiences there inspired John McCrae to write the following poem:
In Flanders Fields.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,That mark our place; and in the sky
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
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Although I have been there several times, Tyne Cot Cemetery remains a most moving site. It is the biggest British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world with nearly 12,000 graves. Over three quarters are unnamed.
Any visit to Ypres is incomplete without attending the evening Menin Gate ‘Last Post’ ceremony.
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For many years I have not worn a poppy, when I look at the type of politician who wear them, those slimy creatures at the BBC who wear them not as a mark of respect, but conformity, they turn my stomach those young men robbed of their lives who came from the scion of stock now considered inferior, denied the right to speak freely, incarcerated for uttering words of despair; on a tram in Croydon, a woman with more guts than the whole tribe of Westminster...
ReplyDeleteThank you for that Eddy, I shall add the poem to my collection.
ReplyDeleteYpres. I've been there, in the 90's, it was a school trip. I don't think school kids learn about that now. I went to have a look at re-doing my History GCSE. They learn about Wall street crash, the rise of Nazi Germany etc, Black independence and Gandhi & India independence. Think I might by pass it.
ReplyDeleteI like the history lesson I get from this blog.
Jamie, West Hert's, London Fighter,
(from the last comment section)
Totally agree mate. All those years in the back room of pubs and barns in the middle of nowhere, hearing about our best chance of gaining power when there is a economic collaspe.
We are three years into one and what do we have BNP, UKIP, NF, ED, BFP, NPP anymore please add.
Eddy's already mentioned the way forward tho, peoples egos have to be put to the side and there has to be a comprise on the right of sensible Nationalist. Could become a major force over night in politics. Times not on our side tho, Labour landslide within 10 years ??????
Realistic tho, getting a nationalist party together is a hard task. Even if it could be achieve your still up against the mainstream political parties who get all the air time especially at election time. I suppose the English Democrats best chance is on a local level, easy to sell.
Our best chance is the system collasping in on its self and the elites taking everyone to war, ( Britain will play a key role ) calling on conscripts to go to war. We suddenly see a mass movement of people out of Britain.
Also mass movement of people, as the middle east heats up, civil war and Islamic parties gaining power there will be a mass movement of people from the middle east ( already has ) to euorpe. Immigration will become a war cry, probably not in Britain, come on in and bring a bottle LOL
North East Nationalist
Valentine Joe Strudwick's birth was registered at Dorking between January and March, 1900, so he was approaching his 16th birthday when he was killed. So young!
ReplyDeleteFrom CWGC:
STRUDWICK , VALENTINE JOE Rifleman 5750 14/01/1916 15 Rifle Brigade United Kingdom
I. U. 8. ESSEX FARM
Anonymous said 8dec 08:33 well said my friend i don't wear a poppy anymore i would just like to add what about the military personal the bastards have murdered in iraq and afganistan.
ReplyDeleteThis is why Nationalism fails to connect with the public, people moaning about wearing a poppy. All I saw on our people in the North East of England was a sea of poppies on people. Sold by our cadet forces. What next, we start telling people not to bother with Christmas because of A,B,C faults. So quick to attack our own traditions etc.
ReplyDeleteWon't suprise me if a section of " hardline nationalist," start burning poppies next 11th november. This is how nationalism starts going down that crank path of nationalism and starts supporting the IRA.
North East Nationalist
I was also there with Eddy and I have never felt so ashamed in my life.Looking at all the headstones of our fallen countrymen and thinking what were you all trying to do.Make a better land for us to live in ? SORRY,YOU DIED IN VAIN. This country is no longer ours our soil is no longer our soil,this country welcomes anyone Anti-British.I am but one person,nothing will change.B.A.Allen 25 year veteran.
ReplyDeleteNorth East Nationalist
ReplyDeletei have joined the ED's, Nationalim is very divided, we need to tackle this division logically. Brussels make 75% of our laws today, Islam/Sharia may control 75% or more of our laws sometime tomorrow.
So logically the EU is the first priority, we as Nationalists need to prioritise and coincidently this is the perfect opportunity to concentrate our minds.
Do not sit on your hands expecting the EU to come crashing down all over everyone, we need to concentrate our minds on getting Britain out of the EU, ie-Referendum on membership of the EU is the ultimate goal.
UKIP are fighting magnificently, they are the only Nationalist party that is virtually joined to the hip with a Daily National newspaper (Daily Express), they have many more MEP's than the BNP and a leader that actually makes speaches there and those speaches really rub the leaders of this undemocratic EU up the wrong way.
Eddy has told us previously that Nationalists need to come together sooner rather than later hopefully.
Well Eddy if UKIP win there marathon struggle and we eventually get a referendum next year on membership of the EU, it's not a forgone conclusion, but most analysts would favour a majority would vote for us to withdraw from the EU.
That would mean that UKIP would close down wouldn't it.
Most activists and members are ex Tory's.
Firstly can you imagine the boost this would give this Nation, repatritation of all the powers unlawfully taken away to Brussels brought back to Westminster, 75% of our laws, our fisheries reclaimed, the human rights laws can be thrown out.
The pride in deciding our own destiny once again, east Europeans asked politely to start to pack there bags, not instantly, because it would take a couple of years to unravel the tentacles of the EU.
Now these UKIP members that have deserted from the Conservative party and disilusioned working class voters, surely wouldn't go back to voting Tory and Labour respectively, no they would join other Nationalist partys like the ED's and continue the fight against Islamic fundamentalists, thus bringing together a major chunk of Nationalists in this country.
Jamie West Hert's, London flighter.
It was an honour to join everybody for that sombre Sunday evening spent amidst the war dead. The sight of so many stones stretching as far as I could see was the most sobering experience of my brief lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weight of what lies behind and before us is apparent to all.