Remembrance Sunday
There has been much in the news lately about this year being the Centenary of the Great War, and Morval has its own contribution to make. Whilst researching for a major exhibition in Morval Church about those who fell in the two world wars, it was discovered that 2 people on the war memorial had misspelt names, and one was missed off completely. So it was good and right that this could be rectified this year. |
On Remembrance Sunday 2014, the Act of Remembrance took place, as usual, at the Morval War Memorial, just starting just before 11am so that the two-minute silence started exactly at 11am. There were the usual prayers of remembrance, with the wreathes laid, the British Legion standard was lowered, and the bugler played the Last Post and Reveille on either side of the two-minute silence.
However, that year, when each name of the fallen was read out, there was a thumbnail sketch of their life, including their age, their close family, which regiment they belonged to, and where they are buried, so that those who were attending could place the names they heard into some sort of context.
Afterwards, there was a special Remembrance Service in Morval Church, with an emphasis on commemorating the centenary. Poems written by the war poets were read, interspersed with poppies being carried and laid upon the altar, as was a wreath, and the bugler again played the Last Post and Reveille on either side of the two-minute silence.
Finally, the wreath was symbolically moved from the altar to the exhibition at the back of the church commemorating the Centenary of the Great War, and everyone joined in a prayer of commitment. After the service, there was coffee and time for reflection.
The idea of providing a thumbnail sketch in addition to the reading out of each name was well received by those attending the Act of Remembrance. It provided an additional focus to those present in remembering the ultimate sacrifice made to ensure we have the freedoms and democracy that we have today. Accordingly, this practice has been adopted for each of the subsequent Acts of Remembrance.
However, that year, when each name of the fallen was read out, there was a thumbnail sketch of their life, including their age, their close family, which regiment they belonged to, and where they are buried, so that those who were attending could place the names they heard into some sort of context.
Afterwards, there was a special Remembrance Service in Morval Church, with an emphasis on commemorating the centenary. Poems written by the war poets were read, interspersed with poppies being carried and laid upon the altar, as was a wreath, and the bugler again played the Last Post and Reveille on either side of the two-minute silence.
Finally, the wreath was symbolically moved from the altar to the exhibition at the back of the church commemorating the Centenary of the Great War, and everyone joined in a prayer of commitment. After the service, there was coffee and time for reflection.
The idea of providing a thumbnail sketch in addition to the reading out of each name was well received by those attending the Act of Remembrance. It provided an additional focus to those present in remembering the ultimate sacrifice made to ensure we have the freedoms and democracy that we have today. Accordingly, this practice has been adopted for each of the subsequent Acts of Remembrance.