Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day

Yesterday morning I went to the Remembrance Sunday Service at West Ham Parish Church of All Saints. This is in my Council ward  and at 1,000 years is one of the oldest buildings in Newham.

The Church is currently undergoing a major programme of restoration with scaffolding everywhere but it still retained its solemnity and dignity.

The Revd Stennett Kirby led the service and our local MP Lyn Brown gave a Bible reading. Following Reveille, the Kohima Epitaph was given by an elderly veteran whose slow, deliberate rasping voice made all of us think of those who gave their today for our tomorrow.

Wreaths were laid with respect by the dignitaries, British Legionaries, serving soldiers and cadets. The most touching was the last which was laid by a little girl of 3 or 4 who had to "persuaded" by her Mum and encouraged by others, to go up and lay her little wooden cross with a red poppy on it.  But what was lovely is once she had finally done this, she turned round and skipped her way back to her Mum across the Church.

The address was made by Rifleman Franklin Anolue, 7 Rifles, G Company, West Ham who was in his Army Battle dress.  Franklin had recently served in Helmond Province in Afghanistan with his regiment. He told us he had always wanted to be a soldier ever since he saw the film "Saving Private Ryan". He was a student studying engineering and a part time soldier with the Territorial Army. He hadn't told his Mum he was going to Afghanistan until he was there, since he knew she would try and stop him! He had gone to Remembrance services before he went on his tour of duty but it is only now that he can really understand why it is so important to remember all those who put themselves in harms way for their country.

Remembrance Sunday takes place on the 2nd Sunday of November every year. This morning I went to the out door Armistice Day Service at the Central Park Cenotaph in East Ham which takes place at the anniversary of the end of World War One, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th Month.  This was another very moving service. What was particularly important to me was the number of children from local primary and secondary schools who attended and participated in the service.

Also the emphasis on the "forgotten" Commonwealth and the absolutely vital role played in the First and Second World War by Africans, Asians and Caribbeans who defended our country and our freedoms.

The picture above is of my Taid (Welsh for Grandfather) in the trenches during the 1st World War.  He is sitting on the left and I think the picture was taken in Gallipoli where he served in Hawk Battalion, Royal Naval Division. This is a smashing photograph of my Taid. Dan Filson on FaceBook thought he looked like a 1950's teddy boy! Which I am not that sure about but having "attitude" may explain why he survived being on the front line in Gallipoli, Flanders and the Somme for 3 long years. He won the Military Cross in 1917.

Newham Freedom of the Borough to G Company, 7th Battalion The Rifles

On Saturday morning I went to the London Borough of Newham presentation of the Honorary Freedom of the Borough to G Company, 7th Battalion The Rifles. G Company is our local Territorial Army Unit based in West Ham Park (in my ward).

The event started with the Regimental band "The Waterloo Band and Bugles" playing music in West Ham Recreational Park. Who went on to led the Company to the Old Town Hall in Stratford. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chair of Council and Major General Greg Smith then inspected the Company. This was followed by a march past outside the Town Hall along Stratford High Street. Finishing with a reception inside the Town Hall.

It was a very moving occasion. Soldiers from G Company have put themselves in harm's way in all the major conflicts of recent years. A number have recently served in Afghanistan and more are due to be sent out soon. Whatever you think about our involvement in these conflicts I would hope you would recognise the bravery and self sacrifice of the troops who are carrying out the wishes of our  elected government.

The local link with the Regiment can be traced back to the formation of The Rifle Rangers in 1859. 61 members of The Rifles have been killed in action in the last 5 years and many more wounded.

The Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, made it clear that the Borough was also honouring the families whose loved ones had been away on active duty or had suffered loss.

A special day. It was particularly satisfying to see all sections of Newham's diverse community coming together to respect and cheer their local regiment.

