In many countries around the world, 11 November is the day on which we remember the members of the armed forces who have given their lives in the line of duty. The date, 11 November, commemorates the date on which the armistice was signed at Versailles, to mark the end of the First World War.
The top postcard I bought earlier this year when I visited the WWI sites in northern France and Belgium. It shows Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world, having almost 12,000 graves, many of which are unidentified. It is in Belgium near Passendale. The name comes from the nickname given to a barn on the Passchendaele-Broodseinde road later captured by 3rd Australian Division.
The second postcard shows the Menin Gate in Ypres or Ieper in Belgium. I did visit this too but the card was sent in 2005. The Menin Gate is a memorial to British and Commonwealth soldiers whose graves are unknown. There are 54,896 names on this memorial. They ran out of space so the remaining names, another 34,984 of them, are inscribed on the wall at Tyne Cot. Looking at the names, row after row of them filling the walls, brings home the full horror of war.
Each evening at 8:00 pm, the Last Post is sounded at the Gate.
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Three stamps, the first Belgian and the others both French, commemorate the Second World War liberation of concentration camps. I'm not sure I care for the style of the third which looks slightly cartoon like and seems unsuitable for such a subject.
This is a post for Sunday Stamps, now hosted by Violet Sky at "See it on a Postcard!"
good selection for this week. I couldn't find any Remembrance Day type stamps. I remember seeing some cemeteries when I was in Europe many years ago, which is nothing like the military graves here. It seems endless over there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the stamps before, I agree with you re. the third one. Visiting the war graves must be a very moving experience.
ReplyDeleteThe endless rows of white tombstones is a very sad sight of those lives that were never lived. The second stamp is a very powerful image. I haven't seen these type of stamps before.
ReplyDeleteVery moving. Both the stamps and the postcards. Here in America this dy is known at Veteran's day and unfortunately is more knwon for its sales than for remembrance.
ReplyDeleteVery apt card and stamps for Remembrance Day; not to sure about the French camp stamps though.
ReplyDeleteIf not for Sunday stamps, I didn't know that Royals are celebrating a day of remembrance.
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday Stamp #42:South Arabia
I am glad that you and Lisa chose to share Remembrance Day themed stamps and postcards - a good topic for reflection. I think the French stamps are all quite haunting - including the third, perhaps especially the third one. The naive style is a bit spooky, I think.
ReplyDeleteI like the name Rememerance Day. I did not know that other countries celebrated it too.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
I like the theme of Remembrance Day and love the pictures and stamps
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