Silent tribute to the fallen heroes of war

Silent tribute to the fallen heroes of war

14 November 2018

PEOPLE of all ages gathered on Sunday morning as Newcastle paid tribute to the town’s war dead.

Those who lost their lives in the service of their country were honoured and remembered as part of commemorations across the world to mark — 100 years to the day exactly — the end of the Great War.

The solemn proceedings were led by the parade commander, Mr Deon McNeilly, who during the service thanked the various participants for their ongoing support.

In addition to former service personnel and Royal British Legion veterans at the cross-community ceremony, others in attendance included members of the emergency services, schoolchildren, various youth organisations and members of the Loyal Orders. Music was performed by the Crimson Arrow Pipe Band.

Newcastle Royal British Legion was particularly pleased that Colonel Richard Gordon, 

Deputy Lieutenant for County Down, had agreed to take part in the event and inspect those on 

parade.

At 10.59am, as the Last Post was sounded, the Union flag was lowered as a symbol of respect for those killed in both world wars and in more recent conflicts.

Mr Neal Singer lowered the Royal British Legion standard and other flags present at the ceremony were also lowered. 

At the stroke of 11am, on the 11th day of the 11th month, the time the armistice signed by the allied powers and Germany came into effect a century earlier, an impeccably observed period of two minutes of silence began.

During the service of remembrance, Mr McNeilly recited the lines from The Exhortation, ‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them’.

The playing of Reveille and the words of the famous Kohima Epitaph, ‘When you go home, Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, We gave our today’ were then recited.

Col Gordon  laid the first wreath, on behalf of the townspeople. He was assisted by  Jana Pobloth, a local schoolgirl and a member of Newcastle Scouts.

A wreath was laid on behalf of RAF Flying Station Aldergrove before Mr Kingsley Singer laid a wreath at the town’s memorial on behalf of the Royal British Legion.

Other wreaths were laid on behalf of the following: 

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service – Watch Commander Kenneth Annett, Crew Commander John Holmes and Firefighter Brian Murphy.

Newcastle RNLI – Station chairman, Captain Patrick Pinkerton, Coxswain Nathan Leneghan and Assistant Mechanic Peter Uprichard.

PSNI – Constables Sandy Boyd and Ricky Whitley.

Newcastle Coastguard – Rescue officers James McKnight and Alan Jones.

Ulster Unionist Party – Cllr Jill Macauley and Alan Lewis.

DUP South Down Association – Cllr Glyn Hanna.

Newcastle and Kilkeel RUC George Cross Voluntary Welfare Group – Mr Harry Cully, Mr Vincent Bradley and Mr Joseph Thompson.

RUC George Cross Association, Banbridge and South Down Branch – Mr Wilbert Hassard.

Apprentice Boys of Derry, Bryansford, Murray Club – Mr Lee McBride.

Newcastle Temperance LOL 357 – WDM Trevor Orr.

Newcastle Royal Black Preceptory – Mr Kenneth Cromie.

Star of Down Flute Band, Maghera – Mr Samuel Donaldson. 

Royal County Down Golf Club – Mr Uel Magee.

1st Newcastle Cub Scouts – Mark Crawford, John Brown and Pierra Corrigan.

Newcastle Scouts – Anna-Lucia Barbour, Arabella Kinkead-Beattie and Irie Craig.

Newcastle Girls’ Brigade – Megan Crudgington, Acacia Kincaid and Charlotte Mawhinney.

1st Slieve Donard Boys’ Brigade – Maha Chowdhury, Matthew Hamilton and Joel Hamilton.

Shimna Integrated College – Connie Smart, Antonia McNamara, Melanie McHugh and Caroline Morrow. 

A wreath was also placed at the war memorial by Newcastle man, Mr Peter Law.

It was in remembrance of Corporal Victor Law, a member of the 13th RIR, who was killed at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916, and to all those who never came home from the Great War of 1914 – 1918.

Cpl Law was aged just 19 when he lost his life.