11th of the 11th of the 11th

[Jock Scot]

Thank you Stobie for your kind reply but I hate to correct you Sir, its hour, day, month here maybe its different in your neck of the woods. Kit

I think the British way is hour, day, month and if required, year, I am not sure what the rest of Europe do, but as per usual it seems to be done differently in North America? It certainly seems to be an American thing. Mrs Jock has the date printed on her photographs automatically and I really find the month coming first very confusing.

We have just returned from spending three days on the Somme in France. Beautiful weather, beautiful surroundings and the farming is impressive, but it could not hide the awful human waste that occurred there in 1916. I have been before, but as I am now a lot older I find the beautifully maintained military cemeteries that are so close together all rather emotional. It was brought home when we drove across the battlefield from one side to the other at the widest point of advance after some 5 months of continuous fierce fighting and it took us just over 5 minutes!

I am trying to download some pictures but it seems my computer and photobucket are not talking to each other.

The poppy was worn with pride by us, a wreath of poppies was laid at the Thiepval Monument where over seventy two thousand names(British and Commonwealth) of those who fell in that battle who have no known grave are remembered. Sadly my family have a name placed there. On another day a single poppy was placed on a post in the nearest fifty acres of where he fell near Gommecourt on the first day of the battle and what did we see by the post that was chosen(with the amazing help of google earth) as "the place"? A wild poppy, still in flower, growing there. A tough one that.

"Lest we forget."