RussInCheshire

I write this pretty much every year, to explain why I won't wear a red poppy. Nothing at all to do with hating Britain or not supporting veterans, or being a lefty do-gooder, or any other blame you want to pin on me

It's because of my dad's uncle Tommy.

Tommy Parry joined up to fight in WW1. Some in the family say he was underage, but I don't know.

Regardless, he was at Passchendaele, where he was shot by a machine gun.

Nov 10, 2022 at 3:23pmWeb
Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022

As he lay injured, a shell exploded nearby, and the mud it threw up pretty much buried Tommy.

One of his pals saw part of him sticking out the mud, and he was dragged back to his trench, presumed dead.

As Tommy told it, his pals "dug me up to bury me".

The policy was not to retrieve bodies. Officially, those like Tommy were abandoned.

But Tommy was still alive.

Eventually, with an effort, he could walk again. But he rarely worked again due to his injuries and the effects of shell-shock.

Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022

He was left deaf in one ear from the noise of the shell. And very traumatised.

Tommy died when I was a tiny baby. I have no memory of him at all. All the info I have is based on what my dad (now also dead) told me.

But Tommy hated poppy day. Not from disrespect to his pals, or those who died or suffered, but from a loathing of those who used that sacrifice to bolster jingoistic, mindless patriotism.

Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022

Those attitudes led to the war. They led to the millions of dead and wounded. And Tommy wanted no part in it.

I have complete respect for those who serve on our behalf, and I'll give money to the appeal.

But I have to hear Tommy's story, and do as he would wish.

So I won't wear a red poppy. I'll wear a white one, for peace. And I'll donate to groups that help those still suffering from the countless wars.

Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022

But I'm not going to lend my voice to the jingoism. That's how a million kids like Tommy got left for dead in the first place.

And when I see MPs glorying in how very red their poppy is, it repulses me.

When I see them boasting about the emblems of wars that caused millions of deaths, countless suffering... it worries the hell out of me.

Cos glorying in it is the opposite of what's needed.

Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022

By all means, respect the dead. But this empty swaggering is all wrong.

Mindless, nationalistic flag-waving leads to politicians making decisions so they can look strong, rather than because it's what's needed.

It's dangerous. It's what Tommy hated. I agree.

I'm telling you this cos it's my story. Your story will be different, and however you choose to commemorate (or not) is fine.

But please remember: the choices people like me make are not out of disrespect.

So don't kick off about it.

Show threadScimon ProctorNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire very well put.
Show threadAdam Jacobs 🇺🇦Nov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire Tommy (and many others) fought precisely so that people like us would have the choice to wear a poppy, or not, depending on what feels right to us.

Seems to me you are honouring his memory 100% appropriately.

Show threadWarren OatesNov 10, 2022
@statsguy @RussInCheshire I'd agree with you if it were WW2, but it's WW1 which was just pretty pointless and senseless on all sides. Should never have happened, so many died or were impacted life-long for nothing.
Show threadAdam Jacobs 🇺🇦Nov 10, 2022
@warren_oates @RussInCheshire Yeah, I was wondering if my WWII-ish point really translated to WWI. Maybe it doesn't. Still, not Tommy's fault.
Show threadWarren OatesNov 10, 2022
@statsguy @RussInCheshire yes indeed, not Tommy's fault nor the fault of most involved. Not sure if you've come across it yet but I recently watched the new film of 'All quiet on the western front'. Really highlighted the futility of WW1 to me.
Show threadAdam Jacobs 🇺🇦Nov 10, 2022
@warren_oates I haven't seen it, but will look out for it. I know a little bit about WWI but definitely feel that it's not enough.
Show threadThe Dennis SuterNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I was always taught that it was to honour the dead on both sides. Hard agree about the flag shaggers.
Show threadIan C ⚒ 🇺🇦Nov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire FWIW I (Dad a Burma Star, Mum a WAAF) wear mine for the same reason.

I absolutely will not let the flagshaggers own it.

Show threadLucy O'HNov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire being the child (and incidentally grandchild - never met) of someone who served, I'm very clear that their greatest wish was people moved on and put their effort into creating something better.

They weren't about jingoism, he though that were lucky if they were on the 'right side' because of geography and recognised if you weren't you had limited choices. He wanted people not to keep commemorating victory but to find a better more cooperative future.

