Reflection On Battle Of The Somme At Remembrance Services

Published on: 13 Nov, 2016
Updated on: 16 Nov, 2016

In addition to civic services of remembrance taking place in Guildford town centre on Friday and Sunday (November 11 and 13), many others were held throughout the borough. Reflections of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme was a focus at a number of these.

Wreath laying at the war memorial in Jacobs Well on Friday morning (November 11).

At Jacobs Well on Friday morning a service of remembrance took place at the Lilly Bell II memorial in Clay Lane.

About 30 people attended the service of remembrance at Jacobs Well.

Led by Dr Paul Cragg, the chairman of Worplesdon Parish Council, his introduction speech touched on this year being the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

After the laying of wreaths on behalf of the parish council and Jacobs Well Residents’ Association, the names of the four US airmen the memorial commemorates and who died when their aircraft crashed in the field opposite on October 25, 1944, were read out: Mercer W. Avent, John R. Hillmer, John E. Wright and Dale E Dellinger.

Piper Kenneth Thomson.

A two-minute silence was then observed, followed by piper Kenneth Thomson playing the lament, Flowers Of The Forest.

Also on Friday, an Armistice Day service was held at Worplesdon View care home.

Guildford Borough Councillor Bob McShee introduced the newly appointed Rector of Worplesdon, the Revd Alex Russell, to the residents, their families, friends and staff.  She then conducted a very moving service.

The order of service was arranged to have the two-minute silence at exactly 11am.

John McLean, a friend of St Mary’s Church, Worplesdon, gave a reading from the Bible and the service included the Kohima Epitaph.

The service of remembrance in Charlotteville on Saturday, November 12, was led by the Revd Rod Pierce.

On Saturday afternoon in Charlotteville a remembrance service was held at the war memorial in front of Addison Court flats. It was led by the Revd Rod Pierce.

The memorial was recently cleaned and will be re-inscribed thanks to funding from Surrey County Council.

Surrey County Councillor Mark Brett-Warburton supported this application and attended the service along with Steve Wright from Holy Trinity Action Group, John and Gina Redpath of the Charlotteville Jubilee Trust, and other local residents from Addison Road, Cooper Road, and Cline Road.

Will Lyons, a final year music student from the University of Surrey, played the trumpet to mark the beginning and end of the two-minute silence.

Laying wreaths at the war memorial in Addison Road.

During the service, the reflection given by Julie Howarth, focused on Frank Hill, Frederick Newman, Ernest Jelley and Henry Siver – four men killed 100 years ago in 1916. Val Compton then reflected in more detail on the life of her grandfather Frederick Newman who was killed on the Somme in 1916.

After the service, tea and refreshments were provided by Addison Court. A display about the history of Charlotteville and the stories of the men on the memorial generated a lot of interest and comment.

Nigel and Val Crompton lay their wreaths.

Nigel and Val Crompton also provided additional material about the four Newman brothers from 52 Addison Road who fought in the First World War. The two that were killed are named on the memorial along with their cousin from Cline Road who died as a prisoner of war.

Wreaths laid at the Stoughton & Westborough Branch of the Royal British Legion at its memorial in Northway, Guildford, currently lit up at night.

On Sunday, members of the Stoughton & Westborough Branch of the Royal British Legion paraded ahead of a church remembrance service and laid wreaths in memory of the fallen from the area.

Planting poppies at the foot of the wooden cross outside St Clare’s Church in Park Barn on Sunday, November 13.

While in Park Barn, the morning service at St Clare’s Church including the congregation processing to the wooden cross on the green outside where poppies were ‘planted’ and a wreath laid. A two-minute silence was then observed.

Poppies and a wreath in Park Barn.

The team vicar of St Clare’s, the Revd Steve Pownall, in his talk also reflected on the lives lost during the Battle of the Somme – July 1 to November 18, 1916.

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