Remembrance Day Service in St Albans
Leaders of the major faiths in St Albans will unite to honour the nation’s war dead at a Remembrance Day Parade and Service on Sunday 8 November. They will be joined by Cllr Salih Gaygusuz, Mayor of St Albans City and District, and Cllr Gill Clark, Deputy Mayor.
Everyone is welcome to come and pay their respects to the members of Britain’s armed forces who lost their lives in two World Wars and other conflicts.
Royal British Legion members will gather with the Mayor for the start of the parade near Marks & Spencer’s store in St Peter’s Street at 10.30am.
Representatives of air, sea and army cadets, the Guiding and Scout movements, the Police and other uniformed services will be present. Also in attendance will be Honorary Aldermen and Councillors from County, District, Town and Parish Councils.
The Mayor will be accompanied by his Macebearer and both will wear their official robes.
The procession will make its way to the War Memorial near St Peter’s Church in St Peter’s Street for the start of the service at 10.50am.
The faith groups will be represented by Rev Rosemary Fletcher of Marlborough Road Methodist Church, who will conduct the service.
Father Tom Hewitt of the St Albans and St Stephens Roman Catholic Church will read from the Christian New Testament. Rabbi Daniel Sturgess of St Albans United Synagogue will read from the Hebrew Scriptures. The Imam Muhammed Fukhrul Islam of The Jame Mosque and Bangladesh Islamic Centre, St Albans, will read from the Holy Quran.
During the service, Lieut-Colonel Ernest Coupe of the Salvation Army will read prayers and the St Albans City Band will provide the music for hymns.
Radio Verulam on 92.6FM plans to broadcast the service live for the first time.
Wreaths will be laid by the Mayor, St Albans’ MP Anne Main, and representatives of the Police, the Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.
Cllr Salih Gaygusuz, Mayor of St Albans City and District, said: “I hope people from all sections of the community will join us for the service.
“This is our way of recognising the debt we own to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the defence of this country. We must always remember them.”
Don Dell, Chairman of the St Albans branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “The Remembrance Day Parade and Service will honour those who have given their lives or suffered injury in war.
“The Royal British Legion was founded by veterans of the First World War who adopted the poppy as their symbol of remembrance and hope.
“Please give generously to the Poppy Appeal 2015 and help us to continue our welfare work for our Armed Forces families.”
Earlier this year, the Council laid a commemorative stone in memory of Private Edward Warner at the War Memorial, with the agreement of family members.
Private Warner was born in the City and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for acts of bravery on 1 May 1915 in the First World War. The stone was funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government as part of the Government’s Victoria Cross Commemoration Paving Stones initiative.
The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Salih Gaygusuz
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544
Email: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the press:
Ruth Boyer, Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819316
E-mail: ruth.boyer@stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Note:
Private Edward Warner, 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry. Edward and his colleagues had been defending a position on a hill near Ypres, Belgium when the German enemy launched a gas attack on 1 May 1915. Private Warner single-handedly entered a vacated trench after the gas attack in order to prevent it being taken by the enemy. He then went back for reinforcements and brought up more men to defend the position. The trench was held until the enemy’s attack ceased. He died shortly after the incident from the effects of gas poisoning. More information is available on the Bedford Regiment website.