Show threadDanny MonaghanNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire totally agree, and from memory when I was a kid it was much less in your face. Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly 🤔
Show threadChrisl300Nov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire Our local cemetery and war memorial are covered in tacky giant poppies.
There are many people buried in the cemetery who helped the war effort such as miners who dug the coal that kept the trains moving to transport troops and ammunition
This fetishism of military dead is distasteful and disrespectful of others.
Wear a poppy if you want to, but don't make it an obligation or then it means nothing.
Show threadRob MiddletonNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I bet because it’s Mastodon that people wouldn’t kick off about your tweet like they would on Twitter anyway! But thanks for sharing. My father’s side of my family were in the military and didn’t ever buy poppies because the Royal British Legion hadn’t helped a relative injured at war. I tend to contribute if I can given times have moved on. But performative stuff is indeed actually the opposite of what the event should mean.
Show threadRob MiddletonNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire *toot not tweet.
Show threadAlastair 🐟 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 🇺🇦Nov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire Well said. My great uncle was killed in WW1, not by a German, but when a trench collapsed, suffocating him. Every year my mother collected for the British Legion, but at least as far as I remember, never wore a poppy. I respect people who do, but it's personal - something you do for yourself and nobody else.
Show threadIngeNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I'm a veteran and your choices are your business, not mine, unless you share them. It's a shame that others feel entitled to kick off about it, as you put it. You have made so many good points here, thank you for sharing Tommy's story. I also hate the mad glory fest that wearing a poppy has become in certain quarters.
Show threadApocalypseCrafterNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire my youngest is at primary and they really push for them to buy poppy stuff. It is all about fashion accessories and consumerism which makes me so uncomfortable.
Show threadBadger CooperNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I love so much about this country and always wear a poppy but I’m also always deeply uncomfortable about jingoistic flag waving and how so many terrible actions are as a direct result. Totally get where you’re coming from Russ
Show threadJayne 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈Nov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire

I am a veteran. I served in the WRNR (as it was then) from 1977-1983 and until the poppy nazis came out in force, I always wore a poppy.

The more I researched the jingoism and war-mongering associated with the poppy and the poppy appeal, the more uncomfortable I became.

Now I only wear a white poppy for peace and a purple one for the unwitting animal victims of war.

Show threadSandeha LynchNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I watched the new version of All Quiet on the Western Front over the past three days. Comparing the bright young faces at the beginning of the film to the horror in the eyes of those few survivors at the end makes a strong impression.
Show threadMoosterNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire In a neighbouring village poppies have been trumped by soldier silhouette garden statues. I find it rather distasteful, as if having a statue makes you more devoted to your country. I think patriotism requires us to challenge the govt when we think it is acting contrary to the principles and ideals that made us proud of our country.
Show threadNemesisRidesNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire
Can I just add a link that covers the history of the #Poppy.
Also, the #UnknownWarrior is literally just that. No one knows his identity or Nationality.
We all remember those who have died to protect our freedoms in different ways. For me, I know I would never of existed if Hitler had won. For that I & my family shall always be grateful.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-we-wear-poppies-on-remembrance-day
Why We Wear Poppies On Remembrance Day

The poppy is the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War. It is strongly linked with Armistice Day (11 November), but the poppy's origin as a popular symbol of remembrance lies in the landscapes of the First World War.

Imperial War Museums
Show threadMy Little PonfarrNov 11, 2022
@RussInCheshire I'll always buy a poppy and wear it. I'll never deck my house out with 8ft plastic poppies and Tommy cardboard cutouts, whilst wearing a poppy suit, and calling someone unpatriotic for not treating remembrance Day like Halloween.
Show threadChroniques d’une communicanteNov 13, 2022
@RussInCheshire don't understand the point: how disrespectful would it be to commemorate the dead?
Show threadTryst 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇮🇪  Nov 22, 2022
@RussInCheshire 🧵 --> https://meow.social/@tryst/109336450079771255
Tryst (@[email protected])

Content warning: military service and mental health

meow.social - the mastodon instances for creatures
Show threadDave WarnockNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire I had a Great Uncle who every day had to bandage a wound on his leg that never healed from a gas attack in WW1 trenches. Another whose mental and physical health never recovered from being a prisoner of war on the Burma railway. Another killed in WWII, etc
I can't cope with politicians who glory in wars.
Show threadtimhattonNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire Agreed. Money in the collection box, poppy in the pocket works for me.
Show threadGussetsNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire Don't forget the bastards claim for their poppies on expenses.
Show threadMelissaPuddingNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire
Agree, we need to hear their stories and people need to respect our reason for wearing a white poppy
Photo: white poppy with Peace written on green centre.
Show threadlee_patrickNov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire

I see it as a personal choice but I won't be shamed into wearing one. The more that's pushed the more I resist.
As a kid I sold them (Sea Cadets) and attended the services.