Update: Click on this Youtube video of the event here. You may even recognise someone tapping his fingers to the music (probably out of time)

Life in Nahr-e-Saraj – Winter 2011

"As most of us worry about a few extra pounds we put on over Christmas or sit here moaning about the football, many others will have far more serious things to worry about, debt, unemployment, poverty and then we also have those who are worried about their loved ones serving in Afghanistan.

To remind us of how these brave men and women were spending their Christmas, I attach an email that the Colonel of 5 Rifles ( a good friend and former colleague sent me yesterday)"....  Click here Hat tip Alasdair Ross blog. Former British Army warrant officer and now a Labour Councillor in Ipswich.

Remembrance Sunday: West Ham All Saints 2011

This morning I went to the Remembrance Sunday Service at the West Ham Parish Church of All Saints.  This is one of four "official" Remembrance events taking place today in Newham.  The Revd Stennett Kirby took the service. It was as usual a touching and moving occasion.

This year Captain Ben Firth from our local West Ham Territorial Army Unit, 7th Rifles, spoke in full dress uniform from the pulpit.

Ben talked eloquently about his experiences in combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.  In 2006 he went out aged 25 as an infantry platoon commander responsible for 30 men on a 6 month tour.  Ben also spoke about the hardship and intensity of combat, of 9 hour long gun battles with the enemy, of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the inevitable resulting casualties.

But he also talked about holding regular tribal meetings with local leaders, establishing trust, providing them with a generator to bring electricity and giving toys to local children. He said it is the winning of these battles of hearts and minds that actually makes serving our country so worth while.

Newham Council Civic Reception to Honour 7 Rifles

On Thursday evening there was a Newham Council Civic reception in the historic Old Town Hall in Stratford to honour the soldiers who serve in our local Territorial Army infantry Battalion, The 7 Rifles. 

A number of whom over the years have volunteered to support their Regular Army Rifle Regiment counterparts on tours of duty. 

The Company headquarters are in actually my ward at the TA Centre, Portway, E15.  Not only that but my fellow ward Councillor, Freda Bourne,  has a son currently serving in Afghanistan and our third ward Councillor, Ron Manley (a former regular soldier) has a grandson who is due to go out in December.

Next year they are looking for 15 soldiers from West Ham to go to Afghanistan and join the Regular Army Battalion for a winter tour.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to talk to our soldiers about their experiences.  Some of them had brought their wives and partners to the reception. 

I spoke to a newly qualified London bus driver based in Newham who had been on 7 different military tours including Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Kenya and Cyprus. 

During the formal speeches Newham Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, thanked all of our service men and women who put themselves at risk on behalf of our country.  He pointed out that Newham Councillors represents all sections of the community and we are all very proud and supportive of 7 Rifles. 

Our local MP Lyn Brown was also there chatting to the soldiers and their partners.  I was particular impressed with the honesty and openness shown by some of these soldiers who had fought in recent conflicts and who had lost friends and comrades.  The Rifles Regiment as a whole I believe has had 52 men killed in action in Afghanistan. With Remembrance Day coming soon our thoughts are with their friends and families.

I was pleased to find out while in conversation with the Deputy Lieutenant of Newham, Colonel Mike Dudding, that in a former life he had been a trade union rep as well!

(pictured with Cllr Sharaf Mahmood and Cllr Firoza Nekiwala with members of 7 Rifles)

Armed Forces Day

I wasn’t able to attend the flag raising for Armed Forces Day at Newham Town Hall this morning but Ipswich Labour Councillor (and former soldier) Alasdair Ross posts far more eloquently (and with more reason) that I could on his local ceremony. Up and down the country there were similar events.

The picture shows how while on active duty last year his battalion flew the flag for Armed Forces Day in the only cool place in Sangin – the Helmond river.

Solider, Councillor, Teacher, Blogger...Alasdair Ross - Radio 4 PM interview

While driving through the rain on Tuesday from North Wales (visiting family and bossy big sister) to Lincolnshire (visiting family and bossy little sister) I listened to an interview with Labour blogger, Ipswich Councillor and 2 Rifle soldier, Alasdair Ross.

