Time to Pin a Poppy or Two

The First World War officially ended at 11 a.m. on November 11^th 1918. The following year, as some traumatised  soldiers began making their way home through France and Belgium, they noticed the profusion of red poppies in the fields which had been their battlegrounds. It is known that poppies proliferate on ‘turned earth’. 

Returning American ex-servicemen decided to make the red poppy their emblem. They found a woman in France to make poppies to raise funds for children who had suffered because of the war and asked her to make more for them.

Meanwhile in Britain, soldiers returning from the grimness of war found that life at home was hard. Many of the soldiers were wounded, disabled, suffering from shell-shock or the effects of gas. Many were physically or mentally unable to work. State provision was inadequate and they did not get the hero’s welcome they had been led to expect. So the various ex-servicemen’s societies united together in 1921 to form the British Legion. It was to become one of the most successful British charities ever.

The French woman who was helping produce poppies for the Americans suggested to the British Legion that they might like to sell poppies in Britain for their cause. The Legion approved the idea and in 1921, 1.5 million poppies were made and sold. The British Legion then decided to set up its own poppy factory with ex-servicemen making up the workforce.

Thus the Remembrance Red Poppy became an established part of British life, and it is still an important part of the Services of Remembrance up and down the country on and around November 11^th each year.

In the meantime, back to the First World War. The Women’s Cooperative Guild (founded in 1883) declared in 1914 that “Civilised nations should never resort to the terrible and ineffectual method of war for the settlement of international disputes.” Most of them were wives, sweethearts, mothers and sisters of the men who had been killed and they embarked on a campaign for peace.

In 1933 they were searching for a symbol which could be worn by their members to show they were against war and were for non-violent conflict resolution.

The CWS came up with the idea of the White Poppy. These are becoming more and more popular every year and are often seen worn together with the Red Poppy.

Sadly, ever since the Great War, there has been war taking place somewhere in the world. We are made aware of these dreadful wars and their impact on innocent civilians every day in the media, and particularly focusing on Syria at the moment.

Wearing the White Poppy proclaims a desire to renew our commitment to work and pray for World Peace and to remember the true costs of war and conflict on everyone. The Red Poppy remembers veterans and the fallen and wounded from all past wars.

Wearing both poppies will show people you are thinking of the future as well as the past.

My daughter, Karen, has been busy over the summer making long-lasting, felt poppy brooches. They are embroidered and have a safety pin on the back. You can buy a Red poppy (£2.50), a White Poppy (£2.50) or a Dual Poppy (£4.00) brooch. 

These poppies held raise funds for Brighter Future to care for our children and adults with HIV and leprosy in India. We also give 50p from the sale of every poppy for the British Legion (last year we sold 73 Red Poppies and sent a cheque for £37 to the British Legion).

If you have a group of friends at work, church or elsewhere, we will be pleased to send you a selection of poppies ‘on account’ for you to sell to them.

Give me a call, or text on 07505 792915 or email me at pmanya.norris@gmail.com.

They actually make a pretty year-round decoration for a coat, jacket or hat!