SIR ANTHONY SELDON, 1918 COMMEMORATION AND MEMORIAL PATHWAY

[Guest]

 The distinguished historian, headmaster and homme d'affaires, Sir Anthony Seldon has raised concerns that the 1918 Armistice commemorations may be unduly muted due to the on-going  contretemps over "Brexit"-which, being directly political,  is off limits here. There are a number of references to his view on this on Mr. Google's Apparatus.

 

         Sir Anthony has also raised pleas for the construction of a memorial pathway to honour the wishes of an officer killed in 1915, which is possibly likely to be overlooked in view of the above. I  post the following on Sir Anthony's full  remarks  so that the memorial pathway issue may have the chance of an airing.

(Acknowledgements to "The Daily Mail")

 

Centenary of the end of WWI deserves a major commemoration – but risks being toned down to avoid offending Remainers or Brexiteers, warns historian Sir Anthony Seldon

• Sir Anthony Seldon called for 'major' event in 2018 for 100 years since armistice
• Concerns about offending both sides of debate risks 'muting' commemorations
• Historian wants a 'pathway of remembrance' to be built along the Western Front 

By Rory Tingle For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 18:12, 29 December 2017 | UPDATED: 22:45, 29 December 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sir Anthony Seldon called for the 'major' commemoration in 2018, which will mark the end of the four-year war, to be 'properly marked'

The 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War risks being toned down over a 'fear of offending' Remainers or Brexiteers, a Downing Street historian has warned.

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, called for the 'major' commemoration in 2018, which will mark the end of the four-year war, to be 'properly marked'.

The academic added the importance of the war should be 'etched onto the young' and all generations, most of whom do not have the 'haziest idea about its significance'.

'Major anniversaries on this scale are very rare and need to be properly marked. The bloodiest war in the history of the world till then needs to leave behind a very significant legacy,' he said.

'There is a danger that the fear of offending one side or the other on Brexit will lead to the centenary being muted.'

The university chief urged the Government to keep alive the memory of troops who were killed in the First World War, by fulfilling the wishes of a young officer who wanted a pathway of remembrance to be built along the Western Front.

2nd Lieutenant Alexander Douglas Gillespie wrote from the frontline shortly before he was killed in 1915, asking for a 500-mile pathway to be erected with collaboration between British and French governments.

 

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The academic said the importance of the war should be 'etched onto the young'. Pictured: A Yeoman Warder inspects ceramic poppies outside the Tower of London installed for the anniversary of World War One in 2014

 

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Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry visit The Tower of London's 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' installation

 

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Almost 900,000 British and Commonwealth troops died in the war between 1914 and 1918. Pictured: Armistice commemorations in Colchester, 1930

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5221467/WWI-commemorations-toned-avoid-offending-people.html#ixzz53F8MBJod 
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[sassenach]

I'm intrigued as to what a "Downing Street historian" is?

[Steven Broomfield]

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

I'm intrigued as to what a "Downing Street historian" is?

 

Dan Snow? He must be in there somewhere.

[Gareth Davies]

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

I'm intrigued as to what a "Downing Street historian" is?

 

A historian of Downing Street/PMs/Govt.

[sassenach]

So a historian of Downing St etc (i.e. Sir A Seldon) rather than a historian who happens to be based there, or some kind of "official" historian....must be, I suppose. Oddly put, though.   

[Louis Stokes 1916]

That's the Daily Mail for you...