FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Awa B.Bah
9 November 2009
"Pray for and salute all those brave men and women who stood up against tyranny for the freedom of the human race" - PRO Bojang
As the country commemorates this year's Remembrance Day to recall the ultimate sacrifices others have paid so that the rest of us can live in peace and freedom enjoyed in many parts of the world, the armed security services of The Gambia, The Gambia legion and voluntary organizations held a march pass on Sunday the 8th of November 8, 2009 at the July 22nd square in Banjul.
The commemoration attracted the elders who fought in the world wars, members of the Gambia armed forces, the Gambia Red Cross society, The scout band and the Girls Association. The programme also witnessed the two rounds firing of guns and two minutes silence was also observed to remember the heroes who have gone. It also occasioned by the laying of wreathes by different personalities.
In his commentary the PRO of the Gambia National Army, OB Bojang gave a brief history of the day as foillows:
"We are gathered here today, like we do on the second Sunday of every November each year to commemorate, to reflect and to pay homage to all war veterans who participated in all wars throughout the world especially in world wars 1 and 2.We are here to remember the sacrifices of those who fought of peace ,to reflect and take pride in the heroism of those who gallantly shed blood and laid down lives for justice to prevail and we are gathered here to pray and salute all those brave men and women who stood up against tyranny for the freedom of the human race."
According to him, the history of the Remembrance Day Parade dates as far back as 1918 at1100am, on the 11 of November1918, to be precise. This was the exact moment when the guns felt silent in the western Front during the first world war after more than four years of continued warfare. The 11hour of the 11th day of the 11 month attained significance in the post war years. It becomes universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in war. The first WW had brought about the mobilization of 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one third with no known graves. The Allied, nations, comprising of such countries, America Britain, France , Canada and other Commonwealth countries including the Gambia chose this day and time for the commemoration of the war dead" he added.
Bojang further went on to inform the gathering that
"On this day every year we pay special homage to those who died in the services for their counties. We remembered the brave men and women for their courage and devotion to ideals. We must remember them because there homes and families and friends,
for a collection of traditions they cherished and the future they believed in. By remembering their services and sacrifices, we recognize the tradition of freedom, those men and women fought to preserve. They believe that their actions would bring about a significant difference for the future."
He counseled that "it is up to us to ensure that their dreams of peace are realized. On Remembrance Day we acknowledge the courage and sacrifices of all those who served humanity and we also acknowledge our responsibilities to work for the peace day fought hard to achieve."
Bojang also went further to inform the spectators that "Remembrance Day is also known as Armistice Day and Veterans Day in some countries. Some countries observed it on the 11 of November every year and some countries on the second Sunday of November. The commemoration of the day is marked by various activities such as military parades, observation of prayers and two minute silence, visiting of memorials and laying of wreaths at cenotaphs, wearing of poppies etc."
He added that "during the period of remembrance day ,it is common to find both serving and ex-service men and women and indeed members of the general public wearing the poppy on their garments. The history of the poppy is greatly linked to a medical doctor and military officer of the Canadian Armed Forces by the named of Major John Mc Crae who later became Lt. Col." He is said to have served "in Europe with first Field Artillery Brigade during the First World War. In April 1915 John M c Crae was in the trenches in the area traditionally called Flanders . Some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place there " Bojang explained "While in the trenches, John attended to hundreds of wounded soldiers. He was surrounded by the dead and the dying. In a letter to his mother he wrote the battle of Flanders as follows. "The general impression in my mind is of a nightmare. We have been in the most bitter of fights. For seventeen days and seventeen nights none of us have had our clothes off, nor do we remove our boots even, except occasionally.
In all that time while I was awake gun fires and rifles never ceased for sixty-seconds and behind it was the constant background of the sight of the deaths, the wounded , the maimed, and terrible anxiety, less the line should give way. On the second may 1915, one of John closet friend by the name of Lt. Alexis Helmer was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave. At that period of time, wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friends or any of the others who have died, John wrote the following poems to give them a voice. the poem is titled 'in the Flanders fields' office blow between the crosses. Row on row that marked our place, and the sky above, the larks, still bravely signing flies scarcely heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days we lived, we saw down and felt the sunset glow, we loved, and were loved. And now we lie in Flanders fields. Take up your quarrel with foes. To you from failing hands we throw the touch. Be your to hold it high. If you break faith with us who died we shall not sleep. Though poppies grow in Flanders fields."
According to Bojang " John McCray's In Flanders fields remain to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Y press salient in the spring of 1915.The poem has come to serve as a voice for all those who died in the war and it continues to be heard each Remembrance Day. In part because of the popularity of john s poem, the symbolic poppy was adopted as the flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain , America , France , Canada and other commonwealth countries including the Gambia . The poppy is a remembrance of those who died while fighting for peace. We were them as reminders of the horrors of conflict and the peace they fought hard to achieve," he concluded.
We also went to the Fajara War Cemetery . It was indicated that during World War two many fallen British and Gambian service personnel were buried randomly all over the country, often ten bodies to a grave. It is explained that In 1949 Major Thompson, the officer commanding the British Army in The Gambia decided to rebury them in a concentrated area. The Fajara war cemetery is repotted to be constructed in 1049. The exhumed bodies were buried with Muslims kept on one side and the Christian on the other side. The cemetery contains 203 graves of the Second World War dead. They comprise, 122west Africans, 63 British,10 Canadians,2 Australians,2 New Zealanders ,1 Rhodesian, 2 French and 1 Norwegian.
The present site of Arch 22 was the location of the European cemetery where some servicemen were said to have been laid to rest. The government decided to re-enter the land and the remains were transferred to the fajara war cemetery and the Jeswang cemetery.
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