The Poppyscotland Blog

The announcement that the Scottish Government is establishing a £1 million fund to upgrade Scotland’s war memorials in time for the First World War commemorations will be welcome news in many villages, towns and cities across the country, where an increasing number of monuments, while still solemnly standing, are deteriorating with the passage of time and are in need of repair. But would this substantial amount of money be better used to provide practical support to those Servicemen and women who return home from operational service with life-changing injuries and significant adjustment issues?

There are between 5,000 and 6,000 war memorials in Scotland. Some are impressive statues or rolls of honour, prominently placed in high streets and town centres; others are very small plaques in less conspicuous locations, ranging from schools to places of work. However, behind the lists of names, common to all is the loss and sorrow felt by tens of thousands of families whose husbands, sons, fathers and brothers did not come home. They are a reminder of the consequences of war and the sacrifices made.

Poppyscotland’s foundations are built on Remembrance and more than 90 years later Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday are two very major occasions in our calendar.  Paying tribute to the Fallen is an extremely important element of our core principles and values, albeit our charitable objectives do not extend to the maintenance of war memorials. However, in addition to being the custodian of the poppy, the iconic symbol of Remembrance, we focus in our work on providing practical support to veterans and their families living in Scotland. A small but significant minority of men and women who leave the Armed Forces find it difficult to adjust to civilian life. Our work centres on making a difference to their lives to help with financial, physical and psychological difficulties. When the UK withdraws its Forces from Afghanistan in 2014 the issues affecting veterans will still be present and there can be no certainty that, in our volatile world, there will be no new conflicts that may come to involve our Forces after that. Poppyscotland, like many other charities that rely on public donations to carry out their work, will be needed for a long time to come.

We therefore recognise there must be a balance between remembering those who have died in conflict and providing support to those who have returned home.  Yet times are hard and money is hard to find. Not every need can be met. Should we focus on one or the other or, as a society, should we attend fully to both? What do you think?

Here’s a seasonal question for you.  Just how should we regard the Poppy?  Is it something to be bought as a matter of absolute duty, or is its meaning becoming unacceptably politicised?  Has its significance become ambiguous? Should there be some sort of popular consensus on what it means?

You might expect me, as the Chief Executive of the organisation running the Scottish Poppy Appeal, to argue everyone should buy and wear a poppy as a matter of course, as a solemn, public act of respect for past sacrifices made on our behalf.  After all, haven’t these preserved the freedoms we pretty much take for granted?  I don’t however, propose to do that.  Yes, of course I want as many people as possible to wear a poppy.  Yes, I do want the Appeal to raise as much as possible to help those in Scotland’s Armed Forces and Veterans’ Community who are in need.  And yes, I would like there to be a consensus that the poppy is a symbol of remembrance and respect for those sacrifices, for the people everywhere to be utterly convinced that in giving to the Appeal they are doing something very worthwhile.  However, I fully recognise and respect that for some, it’s just not that straightforward. The poppy means different things to different folk, for a host of different reasons. That’s the dilemma the poppy can pose.

Poppy collections across the country at Remembrance time

There is undeniably some unease that the poppy has or could become a political symbol.  Some feel its custodians are demanding, even enforcing, its ubiquitous, all-but-mandatory display on people’s lapels, on our TV screens, on newspaper mastheads, all across the land.  Some sense an implicit accusation that should they consciously choose not to wear a poppy, they are spitting on the flag, despising those who made these sacrifices.  I’d say that is definitely not the case.

The poppy has its origins on the blood-soaked battlefields of the Great War.  Though its colour is redolent of blood and suffering, its growing so doggedly on soil continuously disturbed by shellfire was seen by soldiers as a symbol of hope and renewal, despite the horror and carnage.  Over the years, some have sought to extract political capital from the poppy, but they have been widely and rightly despised for doing so.  The poppy remains an enduring, unchanging symbol, which enables people to pay tribute to and remember those who lost their lives in conflict.  It is not and never has been a political symbol.  Wearing a poppy does not mean one approves of war.  It seems to me quite evident that the public long ago sent the clear signal that it supports and empathises with our troops, but that support, and the wearing of poppies by millions of us at this time of year, does not equate to support for the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

A little girl looks at the crosses in the Field of Remembrance

In remembering each November, people very understandably contemplate the human cost of war and waste of lives.  Their thoughts are frequently be coloured by their own families’ experiences.  One of my grandfathers fought at Gallipoli during the First World War.  He would never talk of his experiences.  The other was in contrast a conscientious objector, a deeply committed Christian who felt the commandment not to kill was just not open to debate.  I am immensely proud of both.  Their combined legacy was that I was raised to regard wearing the poppy as a symbol of respect, gratitude and remembrance, but also as a very pointed reproach, to politicians for allowing wars to happen and to commanders who were hideously wasteful of lives.  Not everyone will agree with that, but I still see things very much that way.  I suspect quite a few other people will too.

