Dealing with war then and the virus now
From: Peter Snowdon, Ripon.
THIS weekend we remember the great Victory in Europe made possible by sacrifices of people like my father.
He was not killed in action but went to France with the British Expeditionary Force, spent twoand-a-half years in the desert before being seriously wounded in Italy.
He described his experiences as months and months of boredom interspersed by moments of real terror.
My parents’ generation was surrounded by the deaths of those they knew – all losers in a natural disaster that overtook the world and was outside of their control.
Commanders of armies had the terrible job of putting people into battle knowing that there would be a minimum percentage loss of life. They balanced this awful equation by considering that the overall benefit would be positive. My dad’s generation accepted this balance reluctantly and each person hoped and prayed that it would not be them.
They did so because they believed it was for the overall good of society and that a better world would emerge. It did thanks to their efforts in building new structures based on economic success.
They would be appalled by the way in which we have responded to this pandemic. They would think that we are unable to balance and manage risk. The effects of the breakdown of the economy will put those vital parts of society –the health service, education and social care – back by many years. We will live with the economic effects of these few weeks for years to come. Unemployment will soar and many more people will die worldwide than ever succumb to the virus as a result of the economic strictures that will be in place.
Let’s honour the memory of those who died, or gave up their younger years, by accepting that, in times of natural disaster, we cannot solve everything. Our parents did so and ‘just got on with it’. We cannot reduce the numbers dying to nothing and we shouldn’t rob the future of millions of people in a futile effort to do so.
Despite all the deprivations of war and the rebuilding, my father always said he had ‘lived through the best of times’. If he saw today the closing down of society, the fear created and the inevitable depression that will follow, he would be appalled that we have lost our sense of proportion and balance. He might even reflect that his generation’s sacrifice was in vain?
From: Keith Jowett, Woodland Rise, Silkstone Common, Barnsley.
THE Bank Holiday to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day has prompted me to recall May celebrations from my childhood in the 1940s. One action, now forgotten, was the marking of Empire Day on May 24.
The first Empire Day was celebrated on May 24,1902, the same date as the birthday of the late Queen Victoria. The day was celebrated, especially in Canada and Australia, as well as in the UK. As more and more countries of the British Empire became independent, it lost its importance in the 1950s and was replaced by Commonwealth Day, the second Monday in March.
We children organised our own Empire Day processions. A girl was chosen as ‘queen’ and a piece of lace curtain was attached to her shoulders as a train. The rest of us, armed with toy trumpets and drums, processed behind the queen singing.
It all seems so innocent in these modern times. I wonder if any of your readers remember this activity.
From: Ray Marshall, Mirfield.
I REMEMBER VE Day well. I was 11 at the time and living in Bingley. A huge bonfire beacon was lit. I was the second son in a family of seven. Dad had his own bakers and confectioners, but we were still rationed. I don’t remember anything but joy and celebrations on VE Day. Remember all those who gave their all.