18 July 2007

If I should die, think only this of me--- Wordless Wednesday

That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever

Niue

America

Czech

(From the Soldier by Rupert Brooke) These gravestones are this week's Wordless Wednesday entry.

The first photo shows the grave stones of four WWI volunteers from the Pacific island of Niue who served on the Western Front and who died in 1916 at the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital in Hornchurch. This earlier post tells their story.


Raimund Sanders Draper was an American pilot serving in the RAF. He sacrificed his life rather than crash his Spitfire into a Hornchurch school. The school's name was changed from Suttons to Sanders Draper in the 1970s. This post from last year provides more information about "Smudge" Draper.

I know nothing about Elzalel Konvalina except that he would have served with the RAF's 313 (Czech ) Squadron which was based at RAF Hornchurch at the time.

All of these men are buried in or near St Andrew's Church in Hornchurch. All of them gave their lives frighting in wars far away from home.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

they are our heroes ...
love the photo treatment!

happy WW

MommaBoo said...

An amazing tribute. Our fallen deserve our respect and honor.

Thank you!

Happy WW!

Anonymous said...

What a nice tribute, and what moving photos for Wordless Wednesday.

Shirley
Choosing Voluntary Simplicity

Anonymous said...

very powerful photos. Thanks for sharing those, Jams. have a great Wednesday.

Stacie said...

What a moving post.

Melanie said...

What a great post, very moving. Wonderful photos.

Alison said...

The sight of them always makes me sad, such little stones all in a row.

I'll never forget the time when I managed to get a picture of a relative's grave in Libya from WW2. It was the first time any of us had 'visited' for obvious reasons in 60 years. They cried.

Sandee said...

How good of you to honor these 4 brave men. Excellent Wordless Wednesday post. Have a great day. :)

jams o donnell said...

THanks All. I can imagine how emotionla seeing your relative's war grave would have been.

PA said...

Beautiful images, thanks for the comment about my WW, was stunned to come over to yours and see New Zealand, that's where I'm from.

SandyCarlson said...

Thanks for another reminder of the importance of reminders in the form of monuments. Poignant. Thanks.

Jenn in Holland said...

sobering and beautiful.

Katya said...

Thank you for this very thought provoking tribute, Jams. So many have put their own lives on the line for others...I believe it is something that most of us cannot understand, but a high calling from God.

jams o donnell said...

thanks all

Beaman said...

I love that poem.

Pearls of Wisdom said...

Very powerful pictures but I love the poem

Smiles and Blessings,

Angel ( Angel Mama )

Anonymous said...

Great poem and a powerful post.
Happy WW

bounce said...

Great post, it's sad to have loved ones die so far from home

Frank Partisan said...

Again a powerful post.



Regards.

FRIDAY'S CHILD said...

Very patriotic.
Mine is up too.

impwork said...

There is always something moving about gravestones photographed in black and white but when there is a story to go with them they are far more moving. Thank you.

letha said...

The people who fought a war for more than money and power, the people who gave us freedom, the true heroes.

Melissa @ Banana Migraine said...

A wonderful tribute.

Mama Duck said...

Wow, beautiful.

Anonymous said...

RIP, great pictures.

Barb said...

Very moving..

An Ordinary Mom said...

I am so grateful for all the men and women who sacrifice their life for my freedom!

Le Butterfly said...

I hope I don't have to see many more graves in my life time.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful tribute.

Happy WW!

Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls

Anonymous said...

Touching tribute. May we always remember those who have fallen.

Miscellaneous-Mum said...

Again, I love coming here to see what you've got in store for us :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful tribute.

jams o donnell said...

Thanks all!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for dropping in to my little bit of Ireland. My pic was taken in the Capitolio Nacional, Havana in Cuba earlier this year!

The Minute Man: Colin Chang said...

may good bless their souls. Happy WW.

FatBlokeThin said...

Nice one Jams. It's easy to forget that the second world war wasn't a Hollywood movie...

Anonymous said...

Moving tribute. I like what you have posted here.

Thanks

Nancy Lindquist-Liedel said...

I love the starkness of the photos and the quiet comments they make on a heroic life, ended too soon.

jams o donnell said...

thanks all. Thanks misslionheart I was wondering where that statue was. My own links are pretty close to Ireland myself

Cinnamon Girl said...

What a lovely WW =)

Sherry said...

I'm glad that each one has such nicely done headstones.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

I'm weird in that I find old gravestones really interesting and lovely. Great WW, jams.

Ever noticed how the newer stones can be really garish and overdone?

jams o donnell said...

I love old churchyards. Many of them are left to get overgrown in parts which adds to teh attraction - well it's not as if the residents will complain is it. Some cemeteries have ruls about the size of memorials so we dont get so many garish ones now. Some of the Victorian cemeteries are great though.

The Minute Man: Colin Chang said...

The answer to this week's WW : Guess-It is up~ Head on down and take a peak and see if you won!