Anyone deciding not to wear a poppy is exercising their freedom of choice in a free society.  As far as I’m concerned, there’s not much point to having freedom if people don’t exercise it. As the apocryphal Oxford don said when given a white feather during the 1914-18 war, “Madam, I am the civilisation men are fighting for.”  A civilised society must permit people the freedom to dissent lawfully, without fear of any consequences.  Poppyscotland, as the charity behind the Scottish Poppy Appeal, firmly believes that wearing the poppy is a matter of individual choice.  People who do not wish to wear a poppy shouldn’t feel pressurised into wearing one.  Our role is to acknowledge the reality of war and to work to deal with its impact on the lives of Servicemen, women and their families, whom we exist to help.

That brings me on to the other very practical side to the poppy.   As well as being the symbol of remembrance, the poppy raises much-needed funds to help those injured or damaged in conflict, and their families.  Though Poppyscotland fundraises all year, we rely wholly on public donations and the Appeal accounts for the great bulk of our income.  We thus aim to be as visible as possible each November, because we need to raise as much money as possible.  Demands on our services show no signs of diminishing.  A small but significant number of veterans leaving the Armed Forces continue to have difficulty in adjusting to civilian life.  Some may have suffered horrific injuries, some may struggle silently with psychological issues and, for others, the loss of the security of the Armed Forces means that dealing with everyday issues such as finances, finding a job or housing becomes a completely overwhelming and isolating.

Veterans’ problems won’t evaporate when UK Forces leave Afghanistan.  Poppyscotland will need to be there for them for the long, long haul.  The simple act of people giving a donation makes it possible for Poppyscotland to address veterans’ problems. When someone joins the Armed Forces family they can take comfort in knowing they will always be part of that family.  But to know they are also remembered and supported by the public means a whole lot more.

Yesterday’s dreadful incident in the Moray Firth involving the loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, the tragic deaths of three of their crew and serious injuries to a fourth, set me thinking. A phrase kept coming into my head – “train hard, fight easy”.

I was in the RAF for 16 years. I wasn’t aircrew. Most of my service consisted of undertaking administration in support of those who did fly. I nonetheless worked closely with, and had many friends among, the aircrew on the stations I served on.

Nine of them died in uniform. I can’t say off hand how high a proportion that is of the whole; I served with literally hundreds during my time. I can’t and don’t pretend I knew anything like all of them personally and I don’t imagine those who lost their lives were a large percentage of the total. Nine lives cut short is nonetheless nine families bereft, nine bright stars come crashing down, with all the long-term sadness and loss that entails.

Of those nine, four were killed in two separate crashes on exercise in Germany in the eighties. One of those crashes was a mid-air collision with a German Air Force Alpha Jet in which the two German crew also died. Two flew into the ground during the build-up to the First Gulf War; another was killed in action in the same conflict. Another, working as a test pilot, crashed into the English Channel on a test flight of a Harrier. The last was killed only a couple of years back in a mid-air collision between two air experience flights, which also, appallingly tragically, claimed the lives of two teenage air cadets and the other pilot involved

Our forces are at present heavily engaged on combat operations in Afghanistan. Fatalities and casualties occur periodically and are very properly accorded appropriate prominence in the media, as well as deep respect and reflection by the public. Yet note how many of these aircrew fatalities were the result of accidents during training or not on direct combat operations: eight out of nine.

