Herald - Issue 414

28th October 2021 • The HERALD • Page 27 Poppies red worn with pride They line the streets on either side Memories overflowing Memories of war Marching bands bring back those days That passing years cannot erase Happy times and saddest times Intermingling in a haze Boys remembered days gone by The last post plays to tearful eyes Whilst overhead an engine drone A Spitfire flying by Memories of what might have been Dear Lord every death was clean So many souls in graves unseen As reveille plays once more Full of pride and heads held high Shoulders back and tears wiped dry The good times all come flooding back Comradeships of war Months in trenches long ago Suppressed emotion dare not show When will ever end? The violence of war Poppies red are with pride They line the streets on either side Memories overflowing Memories of war Animals in War e British, Commonwealth and Allied forces enlisted many millions of animals to serve and o en die alongside their armies. ese animals were chosen for a variety of their natural instincts and vast numbers were killed, o en su ering agonising deaths from wounds, starvation, thirst, exhaustion, disease and exposure. Horses, Mules and Donkeys Eight million horses and countless mules and donkeys died in the First World War. ey were used to transport ammunition and supplies to the front and many died, not only from the horrors of shell re but also in terrible weather and appalling conditions. Mules were found to have tremendous stamina in extreme climates and over the most di cult terrain, serving courageously in the freezing mud on the Western Front and later at Monte Cassino in World War II. Equally they toiled un inchingly in the oppressive heat of Burma, Eritrea and Tunisia. Dogs e dog’s innate qualities of intelligence and devotion were valued and used by the forces in con icts throughout the century. Among their many duties, these faithful animals ran messages, laid telegraph wires, detected mines, dug out bomb victims and acted as guard or patrol dogs. Many battled on despite horri c wounds and in terrifying circumstances to the limit of their endurance, showing indomitable courage and supreme loyalty to their handlers. Pigeons More than 100,000 pigeons served Britain in the First World War and 200,000 in World War II. ey performed heroically and saved thousands of lives by carrying vital messages, sometimes over long distances, when other methods of communication were impossible. Flying at the rate of a mile a minute from the front line, from behind enemy lines or from ships or aeroplanes, these gallant birds would struggle on through all weathers, even when severely wounded and exhausted, in order to carry their vital messages home. Other Animals Elephants, camels, oxen, bullocks, cats, canaries, even glow worms — all these creatures, great and small, contributed their strength, their energy and their lives in times of war and con ict to the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces during the 20th century. Launched in 2016, Murphy’s Army Purple Poppy Campaign pays tribute to animals lost in service, and e purple poppy has long been a symbol of remembrance for animals lost in service but until recently was much less well known than the traditional red poppy. e aim of the Campaign is to give the purple poppy its rightful recognition, and thus ensure that the animals who served, and continue to serve, alongside their human counterparts are remembered too. Over the past years contributions have raised in excess of £75,000 which has been donated to animal related causes including K9 Heroes, e Horse Trust, Smokey Paws, Household Cavalry Foundation, Bravo Working Dog Rescue and Fireside K9. Murphy’s Army have provided 100 pet oxygen masks to Fire Services across the UK, and 250 much welcomed cooling coats to Service dogs. For more information and to purchase your purple poppy visit: www.theyalsoserved.org Poppies Red by David K Wilson More than 16 million horses, donkeys and other animals were made to serve during the war Purple Poppy Badge to those who serve us today. Young boys dressed as soldiers Sent to ght on foreign shores Knowing God was on their side And our freedom was their cause When the country said We Need You And innocence their only shields So many young men went o to ght Destined to die and lay buried on foreign elds For once again it’s time To pay homage and respect to the few And recall all the memories Of those that you once knew Even a er all the years We are still counting the cost ey will never be forgotten As we still mourn the loved ones we lost We recall all the friends And the family that we once had But the one I miss the most of all Is my own dear beloved Dad LEST WE FORGET by Vic Lee