The annual Remembrance Day parades and services were held today in Abingdon. There was a large attendance by the army, and other uniformed groups, and a large turnout of the general public.
The first parade was where town dignatories followed the town band from the Guildhall down East St Helen Street to a service at St Helen’s Church led by Revd Dr Charles Miller.
That was followed by a second service of remembrance round the war memorial – with a two minutes silence at 11am
About 40 organisations came to lay wreaths at the war memorial during the singing of the hymn “O God Our Help in Ages Past.” Pictured is Ena Mitchell, aged 97, of the War Widows Association, whose husband died in Belgium in September 1944.
A member of the Royal British Legion then said the Kohima Prayer:
The Lord’s Prayer was said, the National Anthem Sang, and then people lined the High Street to cheer the troops and members of the uniformed groups as they saluted the Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames, Councillor Alice Badcock.
More pictures on the Abingdon Blog Facebook page.
100 years ago, my Grandfather Frank King was gassed in the trenches at Ypres while serving with the Royal Berkshires, after convalescing he was returned to the front only to suffer severe shell shock, confused he spoke of seeing “The Angels of Ypres”.
Great uncle Harry (Royal Berkshires) was killed in the battle for Arras on 29.04.17 and is remembered on the Arras memorial, he has no grave.
In Cemetery rd, Great Aunt Emma King waved off sons William, Percy, Heber, George and Arthur. Arthur was killed and buried at Neuville, George joined the Navy before war as a boy rating aged 12, and he was killed on HMS Empress of India. Heber was a Sergeant with the Royal Engineers, he was killed and buried at Sains-en-Gohelle. William returned wounded 1918, Percy returned unscathed.
From Court 22, Ock St, Edith said goodbye to sons Percival Arthur King serving with the 1st Royal Berkshires as part of the British expeditionary Force, he was killed at Mons on 10/09/14, he was Abingdon’s first war fatality and is buried at Aisne, he is mentioned in the de Ruvigny’s roll of honour, his brother Frederick W King, returned wounded from Mesopotamia in 1917.
At 169 Ock St, Ann King said farewell to sons Frederick Jack King, serving with the Royal Marines Light Infantry, he was killed at Oppey Wood 26/04/17, he has no grave but is remembered on the Arras memorial. Brother Edwin King serving with the 8th Royal Berkshires was killed on 13/10/15 at the Fosse Quarries, France, he has no grave but is remembered on the Loos Memorial.
Arthur King (8th Royal Berkshires) of 124 Ock St was wounded in 1916 and became a p.o.w. Harry King of Court 68, Ock St, returned wounded in 1919.
The 2 minute silence was actually held at 11:05 am, because of some sort of cock up with the timings. It’s one day in the year when timings should be all important. Maybe next year they should had the organisation over to our friends at Loose Cannon, who can actually organise a piss up in a brewery.