h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The tragedy of Gallipoli is that more men were lost through disease then through fighting.

I am English and went to see the battlefields in France when I was 14, my brother went with his school when he was 11. It is something neither of us will ever forget. I bawl my eyes out every November 11th.

November the 11th? I'm swedish, and as we were neutral during the world wars, I don't know why you "celebrate" that day.

Well the 11th November is Remembrance Day - the treaty that ended the First world War was signed at the 11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - hence we wear poppies and remember those who gave their lives in conflict. Hope that explains it.

Or on April 25th, ANZAC Day.

Lest we forget.

One thing I noticed about this entry was the omission of one of the chief architects of this dog's breakfast: one Winston Churchill.

Not just Churchill but a whole range of different people and events that conspired to kill many people needlessly. Gallipoli was one of those classic things that, in intention, was a good thing but ended up as a complete blunder.

The key word here is NOT 'celebrate' - it's 'remember'. Remembering the waste, the stupidity and the ultimate penalty for appeasment, is important, no? We've not done terribly well at making sure it doesn't happen again - if we don't at least try and learn from our collective mistakes, the future doesn't look too bright...

The tragic thing being that over here it looks like the younger generation are doing just that.

Other remebrance days.

4 June the Dunkirque evacuations.

6 June the D-Day landings.

Part of a poem recited at Anzac Day Memorial services:
They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning.
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.

I wouldn't have written 'celebrate' in swedish. Sorry

For The Fallen, L Binyon, September 1914

The full text can be found at;
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/7086/fallen_twp.htm#4fallen

It's also read throughout the UK for rememberance day as well and no doubt in many other english speaking countries.

Another point while talking of casuaties, and remembering. Kipling (he of the Jungle Book amongst others) is the man who wrote the which is inscribed on every one of the commonwealth war graves. It is said he did it because he was grieved when his son didn't come back from the western front.

Oh yes and a bit on Binyon himself is at http://www.sassoonery.demon.co.uk/binyon.htm