It is in the nature of battle that different elements of the armed services face different degrees of danger. Over history it has been the infantry who have tended to fare worst, but other arms of the services also incur greater or lesser degrees of peril in action at different times. Being bomber aircrew was, for example, notably hazardous during World War 2; though still a dangerous role, it is less so now. In thinking of the risks our servicemen and women run, it’s easy however, to overlook the steady cost, in terms of lives and sorrow, of training hard in order to fight easy (not that anyone ever truly does fight easy). It’s not just the RAF this applies to either. Service in the Royal Navy and the Army also entails the risk of death and injury in training activity, because training in the Armed Forces isn’t like training to play football or swim the Channel. It’s frequently training on high performance equipment, calling for fine margins of judgement, often at pace and under pressure. Things go wrong. Equipment fails. Errors are made. Lives are lost or severely damaged. It’s a necessary price, because without it, still more lives would be lost in action. It’s an awful price nonetheless for anyone to have to pay.

Training losses won’t end when the war in Afghanistan finally does. No matter how hard the services try to minimise these, they are, and will continue to be, an element of Armed Service, a risk our soldiers, sailors and airman run willingly and courageously.

Training as well as battle losses are recorded at the National Memorial Arboretum, a moving and fitting haven of tranquillity and commemoration. In time the names of the three deceased Lossiemouth aircrew will be added there. We owe them, and all the others like them an immense debt of gratitude and respect.

Ian McGregor, CEO Poppyscotland

This week the last known surviving service member of World War I, Florence Green from Norfolk, passed away aged 110.  In 1918, aged just 17, Florence joined the Women’s Royal Air Force and worked as a mess steward at two RAF stations.

Her death, coming less than a year after that of British-born Claude Choules, the world’s last known combat veteran of World War I, means we can no longer engage with and hear at first-hand the accounts of those who were part of the Armed Forces during one of the most devastating conflicts in history. Florence didn’t serve at the ‘sharp end’ of the Forces, but she was part of the wider Armed Forces’ effort.  She was a witness to a period of huge upheaval, uncertainty and for many, tragedy, a terrible mix of waste and sorrow, yet often achievement too.  We all tend to witness the noble and ignoble aspects of human nature at points during our lives, but her generation – and that of the Second World War – perhaps did so more widely and starkly than  most in succeeding generations.

One of our most important historic chapters has closed with the passing of a remarkable generation of people with fascinating stories to tell. The poppy ensures that they won’t be forgotten. Our organisation was created to provide practical support to those damaged in body and mind by their wartime service and to desperate and destitute families of the dead and wounded. Almost a full century on since the outbreak of World War I, lives are still being destroyed by war; and our work continues unchecked. The numbers we seek to help today may not, thankfully, be on the scale of the First World War, but that doesn’t make things any easier for those affected. There have been many conflicts since the World Wars – too many to list –  but each one has made a mark on history, as well on as the lives of those who fought and their families.  We have been there throughout.  We will continue to be there for as long as we are needed.

As well as the practical support we provide, a big part of our work is educating Scotland’s young people about remembrance. In 2008 we launched an education project, Sowing the Poppy Seed, to help school pupils understand and learn about remembrance. Up until then, some schools had carried out lessons on remembrance but it was not part of the curriculum; awareness varied very greatly from school to school. A survey carried out by The Royal British Legion in 2006 showed that many young people in Scotland were confused about the history behind Remembrance traditions, with 75% having no idea what the abbreviation ‘VE Day’ stood for.

Over the past four years every school in Scotland has been given access to Sowing the Poppy Seed. Learning materials have been produced with an emphasis on online content to make the project comprehensive, accessible and engaging for teachers and pupils. It has been received with much enthusiasm and the feedback from schools has been extremely positive.

We are the beginning of a long journey to ensure that future generations will understand and remember, now that the Great War generation has finally passed in full. We must instil a belief in the importance of remembrance amongst Scotland’s school pupils so that when they reach adulthood they pass it on to future generations, ensuring that people like Florence, with their memories and stories, are never forgotten.  It’s a vital task, one we are very privileged to undertake.

The close of 2011 is all but upon us.  It’s hard to resist looking back at the last year’s events, but harder still to avoid spouting platitudes about them.  So, with that in mind I’ll abjectly apologise for offering one straight away: 2011 has been a remarkable year for Poppyscotland.  It really has.

The year saw the 90th anniversary of the first Scottish Poppy Appeal.  That in itself was remarkable.  Remarkable too, is the fact that its purpose would be recognised as unchanged by those involved in that first 1921 Appeal, but as to how we’re trying to achieve it, I’ll simply say that’s changed just a tad.  We’re still here to help and support Scotland’s Armed Forces and veterans in the long haul, just as ever we were, but how we do that is constantly evolving in new and exciting ways.

