Like many this Remembrance Day, I did not attend a parade or service. On 11, 11 at 11. Instead, I took a few minutes out of my day to remember all those who have served their country during times of war. I have the privilege of having known people who fought in the First and Second World Wars something that younger generations will not be able to say, although there are still many, many veterans of war and military service. Two people who I particularly remember are my grandfathers, Herbert and Stanley who served in WWII. I was struck this year by the difference between how I remember my grandparents talking about the war.
When I was younger, I was passionate about history. I used to read history textbooks for fun and I loved to ask my grandparents to talk about their younger years. It was exciting to hear stories about history from people who had lived through it. In thinking about these stories, and now an adult, I can reflect on and understand how the experience of war affected each grandfather differently.
Herbert
Herbert served in the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers and was posted to Italy & North Africa driving petrol tanker. He never seemed very keen to talk about the war. It was obviously a high stress job. The vehicles were attacked by air and ground and they had to be on constant alert. A petrol tanker was particularly risky. I only recall one occasion when he talked at length about his experiences. There were no funny stories or anecdotes that I recall. He also had a great dislike of “foreign food”. My memories of this led me to believe he would rather forget it happened.
Stanley
Stanley, on the other hand, frequently told us stories of the war. He served in the 75th Field Ambulance, 161 Brigade of the 6th Indian Division in India and Burma. He remembered quite a bit of Urdu he learned from working with the Gurkhas and would often threaten to “give us a hiding” in the language if we were being naughty. He obviously had some fond memories of his service and escapades in his time off even though there were some tough memories that would sometimes bring him to tears. Even though the stories were obviously tailored to young ears, I learned a lot about everyday life during the war in that part of Asia and how hardships were endured and the most was made of what they had.
Both men served their country in a time of war, both men put their lives at risk, endured hardships, lost friends and spent a long time away from home. However, the way they coped with the experience seems quite different. Herbert seemed to want to forget. Stanley chose to remember. He focused on the more positive aspects, the camaraderie, food (he loved a curry) and dealing with everyday tasks and hardships.
I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to have heard these accounts from my grandparents. In recent years I have also talked to veterans who have served in other wars, and conflict in other parts of the world. Veterans from the Yugoslav conflict who were forced to serve, through threats to the lives of their family. Israelis who had to complete national service and saw their friends killed in their teens. A survivor of the civil conflict in Myanmar, formally Burma, who had to flee the country after taking part in a student protest against the government in the ‘80s and hasn’t been able to return (his brother was caught and left permanently disabled by the beating he received in prison). While each of these experiences was very different, the human toll was obvious in each.
The First World War, WWI, The Great War, the War to End All Wars. It was not to be. War and armed conflict are just as prevalent today. The technology may have improved, conventions and laws may have been put in place to try and prevent atrocities, but war still kills, maims, and traumatises people across the world everyday. Everyday, soldiers put on their uniform and serve their countries to protect their nation, family, and friends. Risking their lives and enduring hardships to serve. It is important we take time to remember and appreciate their service in times of peace and war and support them during their service and when their service is over with mental and physical health services, pensions, education and jobs.
I do not condone war or armed conflict, in an ideal world, war would be a thing of the past. However, the world is far from ideal and while war still occurs, we continue to rely on our armed forces to fight to defend our nations, ideals, and way of life. They deserve our respect. We should take the time to listen to and learn from the experiences of veterans if they wish to share and do what we can to support them. Anyone in a position to send people to war needs to be reminded of what they are asking their forces to endure and sacrifice.
Finally, let us try harder to resolve conflict without violence, be more tolerant of others, and work towards a time when war is relegated to the history books.
Very moving and thoughtful piece. Well done Claire.
A good piece of writing, showing how thoughtful and caring you are.