Let's Avoid Making the Humble Poppy a Far-right Symbol
Perhaps I have been unaware, but I had no idea, nor did my friends and acquaintances, that the symbolic poppy has been appropriated by the far right. (Neil Mackay, “The poppy has been hijacked by the far right – this is why I won’t wear it”, November 6).
Family History of Sacrifice
My recently deceased father survived the Normandy landings. His father was wounded at Passchendaele by shellfire and was evacuated to the Netley receiving hospital on Southampton Water, where he refused to have his legs amputated. He was transferred through 12 hospitals before returning to Passchendaele, fighting in all conditions wearing his kilt. When he passed away, he still carried shrapnel dangerously close to his spine and had a hole in his buttock big enough for a fist.
Personal Loss and Lasting Impact
My mother’s boyfriend was lost with all hands when HMS Kite was torpedoed in 1944, a fact my father only recently shared. This loss affected her deeply throughout her life. Such stories reflect the dedication and resilience of those who fought to protect our democracy and country.
The Meaning of the Poppy
My father shaped our belief in supporting the Earl Haig Fund and stressed the importance of wearing the poppy with the words, Lest we forget. I remember him standing to attention with tears in his eyes during the minute of silence every year on the eleventh day of the eleventh hour of the eleventh month.
Neil Mackay: "Why I can't risk wearing a poppy this year"
Author’s summary: The poppy remains a profound symbol of sacrifice and remembrance, whose meaning should not be overshadowed by far-right appropriation.