We clocked up some notable successes during 2011.  In March we announced another record Scottish Poppy Appeal total of £2.35m.  Our Social Media profile has mushroomed, reflecting burgeoning public interest in our work and in veterans’ welfare generally.  This hasn’t gone unrecognised either.  Our Marketing and Social Media work was nominated for awards by SCVO and the Herald Digital Awards.  We were awarded a Gold Star at Scottish Marketing Society Awards in May and received a commendation earlier this month at the Social Buzz Awards.  Our show garden swept the board, winning four awards, including a Gold Medal and Best in Show at the Gardening Scotland festival in June.  We benefited from too, from a whole variety of engaging fundraising events, ranging from our Hearts and Heroes Challenge in May to the St Andrew Sporting Club Boxing event last month.

June was pretty important.  That month we successfully concluded merger negotiations with The Royal British Legion (RBL) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and joined the RBL group of charities.  This has been a huge breakthrough.  It’s not only given us an enhanced voice in the veterans’ welfare debate, it’s also bringing new investment to enable us to do more and better for those we serve.  The benefits of this have been quickly apparent.  The RBL was this year instrumental in persuading the Government to enshrine the Armed Forces Covenant in UK law.  In addition, initial additional investment by RBL in our fundraising enabled us to stage our Small Remembrance Cross initiative this November.  Not only did this give the public the opportunity to commemorate their loved ones in a newly-established Field of Remembrance in Princes Street, Edinburgh, expanding and enhancing the existing Garden of Remembrance in close collaboration with the Royal British Legion Scotland, it has also to date raised a total of £240K in new donation income.  We can moreover, also now call on RBL research resources and expertise hitherto well beyond our reach.

I could write a lot more about what we’ve done, but what about what you’ve done in 2011?  Well, for starters, the record Scottish Poppy Appeal total is really down to you, not us, and for all your support, commitment and generosity, we are immensely grateful.  You also, by the way, managed quite a few other good things.  You helped over 1300 veterans and their families with grants to assist them through difficulties.  You provided funding to 15 veterans’ organisations, totalling £1.8m, financing projects ranging from housing for disabled veterans to horses for equine therapy for severely injured serving personnel and veterans.  You got the Armed Services Advice Project off to a stunning first year which brought financial benefits of over £400K to veterans in need.  That’s twice what it costs to run, a pretty good return in terms of practical help given.  Again, I could go on – my point is that our achievements are really yours and, well…….you’ve done really not badly, haven’t you?

I’d like there to be no need for Poppyscotland.  I guess people felt the same in 1921 and hoped the Scottish Poppy Appeal wouldn’t still be taking place 90 years later.  Sadly, there remains that need and it’s not going to go away.  We’ve a job to do, for the long, long haul, and we need to have many more years like 2011 to meet that need.  For us, it’s been a year to look back on with satisfaction, even though we don’t yet know how much this year’s Poppy Appeal has brought in.  What we do know is that we can’t be complacent.  We have to raise our game again next year.  That could be seen as a daunting prospect, given that times are tight for many people.  However, with supporters, volunteers, donors and friends like you, it should be possible.  For that and for all you do for Scotland’s Armed Forces and Veterans Community, thank you very much indeed.  I wish you a very safe and prosperous 2012.

Ian McGregor
Chief Executive, Poppyscotland

Following the very moving Remembrance Sunday events across the country yesterday, the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal is officially over. Well, not quite. For our team of fundraisers at Poppyscotland, a critical stage in the process is only just beginning. After months of planning, followed by the delivery of an exciting and vigorous poppy campaign, which culminated in street collections across the country on Saturday, there now begins the mammoth task of counting the money. This is a process that will take weeks, even to give us an indication of how this year’s campaign compares with 2010.

Cadets joined veterans, students and supporters to collect as much money as possible for the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal

I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow on Poppy Saturday and met just a few of the thousands of poppy collectors who gave up their weekend to help the cause. There were school pupils in blazers, uniformed military cadets, students in fancy-dress holding a ‘rag-raid’ competition, veterans with medals and supporters of all ages and from all manner of backgrounds – all with the shared aim of collecting as much as possible for the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal.

Members of the public proudly wearing their poppies

Our two retail units had prime positions in the respective cities so that people could buy items from our merchandise range, along with their poppies, and, importantly, the weather was exceptionally kind. By the end of the day a hugely encouraging number of shoppers and passers-by were wearing poppies in preparation for Remembrance Sunday. We look forward to status updates from the rest of the country but I am sure that the enthusiasm of the public and collectors that I witnessed in the central belt was repeated Scotland-wide.

