Canon Andrew Haviland led two moving services that focused on the personal stories of four OEs. The service was accompanied by the Chapel Choir who sang an exceptional and highly emotive piece. Both services finished with a gathering around the Garden of Remembrance. It was a poignant moment as each head of house laid their house poppy cross, joining the ones already there.
We try each year to find new ways to mark the day and to offer a moment in our busy schedules to reflect on the importance of remembrance.
This year, Head Groundman Jason O’Keefe, created a beautiful commemorative display in the Garden of Remembrance, featuring paintings in the lawn and stunning red cyclamen at the base of ‘Tommy’. His imaginative response also included lighting the Chapel with a light show of falling poppies which looked beautiful as darkness fell. We are thankful to Mark Bishop for facilitating this feature.
In addition, CCF Contingent Commander Major Ben MacDowel organised a group of Fifth Form and Lower Sixth cadets to ‘adopt’ an OE soldier this year. Each cadet, in their smartest CCF kit for the occasion, wore the name of ‘their’ soldier. Issued with their soldier’s biography from the Archive, they talked about them in house, in lessons and around the School campus. By remembering one soldier in this way and hearing their story we remember all of the lost OEs. Click here to listen to the cadets’ stories on our College Instagram.
Finally, the 334 OEs that have died in conflict each have a poppy cross bearing their name in the Garden of Remembrance ‘planted’ by College Archivist Rebecca Worthy. Research continues into the biographies of these lost OEs and we look forward to WWII service records being available to view at the National Archives in due course, which will bring even more interesting stories to the fore.
We hope you found an opportunity to remember and reflect on Monday 11 November 2024.
