Worplesdon And Charlotteville Honour War Dead On Armistice Day

Published on: 12 Nov, 2017
Updated on: 8 May, 2018

Services of remembrance took place on Armistice Day (Saturday, November 11) in Jacobs Well and Charlotteville to honour those who died in conflict during two world wars.

Some of those gathered at service of remembrance in Jacobs Well.

Attendances at both services were up on previous years with about 50 people at the Lilly Bell II memorial in Jacobs Well (parish of Worplesdon) and more than 40 at the service in Charlotteville at the war memorial in Addison Road.

Wreath laying at Jacobs Well.

At Jacobs Well the morning service service was led by the chairman of Worplesdon Parish Council, Dr Paul Cragg. After the two-minute silence at 11am wreaths were laid on behalf of the parish council and the Jacobs Well Residents’ Association.

Piper Kenneth Thomson.

Piper Kenneth Thomson played the laments The Bloody Fields Of Flanders and Flowers Of The Forest.

The Lilly Bell II memorial at Jacobs Well.

The memorial there commemorates four American airmen who died in the field off Clay Lane when their aircraft (named Lilly Bell II) crashed on October 25, 1944. Click here for our previous story about research into the crash, the airmen and the siting of the memorial in 2010.

The Revd Rod Pierce led the service at Charlotteville.

The service at Charlotteville began at 3pm and was led by the Revd Rod Pierce, from Holy Trinity Church.

University of Surrey student Ben Gardiner sounds Last Post.

Lost Post and Reveille was sounded either side of the two-minute silence by Ben Gardiner, a first year music and sound recording student at the University of Surrey.

Nigel and Val Crompton lay a wreath.

A number of wreaths were then laid.

Young and senior alike laid wreaths.

Julie Howarth read details of the lives of three men from Charlotteville, Edwin Henry Hill, Albert John Pope and George Price who died in 1917 during the First World War.

Surrey County Councillor Mark Brett-Warburton pictured with the Silent Soldier silhouette.

Displayed on the balcony of the Addison Court sheltered housing flats where the war memorial is situated was one of the Royal British Legion’s life-size Silent Soldier silhouettes. It has been bought with funds donated by Guildford South East Surrey County Councillor Mark Brett-Warburton from his member’s allocation. He has also funded the large poppies around the war memorial. Local residents John and Gina Redpath applied for the funding on behalf of the local community.

There is a website by Ian Nicholls and Julie Howarth all about the war memorial and those commemorated on it. Click here to view.