We Will Remember Them

Sunday November 11 saw an enormous crowd gather at the war memorial in Billericay High Street to commemorate the fallen in our town's Act of Remembrance, celebrating the centenary of the end of the first World War.

A moving service was conducted by past member of the club Rev. Paul Carr of the Team Ministry of Billericay, with strong support amongst others by Club Member Rtn. Margaret Fowler in her role as the reverend for Christ Church Billericay.  A moving ceremony and service was witnessed by thousands of the town's citizens and a parade by members of the Army and Air Force cadet forces, Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies and other local organisations.

Over Half the club were there

The sounding of the Last Post was followed by two minutes silence, and following hymns, a reading from the bible, the laying of wreaths on the War Memorial started with the Deputy Lieutenant of Essex.

President Les Sheppard represented the club in the presence of over half our club members including Bert French, Ed Harrison, Patrick Rothon, Roger Kettle, Malcolm Acors, Keith Wood, Mike Sinclair, Peter Greene, and Ben Clark.  Les laid our wreath alongside those of other town Service Clubs.

There but not There

It was especially pleasing to see the War Memorial flanked by two Tommies called "There but not There".  The Town Council had appealed  for funding and the Rotary Club of Billericay had responded by fully funding one of the Tommies.  We did so in the memory of club member (dec.) Trevor Stansfield, a past chairman of the Town Council and many other town organisations, and who had dedicated much of his time to ensuring our War Memorial reflected the esteem in which we hold those who had given their lives for us.