At the end of the First World War, when the American president Woodrow Wilson spoke of ‘the war to end all wars’, did the world actually believe it? After the loss of millions upon millions of men, women and children of all nationalities and creeds across the globe, did the world really think it would never happen again? Since then, there have been many more wars and conflicts resulting in poverty, injuries and, of course, many more deaths.
A few years ago, I had a simple idea: send postcards to those who might share their thoughts with others on loss, remembrance, war and peace. The response was remarkable. Men and women from all walks of life, from the Cabinet, the House of Lords and the senior ranks of the British Army to ex-servicemen, journalists and war widows, felt moved to express their feelings in a few words on those postcards. Some are simple reminiscences; some are more profound. This book will sadden, provoke and inspire.
…They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they
are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
For the Fallen by Lawrence Binyon (1869–1943)
As Hegel once said, “The only thing we learn from History is that we learn nothing from History.”
Too often politicians around the globe forget this and create wars and conflicts with the most terrible consequences. Global peace is a worthy goal but sadly unattainable until man learns to control his ambition.
- Simon Clegg (Chief Executive of Ipswich Town Football Club)
Vera Lynn travelled to many battle-fronts to entertain the troops and boost the morale of our service personnel during the Second World War. She became known as ‘The Forces Sweetheart’, and brought tears to many eyes with her songs of home and family, such as ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’. A little-known fact is that she was the first British female artist to top the American charts. In 2010, she released an album of her wartime hits, and this sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone, thus making her the oldest artist to have a No. 1 hit in the album charts.
It is good that we have Remembrance Day,
as it is good we never forget those who gave
their lives for us and continue to do so.
- Dame Vera Lynne, DBE‘ (The Forces Sweetheart’)
Joanna Lumley is an actress, comedienne, model, campaigner and author. Born in Srinagar in the state of Kashmir, her father was Major James Rutherford Lumley, who served in the 6th Ghurkha Rifles. She works for the Ghurkha Justice Campaign and Survival International and is a patron of Tree Aid and PENHA (Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa).
As the daughter of a professional soldier I know sometimes
peace can only be won by conflict – peace is the most
precious flower, growing on the same tree as freedom,
compassion and loving kindness. If you ever have to choose
between war and peace, give peace a chance first. Try in
every way to find a peaceful solution. Keep trying: and when
all seems lost, try again, and fight for it if you have to.
“Give Peace a Chance”.
- Joanna Lumley (OBE FRGS. Actress, model, activist)
Virginia McKenna won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in 1956 for A Town Like Alice and was Oscar-nominated for her role as Violette Szabo in the film Carve Her Name with Pride. She is best known for her 1966 role as Joy Adamson in the true-life film Born Free, for which she won a Golden Globe. She and her late husband, Bill Travers, who also starred with her in Born Free, became wild animal rights campaigners and fought for the protection of their natural habitat. They set up a conservation area in Kenya, which also became their home. In 2004, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her services to wildlife and the arts.
‘When I think about wars and all that they mean, various thoughts and
emotions arise. Perhaps one of the strongest is a source of overwhelming
gratitude to the many extraordinary men and women prepared to risk their
lives. I do not always feel these sacrifices are justified, as we sometimes seem
to be involved in wars in remote places for remote reasons. So I feel deeply
sad about those, as many families lose treasured sons and daughter, husbands
and brothers in conflicts they do not fully understand or believe are
warranted. I am against violence of all kinds, and therefore I never lose
hope that one day guns will be silenced, hatred and distrust will end and
kindness, respect and love will triumph.’
- Virginia McKenna (Stage and screen actress and campaigner)
With the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Tim saw active service in Northern Ireland and the Falklands war of 1982. During peacetime, his duties included battalion photographer, a job that included covering many historical and royal events. His regular ‘bivouak’ for the night when in London was Buckingham Palace! Upon leaving the army, he went to work for the BBC in Cardiff. He was asked to tell his story of the war, and the BBC play Mimosa Boys was the result. He is the author of In Sights: The Story of a Welsh Guardsman.
It is ordinary men who answer the call. In the field of
battle, those ordinary men stand up and are forged into
great men. Many of these great men pay the ultimate
price. Their only reward is our freedom. It is our duty to
honour their memory with love for each other.
- Tim Rees (Welsh Guards)
All the royalties on sales will go to two charities. The first is Help for Heroes, established in 2007 working for the wounded of the British Armed forces, an astonishingly successful organisation responsible for huge capital projects like the £8.5m Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court, as well as providing funds to wounded individual members of the armed forces according to need. The second is Action Cancer, providing early detection, counselling and support services and cancer prevention education. They were there for Ray when his wife was diagnosed as terminally ill. This book has been created with love and gratitude.