plasticcanuck

In Flanders Fields
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.

dbd33

Must be a bad year for selling poppies. People rarely go out now and, if they do, they don't have any money. I usually buy three or four, as I lose them, but none this year.

Paul_Shepherd

Lets hope that the people that don't go out, so are not able to buy one in the usual way, buy a "digital poppy" instead after all everything else seems to be digital or online now, so why not this if people really don't want to go out.

dbd33

If you don't go out you don't need one, do you? At home there's no one to conform with.

JamesM

My fondest memory of remembrance day? This racist bigot finally getting fired!

CanadaJimmy

Definitely wasn't good that he seemed to be assuming people he saw on the street not wearing a poppy had "come here" as immigrants - how did he know this? just because they were visible minorities?. That sort of thinking enforces the undertone of white supremacy you find across Canada unfortunately. Also there was no good reason to single out immigrants who don't wear poppies, how is that any worse than Canadians who don't wear them either? Good example of how subtle systemic racism can creep in. He should have apologized.

scilly

I've often been seen without a poppy in past years ..................... either because I've lost it since I left the house, or I forgot to change it from a jacket to a coat!

This year, we got one poppy in the mail from the Legion, with an appeal for donations. I haven't worn it but I will be donating more than I usually put in the box at the register in the coffee shop or supermarket (even when I have to buy 2 or 3 extras!).

I have not actually lost any poppies for the last 6 or more years .............. the yellow flower sold by the Cancer Society came with a little white plastic tube to slip on the end of the pin, so I kept those and transfer it to the poppy in November, or I've bent the end of the pin up if I know that I will not be changing coats.


I've had an interesting time for the last week or so ........... I discovered that 5 brothers who were descendants of a sibling of OH's direct ancestor back in the 1840s, all emigrated between about 1895 and 1910. One went to Australia and 4 came to Canada. Two of the brothers went back to the UK to fight in WW1, the one from Australia joined a UK regiment, while the one from Canada joined a Canadian regiment. Both were killed in France.

Two of the remaining brothers each had a son who joined up in WW2, one was killed aged 19 while training on Vancouver Island. The other served in France, was apparently badly injured but came back to Canada and died in 1949. He is buried in the Veteran's section in Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver. Records are almost impossible to find for him.

The 5th brother didn't go to war, nor did any of his children, but he did serve as an MP for one term in the 1930s, and built Sunwapta Cottage Resort near Jasper.

It's amazing what you can find when doing family history, and extending the research to more than the direct line.

I have spent the days putting all this together for the grand nieces and nephews and my grandson, to add to the know facts they had that their joint great grandfather served in the Royal Navy in WW2. For my grandson, I added information on my maternal grandfather and paternal great uncle who both fought in WW1 and survived.

spouse of scouse

I was buying two poppies today from the RSL when I remembered your post from yesterday, so I bought another one for you.

Mordko

King’s government only sent volunteers to Europe, so more soldiers served in Canada guarding camps with refugees and captured Nazis than fought during WW2. Made it harder for those who fought as Canadian units were under strength. Over 45 thousand gave their lives… Can’t be many of those who fought that are still around.

Paul_Shepherd

Isn't it just a gesture of acknowledging the past sacrifices by armed forces? I don't think its about "conforming"? so surely a digital poppy would be the same gesture if your not going out and can't buy one. You would still be acknowledging and making a donation in the same way..

Although I hate most things online, but that's just my personal choice of course.

dbd33

Thank you. I can't wear it but no one will know.

dbd33

Specifically the armed forces in WW1. At a stretch the conscripted armed forces of WW2. Significant sums should no longer be required as they only need grounds keeping now.

spouse of scouse

In Oz the money raised by selling poppies is used by veteran organisations to fund services such as mental health, housing etc. It's the same in Canada I think?

caretaker

That's right, honouring the memory of all the men and women who served and those who died in both world wars and the conflicts since. In Canada over 1 million people volunteered during WW2, out of a population of 11 million. Conscription legislation was passed in 1942, but policy dictating that conscripts couldn't be sent overseas wasn't reversed until November 1944. Inability of replacements to make up for killed and wounded in late summer of 1944 meant Prime Minister King couldn't afford to appease Quebec and parts of the west in parliament any longer, but only 2,463 conscripts made it to the front lines before the end of the war, and of those, only 79 were killed.
Draftee Vasil Zaharic training for gas in Comox during the war; I know some of the men who knew him, and they were surprised he was in the army, considering he didn't seem very patriotic, but he wasn't there by choice. The war ended before he could be sent over.


All the eligible men and most of the women in my father's family volunteered, and those who went overseas all came back. My dad's eyesight precluded him from going over with his unit, so he stayed a reservist until the end of the war, but all four of his five brothers who were old enough (Jack was too young) went and saw combat. Bill in the infantry (I think), Norman drove a truck because he was too big to fit into a tank, Bob commanded a squadron of Sherman tanks, and Dick was on corvettes in the North Atlantic.

JamesM

My friends with the government jobs and at the big banks were able to honour the fallen by getting drunk at the pub last night. They are blessed with another day off so shortly after also having a day off for reconciliation.

Alas at 11am I shall be on a client call. The civil service and bank staff will no doubt expect their holiday to be paid for.

A good way to honour the forces or more importantly the individuals who make great sacrifice at the politicians behest a charity is via https://woundedwarriors.ca/.