Students in fancy-dress take part in a poppy rag-raid competition

The 2010 Scottish Poppy Appeal was a record-breaking success and everyone at Poppyscotland hopes that we will exceed last year’s £2.35 million so that we can provide even more support to Scotland’s veterans and their families. However, we must wait patiently. At the end of September over five million poppies were distributed to our team of 500 area organisers who, with military precision, distributed them in shops, schools and businesses, co-ordinating vast numbers of collectors in preparation for Poppy Saturday.

Over 60,000 poppy tins were on Scotland’s streets during the 2011 Appeal and each one now has to be picked up by our local co-ordinators who then organise the counting and banking of the money. When the money arrives at Poppyscotland HQ it is allocated to the area organiser’s file so we can keep a record of the total raised and then send letters and certificates of thanks and appreciation. A large portion of the income arrives by Christmas but there is a long tail to the collection process and the final figure will not be announced until the end of March.

So, while we wait, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my grateful thanks to everyone involved in the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal. As a result of your generosity and kindness, veterans and their families across Scotland can receive vital support that will have a hugely positive impact on their lives. Thank you very much indeed.

Ian McGregor, Chief Executive, Poppyscotland

Like thousands of other people across the country, I stood silent at 11am for two minutes to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Armed Forces. Today is Armistice Day and at Poppyscotland’s head office in Edinburgh, we were joined by workers at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory and pupils from Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School and The Mary Erskine and Stewart’s Melville Junior School. We all gathered round the flag pole in the car park and listened out for the firing of the Edinburgh Castle Gun to announce the start of the Two Minute Silence.

Crosses at the Afghanitsan plot in the Field of Remembrance at Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh

When the Castle gun fired to mark the end of the two minutes, one of the pupils laid a wreath and another read Binyon’s Lines before a piper played Flowers of the Forest. Every year we join together to pay our respects in this way and every year it is no less of a poignant and emotional experience.

It is heartening to see the country pause and collectively share a moment to remember. In two days’ time, on Remembrance Sunday, the nation will join together again at war memorials up and down the country, to pay their respects to the Fallen.

While veterans and serving personnel prepare for remembrance services and parades at war memorials, this week has seen questions and discussions arise in the media about whether there is too much pressure to wear a poppy and is it being used as a political symbol. Poppyscotland firmly believes that wearing a poppy is matter of personal choice. Members of the British Armed Forces have fought and died for our freedom. If people choose not to wear a poppy they have the right to express their views and we completely respect that. The poppy is categorically not a political symbol. It is the national symbol of remembrance for those who died serving their country.

There is another important aspect to the poppy. As well being the symbol of remembrance, it raises vital funds for veterans today. Ninety years on, the Scottish Poppy Appeal is needed as much as ever before. An increasing number of veterans leaving the Armed Forces today have difficulty in making the adjustment from military to civilian life. Some may have suffered horrific battlefield injuries, some may struggle silently with psychological issues and, for others, the loss of the security of the Armed Forces means that dealing with everyday issues such as finances, finding suitable employment or housing becomes a completely overwhelming and isolating experience. Poppyscotland is here to help these veterans and their families, now and in the future. Once someone is part of the Armed Forces family they are always part of that family, which very much includes Poppyscotland and other Armed Forces charities.

This year, in between Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday, is Poppy Saturday. There is no ceremony to mark this day but it is no less of an important date in the Remembrance calendar. In cities, towns and villages poppy collectors will be out in force, offering the public a final opportunity to buy a poppy in 2011. Over five million poppies are made each year by veterans with disabilities at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory. They are then distributed to 500 volunteer organisers, who ensure that their local areas are stocked with poppies and that a band of helpers is ready to take to the streets. This army of organisers and collectors is around 10,000 strong and there is no doubt that, without the dedication and hard work of all our volunteers, the Scottish Poppy Appeal could not happen.

In 2010 the Appeal raised a record £2.35 million, a 5% increase on the previous year and a doubling of income over the past five years. The public’s support for the Appeal continues to be strong and I hope that they will respond just as generously this year so that we can continue to provide support to Scotland’s veterans’ community. 

