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[Limpy]

I just hope that all money raised from the sale goes to Remembrance and Service men/women linked causes.

[Taz2]

According to this only £8 is going to charity. http://www.whistleblower.co.uk/Success-60/Tower+Of+London+Poppies+Investigation.aspx

It does look stunning though and has served to make a lot of people stop and think about those who did give their lives.

Taz x

[Limpy]

I agree totally - It does look stunning

[CLKD]

Luckily too the weather during the 'planting' of these poppies has been fine.  So has most of the viewing period ………

My maternal Grandad served in the first War, but was a baker so allowed off during the 2nd; paternal Grandad served in both: I have a photo of him in uniform, would nice to get their war records to go with the photos for social history  ……..   late F in L was a prisoner of War under the Japs  ………

[tiger74]

Mum and I went today.  Would recommend it.  No queuing as such, it was crowded but plenty of opportunities to stand at the front of the viewing areas and gather one's thoughts and/or take photos.

So glad that so many people have been to view this - in addition to the sight of so many poppies and thoughts of what each one represents, it was also moving to hear people explaining the symbolism to each other and to children.  The views are breath-taking and felt like an excellent way to convey the sheer scale of sacrifice.

babyjane  - I did as promised, as well as thinking deeply of two friends who have given their lives more recently in the course of military service.

[babyjane]

tiger74 I appreciate your thought for grandad's brother more than I can convey in a post. Thank you for your kindness x

[Scampi]

I have bought one of the poppies - it will certainly stay in our family for at least one more generation, as my daughter will cherish it after me.  My husband's great-uncle was fatally wounded on 7 November 1918 ... the telegram to inform his mother of his death is dated 11 November 1918 - my MIL has his wallet (which has a shrapnel hole right through it and its contents) and his medals ... they are seen as family treasures.

[Ju Ju]

We remember those who lost their lives, but I remember my grandfather. He fought in the First World War with the Canadian Cavalry. He never spoke about his experiences, other than he looked after the horses. In hindsight, he exhibited symptoms of Post traumatic stress syndrome. I loved him and he, me, but he was not an easy man. We must remember the survivors, what they experienced and suffered and how this affected their relationships and reverberated through the generations.

[babyjane]

thank you Ju Ju. 

My grandfather and his brother served in the same regiment. His brother was killed, he survived and although he died when I was 8 I only remember him as a scary and difficult old man. Looking back I wonder how much it affected him that he came home and his brother lies in the ground in Northern France.  It must have mattered to him I would think.

[tiger74]

Ju Ju and babyjane

I think you make very valid, insightful points about the survivors.  My paternal grandfather died 8 years before I was born so I never knew him.  He survived gas attacks in WW1 and suffered long term health problems as a result.  Such was the scale of WW1 (and some other conflicts) that there must be people all over the World who have ancestors with similar situations and that is very sad.

The other crew member survived the RAF aircraft accident in which my friend died a few years ago - he has suffered significant psychological problems as a result.

Yes, the repercussions do reverberate through many aspects of the survivors' lives and through the generations.

[babyjane]

These days it is believed that survivor's guilt can be a form of PTSD

'Survivor guilt (or survivor's guilt; also called survivor syndrome or survivor's syndrome) is a mental condition that occurs when a person perceives themselves to have done wrong by surviving a traumatic event when others did not.'

[oldsheep]

I wear one for my dad, who served 4 years without a single day off in North Africa in WW2. I treasure his MBE and the citation written by his temporary C.O while under fire. My dad lived with survivors' guilt and could never listen to the Last Post without breaking down in tears. Poor man had (undiagnosed) PTSD and had a breakdown 14 years after he was demobbed. He never spoke about the war other than to express devotion to Monty, hated war films and hated any glorification of war. He'd have been appalled by some of the politically motivated militarism around today.
He served as an engineer and in military intelligence, the latter being a "contradiction in terms".
I wish I'd got to know him better, but I was 15 when he died.

It pisses me off that there are commercial sellers of "great design poppies" etc on eBay, Amazon and that none or very little of their profits goes to charity. For me, doesn't have to go to the British Legion, but any charity would be appropriate, not pocketing the money.

I've ordered a pin badge poppy this year as the paper ones fall off. Pity you can't seem to buy them in the street. Around here there are only the paper ones.

[Taz2]

Even though all of the poppies have been sold you can still make a dedication to a loved one http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/make-a-dedication.

Taz x