Battle of Britain Memorial Service
Danny:-
Danny, I couldn't find it either. It occurs to me that as the Daily Mirror published it, they might be able to find it in their archives. I imagine that they would have digitalised them by now. If so they should be able to quote it verbatim.
If you like I could email them, no names no pack-drill, simply quoting the parts that you recall. It should be enough for them to do a search. What do you think? Worth a try?
Sadly, I cannot recall the "....s" (nor can Google bring up the quotation)
If you like I could email them, no names no pack-drill, simply quoting the parts that you recall. It should be enough for them to do a search. What do you think? Worth a try?
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As others have said, the Service at Westminster Abbey was magnificent - a perfect tribute with a wonderful atmosphere throughout.
Veterans and their families awaiting the fly-past at nearby Church House
A smaller and less formal but no less moving Act of Remembrance was held at the Battle of Britain Monument on the Embankment the previous day.
Organised by the BoB Fighter Association, the short service was conducted by the Ven Ray Pentland, former Chaplain-in-Chief of the RAF.
The well known words 'They shall not grow old …' were particularly poignant spoken by one of the remaining Few - Geoffrey Wellum - who also laid a wreath.
(L-R)
Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum, Wg Cdr Paul Farnes, Sqn Ldr Tony Pickering, Fg Off Ken Wilkinson
Lest we forget ...
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust maintains the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne on the cliffs between Dover and Folkestone.
It's well worth a visit, and supporting the memorial as a Friend of the Few costs very little.
Veterans and their families awaiting the fly-past at nearby Church House
A smaller and less formal but no less moving Act of Remembrance was held at the Battle of Britain Monument on the Embankment the previous day.
Organised by the BoB Fighter Association, the short service was conducted by the Ven Ray Pentland, former Chaplain-in-Chief of the RAF.
The well known words 'They shall not grow old …' were particularly poignant spoken by one of the remaining Few - Geoffrey Wellum - who also laid a wreath.
(L-R)
Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum, Wg Cdr Paul Farnes, Sqn Ldr Tony Pickering, Fg Off Ken Wilkinson
Lest we forget ...
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust maintains the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne on the cliffs between Dover and Folkestone.
It's well worth a visit, and supporting the memorial as a Friend of the Few costs very little.
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; 23rd Sep 2015 at 17:12. Reason: Fixing links
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In 19 above, Danny 42C referred to a poem, I have just located it.
"These are the Boys" by A.P.Herbert, July 28th, 1940
These are the boys of whom we said
"They are not what their fathers were;
They have no heart and little head;
They slouch, and do not cut their hair."
Yet these like falcons live and die;
These every night have new renown;
And while we heave a single sigh
They shoot a brace of bombers down.
These are the boys of whom we said
"They are not what their fathers were;
They have no heart and little head;
They slouch, and do not cut their hair."
Yet these like falcons live and die;
These every night have new renown;
And while we heave a single sigh
They shoot a brace of bombers down.
It was written when I was 2 weeks old. Thanks guys.
Mike
Mike
Well done, Gannet Driver! Good poem too, a lesson for the old not to carelessly condemn the young, simply because they are young. A lesson that both Danny42C and Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Wellum clearly learned when young and remembered many years later.
Flying Lawyer, thank you for the excellent pictures and the reminder of the good work of the BoB Memorial Association.
Flying Lawyer, thank you for the excellent pictures and the reminder of the good work of the BoB Memorial Association.
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Chugalug (your #21),
Mike has beaten us to it ! (but thanks for your kind offer, all the same).
How clearly it shows how the best of memories can fail (and mine is certainly not one of them). What I could remember of the poem, I was quite certain of - but it seems that only a few words (and the general idea) were correct. Ah, well.....
Mike, thank you - the D.M. must have a well-organised archive to locate the poem (75 years old) so quickly.
Danny.
Mike has beaten us to it ! (but thanks for your kind offer, all the same).
How clearly it shows how the best of memories can fail (and mine is certainly not one of them). What I could remember of the poem, I was quite certain of - but it seems that only a few words (and the general idea) were correct. Ah, well.....
Mike, thank you - the D.M. must have a well-organised archive to locate the poem (75 years old) so quickly.
Danny.
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I have a house filled with books of every type, though ships, aircraft and steam railways occupy a significant amount of space. Likewise poems, and A.P.Herbert is a particular favourite. This was from "Siren Song" long out of print but NOT out of this house!
Danny, I thought you recalled it really well. It certainly tripped a few synapses and sent me to the right shelf.
Union Jack, thank you for an accolade only a few of us could fully appreciate - I did! Did we meet on the flight decks of Ark, Centaur or Hermes in the mid-1960's?
Chugalug, I think the upcoming generations will never fail to surprise us, thank you for your nice remark.
Seriously, as a Battle of Britain baby I realise how much I have to be grateful for in my old age.
Mike
Danny, I thought you recalled it really well. It certainly tripped a few synapses and sent me to the right shelf.
Union Jack, thank you for an accolade only a few of us could fully appreciate - I did! Did we meet on the flight decks of Ark, Centaur or Hermes in the mid-1960's?
Chugalug, I think the upcoming generations will never fail to surprise us, thank you for your nice remark.
Seriously, as a Battle of Britain baby I realise how much I have to be grateful for in my old age.
Mike
Thread Starter
Youngster standing on the seat to see better - well the smallest "W", then about 3 stood on a pew in Warboys Church to watch Hamish Mahaddie unveil the Pathfinder Memorial Window. "Daddy, Lancasters" piped a small voice as the blanket came down. Ivor Broom carried him out of the Church on his shoulders - unforgettable, and better the lad in Westminster Abbey saw what was going on, and which he will never forget, rather than just the back of someone's jacket - IMHO of course
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I'm with you on this one Wander00, and I'm sure your smallest will remember it. Thankfully we still have some of Ivor Broom and Geoffrey Wellum's generation with us to reflect on what the young still have the ability to offer.
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I was privileged to attend the BofB service at the Abbey some years ago. During the battle I lived a few miles from Tangmere and remember the Stuka 87 dive bombers bombing the airfield vividly. I was only 7 when the war started but for 'our gang' they were exciting times. With so much more freedom than today's children we were always in the race to get to crashed aircraft before the LDV (Home Guard) or the civil police. My bedroom was adorned with all sorts of aircraft instruments. Of course they glowed in the dark and those from German aircraft had a very distinctive smell. There was the aluminium inner nose cap from a Hurricane (marked 'AM') and, until they were confiscated, live ammunition, much to my bitter disappointment.
Mike (ex 16 Sqn)
Mike (ex 16 Sqn)
