Lest we forget

This phrase appears on nearly every memorial, epitaph or commemoration to those who have given their lives in war. It was coined by Rudyard Kipling in his hymn-poem 'Recessional' written in 1897. As a hymn, it is usually sung as the minister and congregation leave the church, hence recessional. It is said that Kipling got the inspiration from Deuteronomy 6:12, “Then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt.” This is disputed because Kipling was not overly religious. Kipling was later to lose his own son in WWI, which gave the words even greater poignancy.