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Because of the BBC Director General choosing Saturday night to announce his resignation, Remembrance Sunday has not been the top story on any news programme today - but has instead been second story, or lower. The BBC has it as their second story, where as in all previous years it's been top story, and Sky have it third or fourth. Isn't this terrible?

I think Remembrance Sunday should always be the top story, unless some major crisis or emergency has happened so in those rare cases it could come second, but never second to something like this. I don't know why the BBC DG didn't resign on Friday evening, or tonight - unless he wanted today's events at the Cenotaph to get second (or even lower) billing to himself.

RIP to all our soldiers who have fallen in the line of conflict.

Indeed.

Sadly far too many people today think Remembrance Day is irrelevant.

The numbers who have any connection with those who lost their lives or were injured / disabled defending the UK in 1939-1945 are continually falling as are those who have any idea of how life could be now had the outcome been different.

Since then the UK has not been directly attacked or threatened on the same scale.
In the many conflicts around the world since 1945 the numbers killed or injured have been much lower so again far fewer have any direct contact.

Once the last WW2 and Korean War veteran pass it will be a rather strange time as frankly all the ex serviceman left wont share the qualities of being ordinary people who volunteered/conscripted/national service and the their wars being for moral reasons.

From this point I wouldn't give two figs for veterans of conflicts from this point.

You are forgetting Suez in 1956. Conscripts were killed in that middle eastern misadventure as well. Our politians never learn, they just keep reteating the past.

Unfortunately most people wouldn't even find Suez on a map of Egypt these days....plus most recent wars involve our people following the Yanks in search of oil. Remember the 45 mins wmd shite.....

Good point Arginald.....it gets worse, sadly. Two years ago I rang up the
War Graves Commission and asked where, in the Allied cemetery at Tel-el-
Kebir near Alexandria, which honours the 1st WW and 2nd WW dead, are
the graves of the men from the first cemetery there who fell in the 1882
Egyptian War ? Silence on the phone. Even the War Graves staff have no
idea if, or where, those poor buggers are !!

I think that's because the CWGC was only established in 1915, and they have no responsibility for war graves prior to WW1.



Pre the 1st World War you were supposed to be grateful to have the opportunity to lay down your life for King and Country.

The idea of memorials for war dead is very much a post WW1 idea. I suppose that's because of the vast numbers who died.

Whether any of you like it or not soldiers, sailors and airmen have no say whatsoever in where they are sent to do or die. Everyone who takes the Queens Oath of Allegiance is worthy of respect even from some of you pacifists and the pc correct brigade.
I served my Sovereign as did many many others before and since and I lost friends in Borneo, NI and the Falklands. So, anyone who demeans these men is beneath contempt in my eyes, and I would like to think many others.
Please, take your anger out on the despicable bastards in Parliament who do the sending.
All of our fallen deserve respect, unreservedly, they are all some mothers sons.

"Whether any of you like it or not soldiers, sailors and airmen have no say whatsoever in where they are sent to do or die."

Agreed, but since conscription ended in the early 1960, anyone joining the armed forces should know that. It would be part of the job description and you would have to accept that when you made that career choice.

"Please, take your anger out on the despicable bastards in Parliament who do the sending."

The government have been doing the "sending" for generations now.

It's been a long, long time since the King / Queen sent anyone into battle.

Again, surely anyone joining the armed forces must realise that.

It's was Mr Blair who sent the armed forces into Afghanistan and Iraq (on the orders of Mr Bush I grant you).

Before that Mrs Thatcher sent them to the Falklands.

Mrs Windsor had no say in any of this.

"All of our fallen deserve respect, unreservedly; they are all some mother's son".

That statement is true for all of the fallen, in all of the wars. Whoever and whoever they were fighting for.

I'll recall hearing an interview with James Hewitt talking about his experiences in the First Gulf War.

You know, Harry's dad. Top bloke I have a lot of respect for him.

He said something to the effect that he always remembered that he and all the UK forces fighting with him were there because they had volunteered to be there.

The people he was fighting in most cases didn't have those same choices.

That always played on his mind.

I had a good deal of respect for him for recognising that.

Well said. I agree with everything you have stated. If people don't agree with a war they should blame the politicans, not the soldiers. I have the upmost respect for our servicemen and women.