GBMD: In Flanders Fields

NAH's Great Uncle - remembered especially today, one century on.
Verchain is a tiny cemetery of just 110 men - Harry Taylor is at rest at E2
He was one of 15 men from the regiment killed whilst road clearing
during the Battle of Valenciennes, one of the last fought in WW1

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.

Lt. Col John Alexander McRae (1872-1918)

WWI Commemoration at Fleetwoo
WWI Centenary Commemoration at Fleetwood, October 2018


Comments

  1. Flighty1 November 2018 at 13:25

    Poignant post and pictures. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP2 November 2018 at 13:03

      Thanks Flighty - I wrote this post 4 years ago when I found out you can look up war graves online. The first thing NAH said yesterday when we woke up was about the centenary of his great uncle's death, so yesterday was quite a poignant and thoughtful day.

      Delete
  2. Diana Studer4 November 2018 at 19:22

    It is thanks to my cousin's research that I was able to visit my grandfather's grave near Arras.
    What an emotive photo!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP4 November 2018 at 19:38

      That must have been most moving. We'll be going to see Harry Taylor's grave. It was going to be this year on the centenary but alas the fates conspired against us. In some ways I think it's even more important to go 100+ years on. There's just been a special Antiques Roadshow on TV this evening where one of the stories was about the discovery of a violin which went to the western front with its maker in pieces and sadly the soldier never made it home. The violin was put together and sold 10 years ago with the name of the original maker shown inside. The buyer's father then tracked down the whole story. The guy who bought the violin played the soldier's regimental march to close the program and it's the regiment shown for Harry Taylor above - it moved me to tears.

      Delete

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