2008 Remembrance Day at the 489th Memorial (Halesworth Airfield)
Remembrance Day is held on the second Sunday in November, known as Remembrance Sunday.
St Peter's Church, Holton, Halesworth, Suffolk, UK
In the village of Holton (Halesworth) a Remembrance Sunday service is held in St Peter’s Church.
Those present first gather at the War Memorial in the churchyard for a short service when the names of the fallen are read from the War Memorial. Poppy wreaths and flowers are laid.
One of those present leads the act of commendation:
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
We will remember them
Followed by The Silence
The Commendation concludes with the words from the Epitaph at Kohima.
When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.
The Service continues inside the church when, in addition to local villagers lost during the two World Wars, the American servicemen who lost their lives whilst stationed at Holton (Halesworth) airfield are remembered as part of the community.
The National Anthem and The Star-Spangled Banner are sung as part of the Service.
Since 2003, following the Service in St Peter’s Church, the congregation has walked in procession to the Memorial Site on Holton airfield. The names of the fallen from the USAAF read out during the procession.
2007 Nov 11th Holton (Halesworth) Airfield Memorial Site
The Vicar from St Peter’s Church conducts a short service at the memorials and poppy wreaths are laid at each memorial. This is followed by refreshments at the Airfield Museum.
2007 Remembrance Day - Memorial to the 489th Bomb Group
2007 Remembrance Day - Memorial to the 56th Fighter Group
2007 Remembrance Day - Memorial to the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron
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2016 : Remembrance Sunday (13 November)
On this Remembrance Day, the son of a 489th airman was present to lay our poppy wreath on behalf of the Friends of the 489th. Lt Col Joseph Stangl is currently serving at RAF Lakenheath with the 48th Fighter Wing. Joe is the youngest son of the late James Stangl, Gunner with the Shickel crew who flew from Halesworth in B-24s ‘We Weary Warriors’ and ‘Piccadilly Commando’. Joe brought three other personnel from Lakenheath with him – Thomas Brennan, Thomas Moore and Deante Britton. As we walked from the church to the memorial site, our friends from Lakenheath read aloud the names of every American serviceman who lost his life whilst serving on Halesworth (Holton) Airfield. We remembered them all.
The service at the memorial site was taken by Rev Malcolm Walkey. Poppy wreaths were placed on each memorial stone by each of the American servicemen – to the 489th Bomb Group, to the 56th Fighter Group and to the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron.
2016 Remembrance Sunday - Lt Col Joseph Stangl (son of the late 489th veteran James Stangl - Shickel Crew) at Holton Village Memorial
2016 Remembrance Sunday at Holton Village Memorial
2016 Remembrance Sunday at the 489th Memorial: Royal British Legion and Personnel from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath
2016 Remembrance Sunday - Lt Col Joe Stangl, son of the late James Stangl, 489th veteran
2016 Remembrance Sunday - L-R: Deante Britton, Sue Bacle and Joe Stangl
2016 Remembrance Sunday - American friends with volunteers of the Halesworth Airfield Memorial Museum
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2015: Remembrance Sunday (8 November)
The Remembrance Day Service was held in St Peter’s Church, Holton, and afterwards, the congregation walked to the Airfield Memorial Site for a short service. Poppy wreaths were placed on the memorials to the 489th Bomb Group, the 56th Fighter Group and the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron. A low-flying WWII aircraft from the Hardwick Warbirds Collection dropped poppies onto the Memorial Site.
2015: Remembrance Sunday - Buzzy Took and Tom Shiers pay tribute to the fallen.
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2014 : Remembrance Sunday (9 November)
The Remembrance Day Service held at the Airfield Memorial Site following a Service in St Peter’s Church. During the walk from church to the airfield, all the names of the American servicemen who lost their lives whilst serving on Holton Airfield during WWII were as always read aloud.
2014 Remembrance Day
2014 Remembrance Day at the Memorial Site
2014 Remembrance Day Congregation at the Holton Airfield Memorial Site
2014 Sue Bacle laid our tribute to the 489th
2014 Maurice Hammond flew over the airfield dropping the poppies on to the memorial site
2014 Remembrance poppies float down on to the Memorial Site
2014 Remembrance Day - 489th Memorial
(2014 images taken by Thomas Meechan, Holton)
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2013 : Remembrance Sunday (10 November)
A Remembrance Day Service was held at the Airfield Memorial Site, after the Service in St Peter’s Church and a walk to the airfield when all the names of the American servicemen who lost their lives when serving at Holton Airfield during WWII were read aloud.
2013 Remembrance Day - Sid Wilby laid our tribute to the 489th
2013 Remembrance Day at the Airfield Memorial Site
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