A sailors protection

            O Trinity of love and power!

Our brethren's shield in danger's hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

Protect them wheresoe'er they go;

From Eternal Father, strong to save by William Whiting 1860

Image: Blue sea and rocky outcrop 
 with breaking white waves

                                

Bear with me on this one. I promise that there is a point to this story. The dog has a rubber pig. It used to be stuffed and it used to squeak. Having been very well loved by the dog it is now hollow but he still likes playing with it.

Recently he took it with him to the beach and ran around with it for a while. Until he lost it. No more pig. It didn’t help that it was the same colour as the seaweed or that he was well below the tide line. It was gone.

Until a few days later. 

Running along the beach the dog stopped, picked something up and started throwing it around. It was the pig. Having spent a a few days being pushed around the bay by the tides and currents it had been washed back up onto the same beach where he had then found it. When it was time to go home though it was nowhere to be seen. It was gone - again.

Until a few days later. When it turned up on the slipway by the beach.

Image: Pug puppy (in-laws, not our sea dog) lying down chewing the pig toy

Sailors are a superstitious bunch and tend to believe in all sorts of things. Pigs and chickens are unable to swim and sailors believed that God would look down on these helpless creatures in a shipwreck and see them safe to land. Therefore by having the pig or chicken tattoo you will be safe from the terrors of the sea as the tattoo itself keeps the talisman close.

Image: Brown chicken scratching ground (taken in Brittany, France)

There is a very good reason for sailors to hang on to anything they feel will give them protection and keep them safe from the ravages of the sea whether is is singing hymns, getting a tattoo or any other expression of belief. Even now the merchant seamen, naval seamen, fishermen, professional skippers and others face dangers at sea and have the second highest death rate of any worker group (second only to loggers).

Plymouth is a naval city, built around the historic docks of Devonport. The city has been affected time and again by actions the world over and has been scarred and shaped by its past and its affiliation to the armed forces. On the Hoe overlooking the sound are the grand memorials to those lost at sea. The naval memorial lists hundreds of men (and women), including my Great Uncle. Further down by the Barbican, a smaller plaque recalls fishermen from the town who gave their lives doing their jobs. Behind each of these names is a story, a family and a person.

Image: Towering Portland stone column with naval crest. Mottled grey sky behind and wave of ceramic poppies sweeping upwards in front (from Blood swept lands and seas of red)

November is a month when we look back at our histories and the people who have shaped our country and our lives. From the services of light marking All Souls day and through to Armistice day, it is a time of quiet reflections for many including our family. Remembrance Sunday this year falls on November 11th and marks 100 years since the end of the Great War that tore Europe apart for four long years. The area we now call home was an sea plane base at that point and echoes of the past remain around the area.
 

Image: Memorial statue, cast metal replica of Sunderland Short flying boat propeller on white round stand with "for those who served 1917-2012" written around the base

Remembrance is a very personal thing. Memorials take many forms, not all of them are large stone structures. A wise woman once told me, many of the best reminders of our loved ones are simple items that we use or look at everyday. The living memorial of the thunderbox room marked with a tin hat and Cornish shovel at the lost gardens of Heligan are poignant in their simplicity. The gardens fell into disrepair after the majority of the gardeners were conscripted in 1914. Few returned and the gardens became lost behind closed gates, neglected and overgrown. They were discovered and nurtured in memory of all those who gave their lives in world war one. 

         Image: Bronze plaque, Cornish shovel and tin soldiers hat hanging on side of small stone walled building 

The Imperial War museum is trying to map and catalogue all of the memorials throughout the country including ones for specific individuals, groups or incidents. They are asking for the nations help to send in information or photos to help with this massive undertaking. If you want to join in with this project more information can be found on their web site.

We've had a stark reminder recently of how few ex-forces personnel actually survive to collect their pension at national retirement age. Many people are affected by conflict, directly and indirectly and for some the battles never end. Although there does feel like there is a greater general awareness of both the mental health issues and physical problems experienced there are still horrifying statistics of suicide amongst veterans. The Royal British Legion has a ministry of care, helping serving and past members of the armed forces and their families and they need our support. The national act of remembrance is coordinated by the British Legion across the country and poppies are a way not only of showing our respect for those who have fallen but also to help provide ongoing support, and protection, for those who are falling.

Image: sprig of rosemary (for remembrance) and red enamel poppy brooch with 1918 2018 in gold letters and small green leaf, both on black background

We will remember them.