I lived and worked in Budapest and Sofia for a few years. Quite rightly, Rememberance Sunday was regarded as a major event amongst the expat community. I don't think I have ever felt so reflective about life as I did during those occasions. The Budapest Commonwealth War graves cemetary is in a beautiful setting on a site provide by the Hungarian Government on the edge of the city. Hungary wasn't an active theatre of war for Commonwealth troops but the lives of many young air crew were lost on bombing raids targetted at enemy forces in Poland (planes would fly across Hungary from liberated Italy and many were brought down in flight). The graves of young Brits lie alongside their colleagues from Australia, South Africa and many Polish volunteer airmen.
In Sofia the Commonwealth war graves (mainly WW1 and aircrew again) has a section in the main cemetary. It neighbours the French and German war graves. And on Rememberance Sunday each of the sections are visited in turn and a short service performed in memory of all the young lives lost regardless of nationality.
Yet again we had the discussion in our house as to whether CfW jnr shoudl play football or go to Rememberance Sunday service with his Scout troop.
On the face of it Rememberance Sunday service should win out every time but I think there's something very right about letting the young do the things that demonstrate that those who died for our freedom did not do so in vain.
And all matches in our league this Sunday wil be preceded with a minute's silence so everyone will get the chance to pay tribute even if it's only in a small way.
Also as a referee I shall have the honour of leading a minute's silence at least once on Sunday which makes me very proud.
I mentioned my Great Uncle Sam Tebby above. I have subsequently discovered two more distant Tebby relatives who died in World War 1 and in World War 2, which to my shame I should have mentioned previously, my late father's cousin, Ronald J Tebby, who was also killed.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission site shows 13 people named Tebby who have died in the two World Wars. When you consider that the 1911 Census shows a total of just over 200 people named Tebby that is a hell of a sacrifice by one family name in my view.
I'm sure other families have suffered similar losses and sacrifice.
93 years ago in January my great grandad died in the war, just a few months before my grandad was born. One of his brothers also died in the war, September 1918, not long before it all ended.
My great nan re-married and had another son, who went on to have four sons himself. Strange thought that a whole family and their descendants wouldn't have existed had my great grandad not died in the war.
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RIP SAM
In Sofia the Commonwealth war graves (mainly WW1 and aircrew again) has a section in the main cemetary. It neighbours the French and German war graves. And on Rememberance Sunday each of the sections are visited in turn and a short service performed in memory of all the young lives lost regardless of nationality.
A very humbling experience.
On the face of it Rememberance Sunday service should win out every time but I think there's something very right about letting the young do the things that demonstrate that those who died for our freedom did not do so in vain.
And all matches in our league this Sunday wil be preceded with a minute's silence so everyone will get the chance to pay tribute even if it's only in a small way.
Also as a referee I shall have the honour of leading a minute's silence at least once on Sunday which makes me very proud.
as Remembrance Sunday is nearly here.
I mentioned my Great Uncle Sam Tebby above. I have subsequently discovered two more distant Tebby relatives who died in World War 1 and in World War 2, which to my shame I should have mentioned previously, my late father's cousin, Ronald J Tebby, who was also killed.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission site shows 13 people named Tebby who have died in the two World Wars. When you consider that the 1911 Census shows a total of just over 200 people named Tebby that is a hell of a sacrifice by one family name in my view.
I'm sure other families have suffered similar losses and sacrifice.
I thought Remembrance Sunday was before 11 November but was wrong. So here it is again.
It will be 96 years since Sam Tebby, my great uncle, was killed on Monday.
RIP my relatives and others too.
RIP Great uncle Sam.
My great nan re-married and had another son, who went on to have four sons himself. Strange thought that a whole family and their descendants wouldn't have existed had my great grandad not died in the war.
RIP
Named on the Menin Gate Len.
Missing in Action aged 29 - along with 54,390 other unidenfied casualties in the Flanders region.
God bless them all.