Alasdair was being interviewed on Radio 4 PM programme about his experiences during a recent tour in Afghanistan as an Army warrant officer. Alasdair gave a thoughtful and confident interview.

It started about 17 minutes into the programme and lasted for 8 (you can hear it in full here for next 5 days). He had served in the Army for 24 years when he retired, became a teacher and was elected as a Labour Councillor for Ipswich. He then voluntarily rejoined 2 Rifles as a reservist for his final tour which was spent in Helmand province in Afghanistan. 2 Rifles lost 13 soldiers during the tour including 5 killed in one day. The Battle group he was attached to lost 24 out of 1100 soldiers.

Alastair phrased the bravery of the local Afghans who despite the threats from the Taliban turned out to vote during the recent election there. He pointed out as a Labour Politician he knows that if it rains in the UK the vote will go down while in Helmand voters had to face rocket attacks! He also finished by stating that it is important that people like him who have been there now take part in the PR battle ahead about the war. What the Army wants is not sympathy - it wants backing.

The Soldiers - Coming Home

Despite my youthful good looks I’m not really that up-to-date with contemporary popular music. I was a student in Leeds during the early 80’s so you can guess my musical preferences. So until I looked at my RSS feeds tonight I knew nothing about this fine record and video - so hat-tip thingy to Mac Uaid who of course like most of his ilk just doesn’t get it (and they never will).

Debut single from The Soldiers available to download now with all proceeds going to the Army Benevolent Fund.

The album, also titled 'Coming Home' is out on Monday 26th October featuring the this single and 14 other moving tracks. A share of the proceeds are going to the Army Benevolent, Help For Heroes and The Royal British Legion.

Visit http://www.the-soldiers.co.uk/ or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesoldiers to find out more.

"Back from one war to join another fight"

Welcome back home to Ipswich Labour Councillor Alasdair Ross who has returned from a tour of duty with 2 Rifles in Afganistan. This Youtube tribute was posted on his blog in September and titled "A tribute to the 2 Rifles "The Chosen Men" High on a Hill".

He reports on his commander's view that it has been "the fight of our lives" and on "the tragic news today from Helmand today reminds us all in the Rifles of what we went through and watching the news today it made us realise the roller coaster ride our families went throughwhilst we were away (5 British soldiers apparently shot by an Afghan Police officer).

Alasdair also posts "Goodbye Sangin- it has been a complex, lethal, intense and nuanced campaign. But we leave Sangin and the Upper Helmand Valley a safer place to live for all Afghans".

Alasdair is not convinced that the Tories will win the next general election. The Labour Party members of today must fight like Bevan and Gaitskill "did in their time for the future of this country".

Veterans against the BNP

The BNP appear to want to hang all British generals (and I suppose all the soldiers carrying out their orders) who have served in Afganistan and Iraq as "war criminals". Hmmm. Check out Nothing British about the BNP website (the site appears to have been hi-jacked at the mo.)

“Alasdair must be one of the most outstanding councillors in the country. I salute him”.

Well said Thanet District Councillor, Mark Nottingham about Alasdair Ross.

Alasdair is a Labour Ipswich Councillor (and blogger) who is also currently serving his country as a military reservist in Afghanistan.

See my previous post here and this post.

Rifleman, Labour Councillor and Anti-Fascist Blogger in Helmond

I recommend today's latest post from 2 Rifles Reservist and Ipswich Labour Councillor, Alasdair Ross. Alasdair is on active duty in a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Helmond province, Afghanistan.

He describes the sadness over the loss of Rifleman Sheldon as well as continued fire fights with the Taliban who are launching indiscriminate attacks on the local population as well as the security forces.

The British troops (including the Welsh Guards) are very impressed with the bravery of the Afghan National Army “The Warriors” that they are fighting alongside. I am sure that everyone is pleased to read this encouraging report since we all want the Afghans to take responsibility for their defence as soon as they can so NATO troops can return home. Alasdair also mentions the work done by the troops to improve local people’s lives such as the opening of a new clinic.

