Armed services veterans gathered at Wellington Cemetery, Rockwell Green, this morning for a poignant Remembrance Sunday ceremony.
They assembled with military precision before sandbags, crosses and a banner marked ‘Lest We Forget’ – a strong reminder of wars both in the past and far more recently in which service men and women have sacrificed their lives.
Medals, regimental berets and insignia and the discipline of the veterans were a tangible reminder of their personal service and sense of duty.
A piper signalled the start of their march through the yew trees.
Before a large gathering of friends and family, Wellington’s Mayor Cllr Mark Lithgow and other councillors, Julian Harcombe’s address referenced personal narratives, the sense of duty and service and the greater significance of moral responsibility before the trumpeter played The Last Post and Reveille.
Julian ended with the moving words of a serviceman, reminding everyone present of the importance of remembrance.
The ceremony was completed with the laying of wreaths on the grave of one of the 50 servicemen from the local community whose sacrifice is marked in the cemetery.
The piper marked this final act.
