Originally Posted by
MPN11
Appalled to see that Corbyn person wearing his best dark anorak.
... I wondered who the 'train spotter' was! In fairness, he probably genuinely thought he was smart, even with the big puffy hood on the back. It was nearly black and at least he didn't wear his best pumps and had finished with his Starrbucks coffee cup. Someone could have advised him better? Shops are open Sundays.
I find every ceremony a very dignified way to reflect on the sacrifice of those who have served and suffered and for people today to remember that freedom does not come freely. There are still many threats today, in one form or another; we should not be complacent about what we have and what we were given by those that lived and died in the two world wars and others.
My mother was in the army at 17 an anti-aircraft gun aimer in WWII. Some Nazi bombers never did it again thanks to my mum and one V-1 never found its target. Her youngest brother was killed by a U-Boat; he was a merchant seaman. He had a heart problem and paid a quack doctor to pass him as healthy; a tragic story among millions of tragic stories of war.
My mum hated the Nazis with a passion but at the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, she happily shared a table with the German Naval attache and both enjoyed the day in each others company, which is how it should be. She has a lot of compassion for all suffering having seen so much of it herself.
WWII was essentially about regime change and should be a lesson remembered by everyone today; when you look at some powerful countries today the parallels are frightening. What happened in Germany in 1930's could happen anywhere today. I lived in Germany and they were a lesson in how to remember that war in particular; with sombre clarity, respect and understanding; they grieved so much for other countries but their personal grief is held in private. The civilian devastation was phenomenal.
I was glad to see the German prime minister today. I personally hope that Germans will be allowed to grieve with us and us with them; it would be a fitting ultimate act of bringing back together countries that the Nazi's sought to keep apart.