I must admit that I am surprised (but pleased) that the British Army has allowed Alastair to “blog” from the front line. I would imagine that there is some form of process he has to go through? However, the Army is now dependent on reservists and Territorials to be operational so it is only right that these citizen soldiers can express themselves in a way (he also “Twitters”) that perhaps the Regular Army personnel should not?

Alastair himself is a fantastic role model. He was born into the Labour movement in Ipswich and had a successful career as a senior non-commissioned officer then left the army and became amongst other things a Labour Councillor. Now, while once again serving his country and putting himself in harms way check out his post “Keep the BNP out of Ipswich”. Great stuff.

While some people are genuinely opposed to NATO being in Afghanistan I think that there is no alternative to military intervention. There are legitimate questions to be asked about certain tactics used but if we allow Afghanistan to return to the hands of the Taliban and to once again be a national training camp for terrorists then this will be a disaster for all – especially for the Afghans themselves.

However there is a terrible price that is being paid and I am sure that everyone’s thoughts will be with the comrades and family of Rifleman Sheldon and the other NATO and Afghan personnel killed or injured.

RED FRIDAYS

I don’t usually pay all that much attention to email chain letters. You can normally goggle them to find out if they are urban myths. They can sometimes be quite unpleasant.

This week I received this particular chain email (below) from my sister-in-law in Suffolk and from a former female work colleague in Kent.

I suspect many people have also received this message recently. Both kept referring to the “English” which is grating given the disproportionate numbers of Welsh, Scots and Irish troops currently out in harm’s way while in the service of our country, but there you go. Non-English Brits are pretty used to this.

While it is easy to dismiss and mock such messages I think that even those who oppose the British involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq should respect and try to understand these sentiments behind it.

But it would appear that this chain letter was actually started by Canadian families and has now spread to America and the other NATO countries.

On any investigation it is pretty obvious that these emails have been, let us say, “Adapted”. This is dishonest since it is quite clear that this scene never happened in a “West London airport” in the way in which it pretends to have done so.

I also feel somewhat uncomfortable as a “red blooded Briton” (aren't we all?) with such apparent nationalistic flag waving sentiment. After all, that sort of thing is not really British – is it?

What about the bravery of our NATO and Commonwealth allies and their dead and injured soldiers? What about the Afghan and Iraqi government troops and police who have suffered huge losses. Never mind the numerous innocent civilities caught up in “collateral damage”. Don’t they deserve a mention at least?

Despite this anyone frankly IMO who reads this passage and does not have a tear in their eye at the end has a heart of stone. We also do not want to leave such important messages hostage to our home grown Nazi's such as the BNP - who have heads of stone as well as hearts and will abuse such imperfect collective solidarity for their own essentially unpatriotic ends.

Also it is important that those who we send out to fight and suffer on our nation’s behalf receive our active, vocal and visual support for our bidding. Let us not forget that this should be in deeds as well as words or symbols.

Despite my reservations this is I think going to be a part of our future national folklore.

Last week I was in West London attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen. Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their uniforms, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded Briton who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us, so we can go to school, work, and enjoy our home without fear or reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He knelt down and said 'hi,' the little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter’s name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Corporal and had been in Afghanistan for 5 months now. As the mum was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mum was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.' He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a Kiss on the cheek.

He finished by saying 'Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.' The mum at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mum.

I was standing no more than 6 feet away as this entire event unfolded. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own.

That young soldier in one last act of moment turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices.

At the end of the day, it's good to be an Englishman.

RED FRIDAYS Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? British men and women who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'. We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for Country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing.

We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many British people, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Britain supports our troops.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every Briton who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football team If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, It will not be long before Britain is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...'We need your support and your prayers'... Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.

IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON IF YOU COULD NOT CARE LESS THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON. IT IS YOUR CHOICE. THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED---- SO WEAR RED! ---

Lest we Forget.

Please don't forget our boys & girls

Please forward.

"in all my time in the army I have never been issued with so much equipment and of such good quality"

There has been criticism of the Ministry of Defence and the Government for providing inadequate equipment and support to British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of it I have no doubt was justified much of it was not.

It is therefore interesting to see this report below from Ipswich Labour Councillor and blogger Alasdair Ross as he prepares for his deployment with 2 Rifles to Afghanistan later this year.

Alasdair left the regular Army as a Sergeant Major in 2002 after 24 years service with the Royal Green Jackets. He has been granted leave of absence from the Council for his tour. Check out here.

"Not blogged for a while as I have been involved in pre Afghanistan deployment training- training for a hot summer in Afghanistan with a freezing two weeks in Wiltshire!

But today in Northern Ireland we were issued our desert clothing and equipment. The reason I mention this is that there has been much criticism in certain papers about the lack of equipment our troops are issued with.

Well in all my time in the army I have never been issued with so much equipment and of such good quality.

Of course our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan deserve the best equipment but the papers (and the Tories) should say well done when the MOD and the Government get it right".

Waiting for news from Afghanistan

On New Years Day we went out for a meal in Llandudno, North Wales with our pregnant niece, the lovely Holly, her partner Mike and family. The meal started out a little tense since Mike’s brother is in 45 Commando, Royal Marines in Afghanistan and his Mum had just rang Mike to say that the TV had reported that there had been a further combat fatality that day but they were not releasing any names.

Mike handled the news very well. 45 Commando had suffered a number of casualties that tour and he obviously had gone through this awful waiting period before.

Mike had to leave the table during the meal to take a mobile telephone call. However, he came back to the table to tell us that bizarrely a very close friend of his had just won £50,000 on a lottery scratch card! His friend had texted a photo of the winning card. So good news!

A little while later Mike had another text to ring his Mum and he left the table suddenly. A short time later he came back with a big smile; his brother had rang his Mum from Afghanistan, and was safe and sound. Big cheers from everyone at the table.

We were a happy family who enjoyed their meal but I think we were all aware of those families who did not have good news this Christmas or beforehand. Our thoughts are with them all.

Our thanks to all British forces personnel who are putting themselves in harms way. Hero’s everyone of them, Per Mare Per Terram (or Air).

“Construction Deaths on a Par with Armed Forces”

While the latest news is that Prince Harry (correctly in my view) has been removed from Afghanistan following the disclosure that he was there with his military unit, I was reminded of certain comments. Guess who said: -

“In the six years to 2004, there were 504 construction-related deaths, and 522 in the Armed forces over the same period. It’s pretty staggering – do people really think when they go into construction that they’re going into an industry that has nearly a high fatality as the Armed services”.

This person was the guest speaker at this years Institute of Safety & Health (IOSH) annual Dinner. He then went on to say about the IOSH

"There is an unbelievable and totally unfair negative image of your profession in the UK. The prevention of work-related injuries and deaths is too important not to fight it”.

The Daily Hate and the “health & safety are the new Taliban” brigade will no doubt be seething about this impossible leftie for saying such a thing.

Well, believe it or not the speaker was Tory shadow work and pensions minister, Andrew Selous.
Whether he means it or not is another thing of course.

In just less than two months it is “Workers Memorial Day” 28 April 2008. I’ll post further about this important event.

The Forgotten Front

It was good to see reports on BBC news about the public parade thorough Norwich city centre by local infantry regiment “The Royal Anglian Regiment (Vikings)”. A new train in Liverpool Street was even named after them.

The 1st Battalion has just returned from a tour of Afghanistan during which 9 of their comrades were killed (and a further 2 Estonians and 1 Dane in their Battle group) amidst what has been described as some of the most ferocious combat that British troops have been involved in since the Korean War.

