Homemade poppies from Langley travelled internationally to the gravestones of six Canadian veterans in England last month.
The idea was sparked when Langley Lodge volunteer coordinator Judith McBride, made an interesting discovering while visiting her parents’ gravestones at a graveyard in the village of Wye, England last year.
“I was wandering around and found six Canadian soldiers from World War I.”
Upon returning to Canada, McBride wanted to honour the Canadian veterans’ graves, so she made homemade poppies with resident veterans at the Langley Lodge.
McBride said one of the veterans who helped make the poppies served in Canterbury, which neighbours the village of Wye where the Canadian soldiers are buried.
“They were thrilled about it,” said McBride.
In October, McBride flew to England, accompanied by her daughter and 9-year-old grandson, Jack.
Together they adorned the Canadian graves with the homemade poppies from the Langley Lodge.
“Our veterans made up plaques saying ‘we haven’t forgotten you.’ My daughter, grandson and I went and put flags on the graves of the soldiers. It was moving.”
McBride’s grandson Jack was pleased to help his grandmother with the poppy project.
“He was so blown away this was a hundred years ago. When you’re nine it seems impossible. His great granddad was in the navy in World War II, so he figured he had a connection with this whole thing.”
McBride added she’s trying to find out more about the six Canadian veterans buried in England.
“There’s got to be a story behind it.”