[BaggieMan]

Lest we forget West Bromwich Albion players who made the ultimate sacrifice....  

Harold Bache 16/02/1916 Lancashire Fusiliers Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

George Elmore 01/07/1916 Royal Scots        Thiepval Memorial

William Jackson 03/05/1917 West Yorkshire Regt  (Prince of Wales’s Own) Arras Memorial


My sincere apologies if I have missed any....

[silverbaggie]

And at the going down of the sun,
and in the morning

we will remember them.

With special thoughts for my Uncle Dougie whose bomber was shot down over Austria and he and other members of the crew are buried in Belgrade and,

my wife's grandfather who lost his life on the Somme for whom there is no known grave

[Baggievicar]

Just finished my sermon for tomorrow so that's a timely post, BM.
Special thoughts for my grandad's brother Reg, who died in the first war - I don't think anyone even knows where he's buried (if he is).

[BaggieMan]

For your interest, a complete list of footballers who died serving their country during the Great War can be seen at:

http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.c...world-war/

(Baggie Vicar - if you have a name of your Grandfathers brother, I could probably find out where he is either buried or commemorated. The military and political history of the Great War has long been an interest of mine)

[Dingle-Dingle]

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY . . .

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast, and he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done. In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer, for ol' Bob has passed away, and the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
He won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and the world won't note his passing; 'tho a Soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state. While thousands note their passing, and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories, from the time that they were young, but the passing of a soldier, goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution, to the welfare of our land, some jerk who breaks his promise, and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife, goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives, are sometimes disproportionate, to the service he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all, is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension, small.
It's so easy to forget them, for it is so long ago, that our Bob's and Jim's and Johnny's, went to battle, but we know.
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, who won for us the freedom, that our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand, would you really want some cop-out, with his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a Soldier, who has sworn to defend, his home, his kin, and Country, and would fight until the end?
He was just a common Soldier and his ranks are growing thin. But his presence should remind us, we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Soldier's part, is to clean up all the troubles, that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor, while he's here to hear the praise, then at least let's give him homage, at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline, in the paper that might say: "OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

DD        

[silverbaggie]

Just finished my sermon for tomorrow so that's a timely post, BM.
Special thoughts for my grandad's brother Reg, who died in the first war - I don't think anyone even knows where he's buried (if he is).

Try this site Vic.

It helps if you know his full names, with which Arm of the Military he served or his approximate date of death.

http://www.cwgc.org/

[Baggievicar]

Thanks to the guys offering help with Uncle Reg. Will pm you if I find out enough to work on.
errr... picture of thumbs up, if I could see it...

[BaggieMan]

Brilliant post Dingle Dingle !