So, as we prepare for our final opportunity to raise funds during the 2011 Scottish Poppy Appeal, I extend my deepest thanks to everyone involved, from volunteers and collectors to supporters and members of the public who will be putting money in the tins in exchange for a small red paper poppy that has provided life-changing support to veterans for the past ninety years and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Ian McGregor, Chief Executive, Poppyscotland

Recent events in Libya have once again put the work of our Armed Forces, and the many demands placed on them, very firmly in the spotlight.  In addition, they have highlighted just how many British people, including very many Scots, live and work overseas.   I recall years ago hearing people described as being Scotland’s greatest export.  Given what Scots exiles have contributed over the years to their new homes overseas, that may not be such a glib observation as it might at first seem. 

When Scots move abroad, only a minority choose to sever ties with their homeland.  Most maintain a strong interest in what is happening in Scotland.  It can take some emigrants many years to stop thinking of Scotland as home, indeed sometimes this perception can transcend generations.  Second, third and fourth generation – and more – Scots living abroad think of themselves very much as Scots, albeit as Scots Australians, Scots Americans, Scots Canadians or whatever.  They take with them Scottish customs and practices; I still have vivid memories, when myself living and working in Australia for a spell, of being woken in the mornings by the Sydney Scots College Pipe Band practising behind my digs.

Robert Currie, left, President of the Clan Currie Society in New Jersey, presents a cheque to Poppyscotland Chief Executive Ian McGregor

Bearing this in mind, it was with particular pleasure that last week we welcomed a visit by Mr Robert Currie of New Jersey, the President of the Clan Currie Society.  The Clan Currie Society runs the Pipes of Christmas event in New York and New Jersey and in 2010 the event included a tribute to the late legendary piper Bill Millin, who defied enemy fire to pipe for his comrades during the D-Day invasion.  Mr Currie also very kindly presented us with $300 donated to Poppyscotland by members of the audience at the Pipes of Christmas concerts.  We were touched and impressed by the interest these Scots Americans showed in our work.  There are of course, ties between the different poppy charities around the world so we should perhaps not be surprised at the Scottish poppy being known far beyond our own shores. 

We would however, be very interested to learn of anyone else overseas who follows our work.  Is there anyone else out there who would like to get in touch?

Ian McGregor, Chief Executive, Poppyscotland

I wonder if visitors to our website will be as intrigued as I was to read the following letter from which appeared in The Times a few days back:

“Antipathy towards the military was once part of the student’s liberal credo – especially for those like myself who passed through the LSE. Not so today. The military is coming to symbolise not an aloof or anachronistic sphere, but rather the embodiment of civic virtues that are being eroded in an increasingly defunct civilian society.

Part of the reason why troops are bathed in public approval is because they are seen as a tonic against the individualism in modern society, in which words such as courage, discipline, respect, integrity, loyalty and selflessness (the British Army’s core values) merely invite sniggers.

For many young people, the Armed Forces’ commitment to duty, honour and country serves as a flag to which they can rally.

Andreas Stradis
Department of Classics
University of Bristol”

Mr Stradis certainly presents a very interesting and challenging view of how attitudes may have changed over the years. Certainly his hypothesis fits very well with the fact that at Poppyscotland we are finding that the young are increasingly prominent in the tremendous support the public gives to us. Do blog readers see things the same way as Mr Stradis? We would be fascinated to hear.

Ian McGregor, Chief Executive, Poppyscotland

I was recently given a copy of a DVD of the excellent Norwegian film Max Manus.  The film, which I strongly recommend, depicts the story of a Norwegian resistance call during the Second World War, the film’s title being the name of the group’s leader.  It is both stirring and moving, all the more so for being closely based on true events. 

What made it particularly notable for me however, was the fact that its actors were young – very young men and women playing very young men and women.  This is far from the norm.  Indeed, we are so accustomed to seeing actors in mid and later life playing soldiers, sailors and airmen in their twenties that we can lose sight of the fact that our serving servicemen and women are predominantly very young indeed.   When they suffer as a result of their service, they often face many years with difficulties or disabilities.

Time doesn’t stand still of course and, young veterans eventually become old veterans.  Sometimes, notably when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder, problems stemming from experiences during military service can take many years to come to the surface.  It is however, a salutary to have a reminder – as if the daily news footage weren’t enough – that it is our youth who are engaged on operations in Afghanistan and when they suffer as a result, it is our youth who need our help – now and for the long haul.