Show threadJoel DinisNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire
Show threadJames @ Temples of Syrinx 💠Nov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire Hi Russ, can I respectfully - as a follower from the birdsite and backer of your book - ask you add a CW to your toots that may be triggering to others (war/PTSD in this case) and make only the first toot in a thread public, and the rest unlisted. Let's try and keep this a more caring place than the hell site.
Show threadRussInCheshireNov 10, 2022
@SyrinxTemple Good call, I've added it now. I'm gonna get loads of things wrong, but I like to learn to be better. Cheers
Show threadJames @ Temples of Syrinx 💠Nov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire Thanks . I'm relatively new here too, learning from my mistakes as well.

Must say being able to fix them with the edit feature for free and not pay $8 for that functionality is great too!

Show threadJoel DinisNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire thanks for sharing.
Show threadJose GarciaNov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire

The Poppy filled me with disappointment. When I was three I thought everyone was wearing it to celebrate my upcoming birthday. I was so disappointed to discover the truth.

Show threadDavid Colquhoun on BlueskyNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire
Me too
Show threadJust Tom... 🐁Nov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire

My mother's uncle, on the way back to the front lines, was killed by an "accidental discharge of his rifle". I have always suspected that was an euphemism. Her father returned a broken man with PTSD and major anger management problems.

Show thread🇪🇺 #AgainstLies #RichSunakConsNov 10, 2022

@RussInCheshire I recall when people bought ceramic poppies planted in a field in the Tower of London. They then sold them off.

But Sheila Hancock suggested they should have been scythed down.

She was right. Do not sanitise war and glorify the butchery.

Show threadLouLou 🕷❤️ Nov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire excellent thread, Russ. I'll wear a white poppy too
Show threadWildKippersNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire - Yes indeed. Never forget but don't be taken in by the jingoism, hark back to empire propaganda & 'Britain won the war' tropes fuelled by the right wing in all its forms. There is no 'good' war. Thanks - as ever an enlightening contribution. Glad I found you again on Mastodon ...
Show threadGussetsNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire
Well said. One of my grandfathers died of after effects of injuries not long after WW1, the other lost toes to frostbite in the.trenches.
I refuse to wear a red poppy, and though I hate the way it's turned into a show by the local British Legion (all too young to have been in WW2 but all a bit obsessed with war), our vicar also holds a small, more personal service outside on the 11th as well, which I'll go to.
Show threadGillyDeeNov 10, 2022
@RussInCheshire My great Uncle Bill lost his legs at Galipoli. He spent a brief time in hospital on his return and married his nurse - Alice. He trained to be a cobbler but when Alice died he moved into a British Legion home in Blackpool - as a child visiting him with the addition of a trip to the beach was always a treat. I’ve always donated to the appeal and worn a poppy to support those like him.
Show threadJames Carrier 🔭Nov 11, 2022
@RussInCheshire I grew up with a good deal of respect for the forces as many of my family served, but the fetishised, performative aspect to remembrance I find distasteful. I hate the blind panic with which poppies are foisted onto anyone appearing on TV, lest their absence be used as a stick to beat the broadcaster with. I choose to wear one to acknowledge the sacrifices made by so many, but those sacrifices were surely as much about the right to make personal choices.
Show threadKirsten Robbins IlesNov 11, 2022
@RussInCheshire my great grandfather was sent to Passchendaele in 1917 but hospitalised days before the battle began. I have his notebook from the war documenting his journey from Boulogne to Arras to Passchendaele. My great uncle was killed near Ypres in 1914 aged 19
Show threadMary BraggNov 11, 2022
@RussInCheshire my grandfather was in France in WW2. When one of their tanks crushed 2 men he was ordered to leave them and push on. He did not and he and his men stayed up all night to save their colleagues. He never spoke about the war to me but I have his letters to my Grandma. His best friend killedbhimself after serving in Crete. My dad was born in a bomb shelter. My other Grandad built planes. He narrowly escaped death when a colleague swapped shifts with him
Show threadChrisNov 13, 2022

@RussInCheshire

……..pray you’ll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

-Sassoon

Show threadMartinNov 15, 2022
@RussInCheshire Only just come across your toot about remembrance. My great grandfather fought in the First World War on the western front (conscripted), my grandfather fought in North Africa and Italy (D Day dodger)….they hardly spoke about their experiences…..I remember grandad Jack almost in tears about seeing bodies washed up at Salerno though. I can’t remember either of them wearing a poppy.