Commemorating THE BIG WAR 1914-1918 (1 Viewer)

[Mitch]

Brett...

By quoting birthdays and weddings etc you totally miss my point. What I have clearly said is I find it rather disrespectful and, somewhat galling that we are making this much effort for this commemoration. a flood of poor products from mugs to book reprints and, everything in between because, its the 100th year since the start of WWI.

It seems lost in translation that I have no problem with memorabilia being produced and, would find it strange that it was not but, we did not have this Hoo- har last year or the year before and, for the most when we had these veterans alive many did not even know about them.

I know for a fact that many veterans have lived and died in poverty and, have had no recognition for what they did (I did work with a charity which, helped WWI and WWII servicemen) so, to hear people chump on about ''anniversaries'' and all excited about what's coming when in reality most did nothing or have interest in them or this conflict just makes me a bit, lets say, sick.

I made the point in the very first of many threads on these services when they said football and other events should be cancelled when several went stomping around the forum screaming blue murder for me, its a lip service and, almost an insult to make out it should be done because its the 100th year. I can guarantee you it won't happen the year after but, my annoyance is that its should have been done every year but, its selective remembrance that really does get up my nose. You either do it all the time actually making it a country tradition to pay respect to the fallen and wounded or, you don't. I would care nothing for not having shops open or sports events stopped if it had been each and every year.

As for the work and unemployed comment that's rather banal in the scheme of things as nobody is suddenly recruiting because of next years events. This forum is about opinions and such and, for me, I find most attached to this distasteful for the reasons I have clearly stated.
Mitch

Mitch,
I understand your comment about you personally paying your respects each year and in that respect the 20th should be the same as the 99th etc. That is fine for you as an individual.

However the reality is that many celebrate, commemorate or remember "more" on the major anniversaries. A comparison is wedding anniversaries where the 10th, 20th, 25th, 30th might be celebrated a bit more than the 9th, 19th, 24th and 29th. Same goes for 18th and 21st and 50th birthdays.

In relation to military anniversaries I have been involved in a few in Australia and yes I have made some money out of them. I commissioned an artwork and published prints for the 60th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Regiment. The RAR covers all infantry in Oz since 1948 and they have many reunions over the years. However since the former members are all around the country many only attend the "major" reunions organised such as 60th, 70th, etc. A similar thing happens with Vietnam reunions by various units etc. I know the Australian SAS had a massive reunion on their
50th but nothing much on their 51st.

Likewise I was on Committee for the final National Reunion of the Korean War vets held in Brisbane. That was held on the 50th of the end of the war and the reunion was much bigger than any before it. Luckily some denim shirts I ordered were not made in time otherwise I would have lost thousands as they only seemed interested in the baseball caps of which I did not make enough{sm2}. I dont think there was a National 49th anniversary. For the 50th some of the Vets received funding to help them attend.

I guess the same is happening in UK and Europe but here the Govt and the War Memorial has increased funding for the major events etc as compared to normal years. The 100th of Gallipoli is gearing up to be huge (the 40th Anniversary of Long Tan was a major event with all participants flown to Canberra for a memorial service). Here you will find the War Memorial (our Imperial War Museum) will be allocated extra funds and will revamp the WWI parts of the War Memorial.

As regards Toy Soldier company's making money out of producing WWI figures I hope they and their dealers do. However I am not sure that the current WWI collector base could support all brands producing good ranges of WWI figures. What I am hoping happens is that the figures will attract new collectors to the hobby (ie. more Waynepoos) and than can only be a good thing. The reality is that if TS producers are selling well then they can make more of each item which should mean better costings for them and lower prices for the collector.

If there are businesses in the UK who can come up with good selling WWI related products and make money from them then I say good luck to them. After all that is why they are in business. Businesses provide jobs and keep people off the dole.

Just another perspective of such major events.

Regards
Brett

 

[TomB]

Mitch,
I understand your comment about you personally paying your respects each year and in that respect the 20th should be the same as the 99th etc. That is fine for you as an individual.

However the reality is that many celebrate, commemorate or remember "more" on the major anniversaries. A comparison is wedding anniversaries where the 10th, 20th, 25th, 30th might be celebrated a bit more than the 9th, 19th, 24th and 29th. Same goes for 18th and 21st and 50th birthdays.

