Disathairne seo chaidh, latha cuimhneachaidh na chailleadh sa Chogadh Mhòr, agus anns gach cogadh a ghabh àite bhon uairsin. Ged a tha bliadhnaichean a’ dol seachad agus ìomhaighean luchd-gaoil ’s dòcha a’ ciaradh chan eil teagamh nach còir cuimhne a ghleidheadh orra uile agus air an ìobairt a thug iad às leth na dùthcha, agus ceartas is saorsa. Mar a tha mi air a ràdh sa cholbh seo roimhe ’s e fìrinn cùise nach robh roghainn aig a’ mhòr-chuid de na chaidh dhan chogadh, bha iad air an òrdachadh ann ach cha do lagaich sin an cuid gaisge is dìlseachd nuair a b’ fheudar dhaibh a dhol ri uchd a’ bhlàir. Bho chionn ghoirid bha caraid ag ràdh rium gun robh e doirbh dha gabhail ris na faclan “glorious dead” air an Cenotaph, oir ciamar a b’ urrainn dha bàs dòrainneach cogaidh a bhith glòrmhor?
Mar a bha fìor dha mòran b’ e glè bheag a chuala mise bhom athair no a bhràithrean, neo bho bhràithrean mo mhàthar, mu na chunnaic neo na dh’fhuiling iad tron dàrna cogadh. Bha iad uile an sàs ann eadar an t-Arm, an Cabhlach Rìoghail, neo an Cabhlach Marsantach, agus ged gu fàbharach a thug iad am beatha às saoilidh mi gun do dh’fhàg am fèin-fhiosrachadh làrach air choreigin orra uile. Chan eil latha nach eil iad nam chuimhne, ach aig an àm seo den bhliadhna tha na smuaintean is na cuimhneachain sin nas treasa is nas cianaile, agus nam measg cuimhne air fir à Leòdhas is à Uibhist a Tuath air an do chuir mi eòlas air turas gu ruige na Pòlainn faisg air dà fhichead bliadhna air ais. Aig an àm bha na fir sin mun aois a tha mise an-diugh, agus bha iad air tilleadh airson a’ chiad turas chun na làraich san robh iad am bruid nam prìosanaich-cogaidh, agus cuid nan tràillean, an dèidh dhan Roinn-fheachd Ghàidhealach 51 a bhith air a ghlacadh aig St Valery san Ògmhios 1940. B’ e urram da-rìribh a bh’ ann dhòmhsa a bhith nan cuideachd, a’ farchluais air cuimhneachain èibhinn is bhrònach, agus ’s iad na feadhainn dhuilich a bu lìonmhoire. Nuair a thog mi ceist mu bhith a’ caitheamh na buinn-cogaidh a fhuair iad tha aon fhreagairt làidir nam chuimhne. “Greadhnachas! Carson a bhithinn moiteil daoine a mharbhadh? Thilg mi bhuam iad!”
Tha na laoich sin uile nam inntinn is mi a’ sgrìobhadh seo, agus cho làidir is cho cianail ’s a bha na cuimhneachain a bh’ aca air na caraidean nach do thill dhachaigh, ach tha cuimhne agam cuideachd air mar nach robh gràin neo rùn dìoghaltais aca air a’ mhòr-chuid de na “nàimhdean” ris an robh iad a’ cath. Cha robh rùn cogaidh aig mòr-chuid de fheachdan gach taobh, bha iad fo òrdugh! Tuigidh sinn uile, gu ìre, dearg chuthach feirge Israel ri linn ionnsaigh bhrùideil Hamas, ach tha fhios nach còir sluagh Phalestine a sgrios mar phàirt de dh’ionnsaigh dìoghaltais Israel air Hamas.
Last Saturday was Remembrance Day when we honoured the memory of those lost in wars since 1914 and it is right and proper that they be remembered, and their sacrifice acknowledged with honour. Many of those lost were ordered to battle, rather than have volunteered, but they served their country with courage and valour, in the cause of peace and freedom. Recently, a friend told me he could not accept the Cenotaph inscription of “glorious dead” as there could be nothing glorious in horrific death on a battlefield.
Growing up I heard very little of their wartime experiences from my father or his brothers, or from my mother’s brothers. They all served across Army, Royal Navy, and Merchant Navy, and while all mercifully survived, I feel they were somehow scarred by suffering. They are regularly in my thoughts but at this time of year, these memories are more powerful and melancholy, and among them I recall men from Lewis and North Uist with whom I, as a broadcast journalist, travelled to Poland almost 40 years ago. They were then roughly the age I am now, and they were returning for the first time since their release in 1945, to locations where they had been held prisoners of war, some of them enslaved, after the 51st Highland Division’s surrender at St Valery in June 1940.
It was a very great privilege to travel with them and to record them for Gaelic and English radio documentaries, eavesdropping on humorous and painful memories of their five years in captivity. My question about displaying war-service medals was met with a blunt response from one old soldier. “Trinkets! Why would I be proud of killing people? I threw them away!”
They are all in my mind as I write this, and I remember their deeply emotional memories of friends who died as prisoners, and I also recall how there was no desire for revenge against the majority of their former opponents. They understood that there had been little desire for war by the majority on both sides in the Second World War, but they were under orders!
While we can understand, to a degree, Israeli fury and despair following the barbaric attack by Hamas, surely the entire Palestinian people should not become collateral damage in Israel’s revenge on Hamas.