IN November the Island, together with communities around the globe, will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Only a tiny number of people now have any direct memory of that horrific conflict, but images of the mud and slaughter of the Western Front are ingrained in our consciousness thanks to flickering film and fading photographs taken on the battlefield.

As part of this year’s commemorative effort, some insight into the conditions of trench warfare has been provided in the incongruous setting of Samarès Manor’s grounds.

High explosive, bullets, shrapnel, gas, rats and lice may well have been absent from the replica trench excavated there, but it nevertheless painted a graphic picture of the defences created by the Allies and the Germans when war ground to a stalemate in Flanders and France.

Even given the limitations of re-enactment, the trench also taught a graphic history lesson to the Victoria College Cadet Force members who spent 36 hours manning it over the weekend. They were not subject to bombardment, attack or long-term privation, but who can doubt that the experience was both informative and formative?

Meanwhile, the annual Poppy Appeal was launched on Sunday at the Cenotaph in the Parade.
This fund-raising effort, which saw £110,000 donated by Islanders last year, has as its focal point the flower that is emblematic of the First World War. We must, however, remember that as well as bringing to mind the events of nine decades ago, the appeal is also a practical exercise in the here and now, helping injured servicemen and women, those retired from the services, and their families.

As we all know, war as a phenomenon did not end with the Armistice of 1918. Wars great and small, together with the suffering attendant on them, continued to scar the world in the remainder of the 20th century and, alas, are still a feature of this new millennium.

With this — and the sacrifices still being made by Britain’s armed forces — in mind, we must all give generously to this year’s appeal. We can rest assured that the money we donate in exchange for the right to ‘wear the poppy with pride’ will be used for the most worthwhile of causes.