I suspect that most people know friends, neighbours or relatives who have served in recent years in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. Especially now that the Territorial Army and the other Armed Forces reservists are routinely sent to support their regular counterparts.

I think that like “Remembrance Sunday” even if you don’t agree with the war in Afghanistan or Iraq you should support and honour the young men (and women) who have risked their lives and remember those who have not returned. This link is to a moving video on YouTube.

There has been justifiable criticism that the troops abroad have not felt they have received the support that they deserve for their sacrifice from the media and the wider British public. I think that this is true and that we must organise and support more of these parades and services. However, this is an age old complaint about the “ungrateful” British as this famous poem reminds us:

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

Remembrance Sunday in West Ham

In a contrast to yesterday’s events this morning I attended the Remembrance Sunday service at the historic 12th century West Ham Parish Church of All Saints.

I think, like most people, it is important that we remember today the sacrifices past and present that British servicemen and women have made on our behalf.

Even if you don’t agree with today’s war in Afghanistan and Iraq, there are still ordinary British servicemen and women (and many UNISON members who are military reservists) risking their lives and this is a time to think of them and their families.

There were 4 remembrance services in Newham today. West Ham is a place shaped and still scarred by war. It was of course heavily bombed during the Second World War, killing thousands of civilians. On the church walls there was a standard of a local First World War “Old Contemptibles” association who were decimated in trench warfare. There was also a simple plaque to the Royal Marine bandsmen murdered by the IRA in Deal 1989 with the words “Thank you for the Music”. I assume a local connection? The British Nuclear Test Veterans Association had a newer looking plaque. With the words “All we seek is Justice”.

The West Ham service had local dignities such as Newham Civic Ambassador Councillor Omana Gangadharan present with the Council Mace (and bearer), the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, local Labour MP Lyn Brown, local Labour Councillors (including Councillor Winston Vaughan who I think saw active service in Aden? and Councillors who are Muslims) as well as the council's interim director of “children and young people services” Liz Graham.

There were serving soldiers (in combat uniforms – odd in a church but it’s an honest statement on such a day I suppose) from the local TA unit The Rifles (based just around the corner in West Ham Park). Their web site reports that 140 of their TA comrades based at Reading were flown out to the Helmand region of Afghanistan last month.

The Royal Legion were there, as were the local Sea cadets (some looking incredibly young), and scouts.

The congregation (as well as the TA soldiers and cadets) also reflected the community with many West Indian and African parishioners. The vicar himself, the Revd Stennett Kirby MA was black and he reminded the service of the (often forgotten) valuable contribution made by Black and Asian, Christan, Muslim and Hindu, commonwealth servicemen in British Wars. He pointed out that his own relatives had “proudly” served.

I felt that everyone present identified themselves as British regardless of race or colour. Perhaps we are getting like the Americans where it is argued that “the military” nowadays helps to “unify” that racially divided and complex nation? Not that this is any argument for “war”, of course.

His sermon was a careful balancing act between praising the obvious bravery and suffering of the troops currently at war with his equally obvious Christian abhorrence of war for practically any reason. He encouraged people that as well as praying for peace they should get involved and join political parties since this is where the power lies in this country to change things.

Ironically despite being a convinced atheist I enjoy such occasional religious services especially in historic churches. Maybe its just nostalgia? Being brought up nominally as an Anglican must have had some sort of impact I suppose?

The organ player and the choir were very good. The “Last Post” was played by the organ. I sang (very badly) the hymn “Jerusalem” in very different surroundings from the last time. Its lyrics “nor should my sword sleep in my hand” seemed to be at odds with the previous biblical reading ISAIAH 2 verses 1-5 which famously calls for swords to be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks.

The service ended with the singing the first two verses of the national anthem. The first verse went OK but hardly anyone knew the 2nd verse, so there was a pause and shuffle while we all had to look at the words in order of the service booklet.

All in all, a typically British finish to a very British ceremony.