REPLYING to Dave Williams and G Brinksman on the subject of Remembrance Day and its traditions of wearing the red poppy and singing our National Anthem.

Just to finish the debate...

Remembrance Sunday is held in the UK and the Commonwealth as a day “to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two world wars and later conflicts”, where our nation was at war to defend itself and it’s friends from aggression by other states.

It is held on the second Sunday in November, the nearest to the 11th.

It is not “a week in which we remember all those who have died as a result of war”, which are Jeremy Corbyn’s words.

We do not stand in silence or lay wreaths of poppies in remembrance of the SS or the Gestapo as Mr Corbyn’s words would imply... yes they also lost their lives, unfortunately – but if they hadn’t we might not be here today.

Now if Mr Corbyn, Mr Brinksman, Mr Bell and others feel they want to commemorate the deaths of our enemies who wanted to kill us also... then they are free to do so; but please not at the same time as when we commemorate the lives of those who gave theirs protecting us.

You are entitled to feel like poor old Harry Smith that the Remembrance day has been twisted into a justification for conflict, but how remembering those who died defending their country can be seen as ‘twisting’ history of what happened.

Of course you can wear your white poppy for peace but what we commemorate on Remembrance Day, however, is not only the peace that all those who lost their lives brought us by doing so, but the red poppy is to remind us that they shed their blood and gave their lives to bring us that peace.

A.EDWARDS

Fearnhead