In relation to military anniversaries I have been involved in a few in Australia and yes I have made some money out of them. I commissioned an artwork and published prints for the 60th Anniversary of the Royal Australian Regiment. The RAR covers all infantry in Oz since 1948 and they have many reunions over the years. However since the former members are all around the country many only attend the "major" reunions organised such as 60th, 70th, etc. A similar thing happens with Vietnam reunions by various units etc. I know the Australian SAS had a massive reunion on their
50th but nothing much on their 51st.

Likewise I was on Committee for the final National Reunion of the Korean War vets held in Brisbane. That was held on the 50th of the end of the war and the reunion was much bigger than any before it. Luckily some denim shirts I ordered were not made in time otherwise I would have lost thousands as they only seemed interested in the baseball caps of which I did not make enough{sm2}. I dont think there was a National 49th anniversary. For the 50th some of the Vets received funding to help them attend.

I guess the same is happening in UK and Europe but here the Govt and the War Memorial has increased funding for the major events etc as compared to normal years. The 100th of Gallipoli is gearing up to be huge (the 40th Anniversary of Long Tan was a major event with all participants flown to Canberra for a memorial service). Here you will find the War Memorial (our Imperial War Museum) will be allocated extra funds and will revamp the WWI parts of the War Memorial.

As regards Toy Soldier company's making money out of producing WWI figures I hope they and their dealers do. However I am not sure that the current WWI collector base could support all brands producing good ranges of WWI figures. What I am hoping happens is that the figures will attract new collectors to the hobby (ie. more Waynepoos) and than can only be a good thing. The reality is that if TS producers are selling well then they can make more of each item which should mean better costings for them and lower prices for the collector.

If there are businesses in the UK who can come up with good selling WWI related products and make money from them then I say good luck to them. After all that is why they are in business. Businesses provide jobs and keep people off the dole.

Just another perspective of such major events.

Regards
Brett

Well done Brett....nice to know someone remembered the Korean War .the whole TS industry is about making money out of war....no Bucks...no toy soldiers....no collectors......Have I missed something?...never mind..Mitch will fill me in...cheers TomB

 

[ROUGH RIDER]

Don't know if this has been said or not. IMO shouldn't matter either way commemorating or celebrating as long as we NEVER FORGET! In my collection I do both.

 

[Rob]

Don't know if this has been said or not. IMO shouldn't matter either way commemorating or celebrating as long as we NEVER FORGET! In my collection I do both.

Very well said.

Rob

 

[The Military Workshop]

Mitch,
I thought my comparison with birthday and wedding anniversaries was appropriate and clearly you missed my points that many groups choose particular major anniversaries to remember more than others.

As is often the case your view is contrary to what most would think. Whilst many others have no issue with such major anniversaries you choose to look down upon them and somehow consider them disrespectful. Seems a bit dramatic to say it makes you sick.

Whilst they are only years and in some cases those who were involved are long gone the simple fact of life is most countries do it and for many different reasons. I guess you have similar issues with the Americans and their 150th of ACW and no doubt will when Australia has its 100th of Gallipoli and ANZAC days. Your comment "we did not have this Hoo- har last year or the year before" suggests you do not believe in the big commemorations. That is your right but in my opinion the vast majority have no such issues.

However I guess we can look forward for you to "rain on peoples parades" as various anniversaries come up.

Brett

 

[braddinpa]

I view it as if it generates more publicity and gets more people interested in the sacrifices. Then, it is worth it. The same thing happened with the 100th and 125th anniversary of the American Civil war. It brought more people to the Parks who wanted to learn about the Civil War. And at the 125th you saw a big spike in private battlefield preservations. Because of these efforts we have parks and additional acres in the bigger parks. And best of all. We have more people learning about the Civil War. I guess my point is with this additional publicity. You will see an uptick in interest. Which is the best thing that can happen, because it helps preserve their memory and what they did there. Anything. Just my thoughts. Brad

 

[sammy719]

Martin...

I don't think I have stated they should be ignored and, not you, but some, have used this view as they always do to make out its disrespectful to have such views and, that's narrow minded in the extreme. Its not about not wanting to pay respects (though, it plays peoples arguments if they can hang onto that idea)

I pay my respects each and every year on remembrance Sunday every year and, having a military and police family I have grown up with that. I just for the life of me cannot see why this is more important than the 20th commemoration or, the 99th. If you want to pay respects, buy or release WWI memorabilia why not have already done so, why wait until this apparently pivotal and all important number??

If people wish to find family heritage (children that is as its been used) why this year what it shows, for me, is that because its getting beaten to death in the papers and, by our politicians (though the fact that its used as a nationalistic event to keep Scotland part of the Union is a major factor) makes it somehow seem more important.

