Children from schools in Whitehill & Bordon were invited to lay 69 crosses at the town’s war memorial in honour of each of the names on the town’s Roll of Honour during a full Armistice Day service last Thursday.
And to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Royal British Legion, its Bordon and District branch secretary Darron Back read the names of the fallen, followed by East Hampshire District Council chairman Cllr Adam Carew.
Oakmoor School head students Noah Ayres, Sarah Bradshaw and Marley Scott gave readings, and three pupils from St Matthew’s CE Primary School read poems they had written.
Relatives of the fallen and members of the public were given the opportunity to lay wreaths during the service, which was conducted by Revd Wendy Mallas. All those attending honoured a two-minute silence at 11am.
Whitehill & Bordon town mayor Cllr Bisi Kennard laid a wreath on behalf of Whitehill Town Council and also sang the first verse of Jerusalem.
Members of St Matthew’s Church organised and served refreshments and took donations to the church in return. These were passed on to the Bordon and District Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Representatives from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force attended the service – including Major General Alan Sharman, president of the Bordon branch of the REME Association, and Lt Col Mark Ludlow from Longmoor Army Training Camp – as did Royal British Legion members.
Also there were Lions International, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Cllr Andy Tree and Revd Iain Robertson of St Mark’s Shared Church.