Remembering......

Today is the 70th anniversary of D Day
Most of my uncles were soldiers in the war,
I don't think of them were involved in D Day but it seemed right to think about them all today.
My Uncle Alan (on the far right with his arm round my Auntie Cissie) was killed,leaving her to bring up her son and daughter alone.
My Uncle Bill (middle left and bottom right standing) was in the Royal Army Service Corps, which is now the Royal Logistics Corps.
He helped to liberate a concentration camp.
I wasn't going to include the bottom photo, but I thought that the other soldiers deserved to be remembered too

They all look so young and carefree
My mum (on the right of Uncle Bill) was only 18 when the war broke out
Uncle Bill was 15
Auntie Renee was 12
I guess this photo must have been taken in 1943/44
They must have been so scared, but they all did their bit
It's hard to comprehend what they and everyone like them went through
The fear, the pain, the separation, the unknown, the deprivation
Those that were fighting
And those waiting back at home
So much expected of them, so much delivered and at so much cost.


" They went with songs to battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We shall remember them......"