Kids must not forget WW1

IN Amiens, France, on Wednesday Prince William led tributes to those who gave their lives in the 1918 battle which brought about the end of the First World War. As he laid a wreath, a British schoolgirl recited the Ode of Remembrance: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.” But she and the other youngsters at that moving service will soon be in the minority. Because 44 per cent aged 18 to 24 have no idea when the Great War took place and a third can’t name our allies. Research by Ancestry.co.uk reveals millennials are ignorant about the 1914-18 conflict. Most don’t even know if relatives were among the millions who died to protect their freedom. Ancestry’s Russell James said: “This suggests many are in danger of forgetting the war’s significance. “Discovering how grandparents and greatgrandparents were affected would be a start – reminding them of the facts of the Great War, and remembering why we remember.” I recently talked with a remarkable man, Verdun Hayes, 102, pictured above. His father was fighting on the Western Front in 1916 when he wrote to ask his pregnant wife to name their son after the raging Battle of Verdun. It proved the longest and bloodiest of the war, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives.

BEYONCE revealed this week that she’s loving her new Fupa – and it caused a right hoo-ha. What the heck is a fupa? Because if Beyonce’s got one, the world will want one, right?

Fashionistas and celeb watchers feared they must have missed the hot new smartphone or exercise device or designer handbag... or was it a breed of dog?

Until a quick Google revealed that the acronym stands for Fat Upper Pubic Area. Yep, Beyonce has got a bit of a belly. The “I’ve always been incredibly proud of my name and it’s association with history,” Verdun, told me. “I feel I carry the legacy of all those poor souls who fought and gave their lives.”

Verdun later became a wireless operator for the Royal Signals in the Second World War.

He fought on the D-day beaches, was wounded twice and won the Legion d’honneur.

But, while he and his three brothers all survived, Verdun lost many friends.

So when he got home he became a supporter of the Royal British Legion, to ensure no soldier’s sacrifice is forgotten. Last year, aged 101, he even jumped out of a plane for them, becoming the world’s oldest sky-diver.

Now, as November’s Armistice centenary approaches, he’s urging the nation to say “thank you” to the First World War generation.

An RBL campaign is honouring our 1.1 million dead and all who returned to build a better life for future generations. More than 250 community events have been organised and there are many ways to get involved (rbl.org.uk/thankyou).

Verdun said: “Today’s youngsters have no idea what my father’s generation went through on the battlefields.

“So I hope this will open the minds of many, many thousands. I’m lucky. My name means I’ve spent my life saying ‘thank you’ to those who sacrificed theirs.”

We must teach today’s youngsters, and each new generation, to do the same.

So we really WILL remember them.

star, who gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir 13 months ago, told Vogue magazine she’s in no rush to lose the weight she gained and is embracing her curvier body.

Because when daughter Blue Ivy was born six years ago, she almost made herself ill by shedding it all in three months.

It’s common sense, of course. But now every yummy mummy is going to be “embracing their fupas” and we’ll have #fupa tweets and Instagram pics.

Not sure I can stomach it.