Today sees the launch of the Royal British Legion’s 2008 Poppy Appeal:
The Royal British Legion provides financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, and their dependants. Currently, nearly 10.5 million people are eligible for our support and we receive thousands of calls for help every year.
The Legion was founded in 1921 as a voice for the ex-Service community and over 380,000 members continue to ensure that this voice does not go unheard. Although the needs of ex-Service people have changed over the years, we are still there to safeguard their welfare, interests and memory. British service people are in action around the world every day of the year.
Locally you can get your poppies at the Parwich Legion Club or the Sycamore Inn. Alternatively you can click here to make a donation online.
The first official Poppy Day was held on 11th November 1921, inspired by the poem:
In Flanders’ Fields
John McCrae, 1915
In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.
To find out more about the Royal British Legion and the poppy appeal click on the logo (abov – top right). For those remembered on the Parwich War Memorial go to our In Memoriam page here at PARWICH.ORG, and to find out about those who died in action see the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
Also please think of those currently seeing active service in war zones, including Brian F’s son in Afganistan.
This year’s local Service of Remebrance will take place in St Peter’s Church at 10-15am on Sunday 9th November.
PARWICH.ORG 
Leave a comment