In an article for France 24 Tony Todd, who lives in France, explains to his bemused French neighbours why he will wear a poppy at the ceremonies at the Monument des Morts (cenotaph) tomorrow. His great uncle Albert enlisted at age 16 in 1914 and like many thousands of others was killed on 1st July 1916 at the battle of the Somme.
Many repatriated Tommies brought poppies from the battlefields and today they are sold to support the Royal British Legion in its work to help ex-servicemen and their families. The poppy is not a symbol of British victory or military glory, but a reminder of the sacrifice young men (and women) of all nationalities make when carrying out their duty. A breathtaking new memorial will open tomorrow at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Pas de Calais which lists the names of 580000 killed in that region. Many who are named elsewhere are not on this memorial, including uncle Albert Todd, and Tony Todd says it is a stark reminder of a bloody conflict which left few French, German or British families untouched.
Mr Todd says the death marked his grandfather, the brother of Albert, for the rest of his life and says that though over time wounds heal and pain recedes we should never forget the brutal, destructive and lingering effects of war. That is why he will be wearing his poppy tomorrow. Me too.
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