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