All of these things that are now bandied around IMO should have been in place on every single year that remembrance has taken place. To me, and, that's all that matters, it seems that we have focused more on the number than what it actually means and, that's what I dislike.

Now, some can take that as a disrespect to servicemen if they so choose but, an anniversary and a commemoration to me are two wholly different things and, what I have heard and seen in some circles makes me feel that we definitely are heading down the wrong road of terminology.

It would be naïve to believe that some are not seeing this as an event and a way to make a lot of money under the fog of national pride and respect for fallen troops.
Mitch

No need to be calling members "narrow minded" because someone doesn't agree with you mitch, once again you stated you thoughts on a topic on numerous posts and different threads so let it go at that...Sammy

 

[Rob]

I view it as if it generates more publicity and gets more people interested in the sacrifices. Then, it is worth it. The same thing happened with the 100th and 125th anniversary of the American Civil war. It brought more people to the Parks who wanted to learn about the Civil War. And at the 125th you saw a big spike in private battlefield preservations. Because of these efforts we have parks and additional acres in the bigger parks. And best of all. We have more people learning about the Civil War. I guess my point is with this additional publicity. You will see an uptick in interest. Which is the best thing that can happen, because it helps preserve their memory and what they did there. Anything. Just my thoughts. Brad

Brad,

You are absolutely spot on here my friend, if the anniversary and publicity gets more people interested then its nothing short of wonderful, the more who know the more who remember. And I also fully agree about the ACW 150TH, I found this website and it has got me wanting to go back to the States and vist all the major ACW sites;

http://www.civilwar.org/150th-anniversary/

We must keep passing the message on to the following generations, whether its the carnage of the ACW and WW1 or the hatred , racism and intolerance of Nazi Germany in WW2 . If the nation coming together en masse on a big anniversary helps this agenda then it is to be welcomed with open arms.

Best

Rob

 

[Martin Tabony]

I don't see the problem with marking a time span. Last year was not only the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict but also the 30th anniversary of the Hyde Park Bombing. I/ we remember our friends every year, but last year we made an effort to gather together, some for the first time in 30 years, that doesn't mean the other years were less important.

Martin

 

[Rob]

I don't see the problem with marking a time span. Last year was not only the 30th anniversary of the Falklands conflict but also the 30th anniversary of the Hyde Park Bombing. I/ we remember our friends every year, but last year we made an effort to gather together, some for the first time in 30 years, that doesn't mean the other years were less important.

Martin

Spot on Martin, its not that any year is more important we are just marking an anniversary of a significant amount of time and joining together and saying we STILL remember.

Rob

 

[braddinpa]

Thanks Rob! Very much appreciated! Brad

 

[Rob]

Another thing that has to be remembered here is that the 100th Anniversary of WW1 is only (although a big part) part of a bigger picture involving Great Britain and her remembering the past regarding WW1 and WW2. Over the coming years there is a plethora of memorials and new museums opening across the country. We will see a huge new building at Hendon, a new museum at Fighter Command Bentley Priory and a new visitor center on the White Cliffs of Dover all remembering the Battle of Britain. The Imperial War Museum is spending millions updating and creating new galleries for the WW1 Anniversary. Over looking the English Channel near Dover there is an ambitious project to build granite walls with the names of every single service man and woman who lost their lives in both Wars. This really will be something special. And of course just last year we had the superb new Bomber Command memorial opened in London.

All these are designed to cement in the memory of the people the sacrifice and suffering that produced the freedom we enjoy and take for granted every day of our lives. If it were not for those people who stood up we would still be living with the Nazi's and the hatred and racism they spread across the world like a plague, its easy for some of us to forget this as we collect figures and tanks.

Its for the above reasons I will always remember.

Rob

 

[braddinpa]

Well Said Rob. So future generations will never forget. Brad

 

[Poppo]

How else would you expect toy soldier makers to commemorate the start of "The Great War"? Do you also think all other military anniversaries should be ignored?

Martin

It should be done to commemorate the "end" of the war and not the " start"of it.......{sm2} Otherwise, it is not a "commemoration", but just a "business"..

 

[Mitch]

And here I totally agree with you!!
Mitch

It should be done to commemorate the "end" of the war and not the " start"of it.......{sm2} Otherwise, it is not a "commemoration", but just a "business"..

 

[Martin Tabony]

It should be done to commemorate the "end" of the war and not the " start"of it.......{sm2} Otherwise, it is not a "commemoration", but just a "business"..

What about a specific battle in the war, are we not allowed to mark that!

Martin