Made famous by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem ‘In Flanders fields’, the red poppy has been a symbol of remembrance for the lives lost on the battlefield since the time of the Great War (1914-1918).
"In Flanders Fields" In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
This year, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the falling silent of the guns at then end of that war, and we remember everyone who's been killed, injured or otherwise effected by the Great War or any wars since.