Did they give any thought to the 5.7 Million deaths of British & allied troops in WWI
or
Methinks I am a prophet new inspired
And thus expiring do foretell of him:
His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;
He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:
Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.
This royal throne of kings, this scepter’d isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,
Fear’d by their breed and famous by their birth,
Renowned for their deeds as far from home,
For Christian service and true chivalry,
As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry,
Of the world’s ransom, blessed Mary’s Son,
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation through the world,
Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,
Like to a tenement or pelting farm:
England, bound in with the triumphant sea
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!
British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit
of their own agenda and greed, have done more
damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy
of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.
VIDEO: 16,000 remembered at new Armed Forces Memorial
A History and Honour news article
The first ever truly national memorial dedicated to UK Service Personnel who have lost their lives since the Second World War has been unveiled today, 12 October 2007, by HM The Queen.
[Picture: Stuart Bingham]
The Memorial has almost 16,000 names engraved on its huge Portland Stone walls, with space for 15,000 more, a poignant reminder of the cost of the freedom and democracy enjoyed in the UK.
2,000 family members of those with their names etched into its stone joined the Queen at the opening ceremony today along with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Defence Secretary Des Browne and the Chiefs of Staff.
Uniquely, the Armed Forces Memorial, is the first national memorial that remembers all members of HM Armed Forces, both Regular and Reserve, whether killed on duty, by terrorist action, in training accidents, or any other activity connected with serving in the Armed Forces. It also includes members of the Merchant Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary killed in conflict zones when in direct support of the Armed Forces.
The first names etched into the stone are from 1948 with the list of the fallen currently ending with the crew of the Nimrod killed over Afghanistan in 2006. The names of more than 80 Service Personnel killed since 2006 will be engraved on the memorial in 2008. Names will continue to be added in this way for future years.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, said:
“Over the last six decades the men and women of our Armed Services have faced unceasing challenges. In diverse, difficult and often dangerous circumstances, they have operated across the full spectrum of conflict: high-intensity war fighting, peacekeeping, reconstruction and development, humanitarian assistance, and much else besides. And they have done this with great success. They have an unmatched reputation, and the nation is rightly proud of them.
“But such success does not come without cost, and in military operations the price can be very high indeed. For some it involves the ultimate sacrifice.”
[Picture: Stuart Bingham]
The Memorial is located in the 150 acre woodland of the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, allowing access from all corners of the country.
The courage and sacrifice of the family and friends of Personnel who have lost their lives serving their country is also remembered for the first time, with a centrepiece of evocative bronze sculptures.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup added:
“The families and loved ones of those we have lost must be no less in our thoughts. The nation owes them a debt of thanks that can never adequately be met. But I hope that this new Memorial offers them a place of solace, and a sense that at last we have a tangible reflection of, and focus for, the Nation’s remembrance and gratitude.”
HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Armed Forces Memorial Trust, said:
“We sometimes take for granted the expectation that our Armed Forces are professional, loyal and dedicated. In reality our expectation is far exceeded. These men and women are prepared to give their lives defending our Nation’s interests and the freedom of others and yet their sacrifice all too often goes without recognition. I personally believe we owe them all an enormous debt of gratitude for all they do.”
Today’s ceremony included a fly past by more than 20 aircraft from all three Services, past and present, including a Tornado F3 aircraft as well as the Red Devils and the RAF Falcons.
Designed by architect Liam O’Connor, the Armed Forces Memorial (AFM) draws inspiration from the ancient landscapes of prehistoric Britain and classical forms of ancient Rome.
It is set on a six metre high earth mound, 100 metres wide at its base, reducing to just over 50 metres wide at the top, where 43 metre curved Portland Stone walls and two straight walls enclose the bronze sculptures within, which were created by Ian Rank-Broadley, who also created the effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which appears on all UK and Commonwealth coinage.
See Related Links >>> for an interview with Armed Forces Memorial sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley.
[Picture: Stuart Bingham]
The Memorial is independent and belongs to the people. Access and use of the Memorial will be administered by the AFM Board of Trustees, who will safeguard equal access to all. Vice Admiral Sir John Dunt, Chairman of the AFM Board of Trustees, said:
“Today is the culmination of many months of hard work, which for those involved, has been a labour of love. Many of us involved in this project have lost family or friends, whose names are now on the Memorial.”
The AFM project came into being because despite the Commonwealth War Graves Commission paying tribute to those who died during the two World Wars, it was widely accepted that there was insufficient recognition of the men and women of our Armed Forces who have given their lives in the service of their country since the end of WWII. Following a period of extensive consultation with the Services and Ex-Services community it was concluded that a new national memorial should be constructed.
Jenny Green, the Chairman of the War Widows’ Association was at the opening ceremony today and said:
“It is 17 years since my husband Bill was killed in a Tornado crash, yet no detail of that time has been erased from my mind. None of us will ever forget the moments of our lives changed forever. My husband’s body was never recovered and there are many others who do not have a grave or headstone to visit, so for me and my children and others like us a Memorial like this has a special significance.”
£7 million has been raised so far for the building of the memorial through public subscription and a significant number of private donations, including many from readers of the Daily Mail and The Sun, as well as a substantial contribution from the Millennium Commission (£2.4 million), and the revenue from sales of the Trafalgar 200 coin (£1.5 million). A further million is needed to maintain it.
Speaking at today’s ceremony the National President of the Royal British Legion, Air Marshal Ian Macfadyen recited the World War One poem:
“They shall grow not 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.”
To view the original CLICK HERE
