Remembrance Day

[Heldi]

Hi Carol. Hope you read this.

On Sunday I went to visit my mum at her nursing home.  She was watching the parade and after I told her my son has to go to school next week dressed as a 1940's evacuee she started telling him all about the air raids,how her little sister used to feed the rabbits through the door of the Anderson shelter and how she was evacuated. She then took us to visit her neighbour in the room next door. He,I'll call him "H" was supposed to be at the parade in Sunday but although it was paid for "they" couldn't get him a carer for the day. H was visibly upset by that but was, I think, happy to have company.

H was in the 51st Highland Division during WW2. He mentioned a hammering at Dunkirk. He was a POW in Poland.  He was made to work in the coal mines.  I was very honoured to be able to sit and watch the parade with him.

After a stroke H finds it difficult to speak,he stutters or just can not get his words out. If really irritates him.  He told us a story which some parts I couldn't understand but I'll try to repeat it now.  

When he was down the pit in Poland he had to labour for a Polish man who was also made to work there. The polish man was a blacksmith by trade and after his day in the mine would go back to his house in the village to do his smithying.  One day he asked H if he would help him get a lump of metal from the pit to his house as he needed to make a wheel.  H agreed though it was risky.  H said they went undercover of the night but had lanterns which they had earlier hid in the potatoes. They did something to to make the lanterns look less conspicuous. (Sorry I couldn't understand H ).  Anyway, they got to the Polish guys house and walked straight in.  H said he was taken aback as Polish's wife was sat with her feet in a bowl of water in front of the fire.  H laughed and said his missus would have gone daft if he had ever brough someone home unannounced!  Then H said as he walked further into the room he was shocked to find a man standing there in a crisp white shirt and well turned out. He was in a panic as he was off limits and could get shot. He wasn't meant to be away from the mining area. The man in the shirt turned out to be a German Naval Commander!!   He told H not to worry,he'd be alright and to calm down.  (Can you imagine?!!)  H said the man then told him that the war would be over by next year and then he went into his jacket pocket and pulled out some buttons, British Army,then some more buttons,American,then some more ,Russian. H said,"He had them all for just incase whoever won! Cheeky beggar!"

About his time as POW H says "It was an experience and I learned a few things."  

We then went on to discuss 1940's school uniforms. He said he wasn't allowed to wear long trousers until he was fourteen and also the girls never wore anything like what I had on (jeans).  "Showed a bit of leg then y'see!"

[Heldi]

[ACE]

    11. 11. 08, is a very special day,
  - for me and thousand of others  , and should be treated with respect .



   

 

And that is what I was trying to say in my own way. It is a special day and I would not want to see it watered down just in case it upsets other nationalities.

As we can see on here it is very easy to upset people. So for those that do not like what I say, here's a tip, put me on your ignore list. It's at the bottom for you all to see Does It Look Like I Give A ....................

[Paulines7]

Valmarg, Salisbury is my local council and I haven't heard any reference to "singing from the same hymnbook".

Well, I was only quoting the national press that 'singing from the same hymnsheet' could offend atheists.

In these days of PC gone mad, its difficult to know what to believe and what not to believe.
valmarg

When my husband came in this evening, I asked him if he knew anything about it and he said it had been mentioned on TV.

I must admit that I had never heard of the phrase and as an atheist would certainly not have been upset by it.   I am now wondering where I have been all my life to not know the phrase and can only think that it was because I was not brought up with church going parents or don't move in the right circles.  ;D   ::) Just out of interest, is there anyone else on this forum who hadn't heard of it until reading this? 

Incidently, when I Googled 'singing from the same hymn sheet' and "Salisbury" I found that it was in many of the daily papers.  Trouble is I don't read the papers though except when away on holiday or in hospital.  Then I buy the Times and Telegraph....not to read the news but to have plenty of cryptic crosswords, puzzles and sudokus to do.   ::)

Carol, I hope you will not stay away from the forum.  It's bad enough losing Jeannine without losing you as well.   :(

[Tulipa]

Heldi, I love your post.  Poor 'H' for not being able to go, but I am sure having you sit with him and listen will have been a real tonic for him and made up for it.  We are losing these sort of stories all the time as these people pass away, they endured so much, we are so lucky these days.

Thank you for posting.

Carol, please don't leave, your thread was started with all good intentions, but so many of the threads deteriorate these days, please stay!  I would miss you much.

T.x

Dan seems very busy these days that perhaps we need to do a bit of our own policing about going off topic and sniping.  I don't want to see this site 'crumble' and I am sure others don't either, we have lost so many posters lately.