Armistice Day (11th November) is an opportunity to remember all those who have died in wars and conflicts around the world.
It is now 81 years since the end of the Second World War in 1945. With fewer veterans of that war still with us, thoughts also turn to more recent wars, including Iraq and Afghanistan, in which British troops served. Abingdon is also home to people who have been forced to leave their own countries because of conflict, including the war in Syria and the continuing war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday 11 November, people gathered around Abingdon’s War Memorial for the traditional Armistice Day ceremony. There was a two-minute silence, during which the standard bearer of the Royal British Legion lowered the standard.
People stood with heads bowed on the traffic island surrounding the memorial. Others watched from the outer pavement, including a group of children from Thameside School.
The Mayor then laid a wreath, followed by Clare, representing the Royal British Legion, who placed a large cluster of poppies at the memorial. People remained for a while, chatting before gradually dispersing.
There was also a wreath placed at the rear of the memorial in memory of Private Albert Webb, beneath the section bearing his name among those who died.
The act of remembrance goes beyond the memorial itself. Walking up Bath Street, the window of the Acacia charity shop displayed pictures and words saying “Lest we Forget”. Other shops and estate agents around the town also marked the occasion with displays.
Two days earlier, on 9 November, members of Abingdon Peace Group gathered at the War Memorial. The group has been meeting regularly every Monday morning since 2022, expressing its solidarity with peacemakers in all conflicts.
Their message was different in emphasis: “No More War: The Best Way to Honour the Dead is to Work to Prevent War”.
The group said that the poppy wreaths at the memorial represent the deep gratitude felt by Abingdon residents towards the British soldiers who gave their lives in the two world wars. But their thoughts also extended to the dead of all countries and all wars.
They quoted Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, who said, “We could not prevent their deaths the first time, but if we forget them they will be killed a second time. And this time, it will be our
responsibility”.