~~~~~
At 11 AM, on November 11th, 1918
War ceased in Europe.
The guns of the Western Front fell silent
after more than four years
of continuous warfare.
Since then November 11 has always
been remembered as
Red Poppy, Armistice or Remembrance Day.
When we started daylight saving time
a few decades ago, there was some discussion
about remembering ‘an hour earlier’.
On the other side was a discussion that
either Australia had daylight savings time
during World War I, or it was
daylight saving in Europe.
I’m not sure if answer was found to that debate.
Now its a case of
Lest We Forget
at the eleventh hour,
of the eleventh day,
of the eleventh month.
Today is remembered with a
Poppy from the Somme Battlefields,
a scene displayed on a water tower
at Pozières.
And the Last Post at Menin Gate, Ypres.
Recently I discovered that the
Menin Gate Lions
actually belong to Australia….a 1936 gift,
to the Australian War Memorial
from the Mayor of Ypres.
This year the Australian War Memorial has
loaned them back to Ypres.
~~~~~
