Guildford Remembers Past Sacrifice with Traditional Ceremony

Published on: 10 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 10 Nov, 2019

Wreaths laid on the main Guildford war memorial today.

Guildford remembered our war dead today (November 10) at a traditional ceremony in the Castle Grounds and in other smaller services at war memorials throughout the borough.

The service was conducted under a cloudless sky.

Under a cloudless November sky, hundreds gathered at 11am in the shadow of Guildford Castle to pay their respects to those who were killed in conflicts from the First World War to Afghanistan.

More than 500 names are on the main memorial, from the two world wars, and a further 18 on the memorial installed in 2018, to those killed in more recent conflicts.

See: New War Memorial To The Fallen Since World War II Is Dedicated In The Castle Grounds

Many of those present had attended an earlier church service at Holy Trinity from which they marched in procession to the entrance of the Castle Grounds via Tunsgate.

The Revd Canon Robert Cotton (centre) conducted the service.

Last Post and Reveille were played by a bugler before and after the two-minute silence, standards were dipped in salute, civilians bowed their heads and former servicemen and women instinctively stood to attention.

A Royal Marine Cadet standard-bearer by the memorial.

Among those in uniform were a large number of cadets from various organisations.

The Vivace Chorus led the singing of hymns.

Hymns included the National Anthem, then the Mayor of Guildford, Richard Billington, led the dignitaries and representatives laying wreaths at the two memorials.

After the ceremony, Andrew Kirkpatrick, an old boy of the Royal Grammar School and former member of the RAF Regiment, who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland, told The Guildford Dragon NEWS why he had attended the service.