Remembrance Day
As we could not commemorate Remembrance Day as we usually do Pat and I visited the National Memorial Arboretum today and placed wreaths on the 41 Club Memorial. We were joined by Gordon and Elaine Macnab and John and Mary Ward and we held a very simple socially distanced service. We then added our wreaths – from Lichfield 41 Club and Tangent – to the wreath already laid by the National President, Peter Good.
I read the following short passage before laying our wreath.
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.
They went with songs into 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 not grow 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.
Pat read a poem before laying the wreath from Tangent. We were then silent for 2 minutes before leaving the 41 Club garden. Let us hope that next year we will be permitted to pay our respects more substantially.
I look forward to seeing many of your on Wednesday evening at our regular Zoom meeting.
YICF
David 9 November 2020