February Last Post

Today around 40 people were present for the February ceremony of the Brookwood Last Post.

Our Individual Remembrance was for two airmen lost in the second world war. Flight Sergeant Keith Watson and Flight Sergeant Ernest Edwards of the 448 (Royal New Zealand Air Force) Squadron crashed on a night flying exercise in a De Havilland Mosquito while operating from RAF Bradwell, Essex on 3 February 1944.

Flt. Sgt Watson, pilot, son of David and Emily Watson of Pohangina, New Zealand was aged 20. Flt. Sgt Edwards, navigator, son of Archibald and Florence Edwards of Wakefield, Nelson, New Zealand was aged 26.

They are buried next to each other in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Plot 2, row K, graves 1 and 1a respectively.

Our unnamed poem was taken from the obituary published in the hometown newspaper of Flt. Sgt Watson and has no known author.

If, in his life, his smiling face

Brought sunshine to some darkened place

And if his mem’ry, ever clear

Brings only love and pride and cheer,

He did not live in vain.

If, in his death, his sacrifice,

So freely offered, was the price

That must be paid to keep us free

And save the world from tyranny

He did not die in vain.

On parade today was Tom Milne, carrying the Union Flag and Alan Lopez carrying the BLP Standard. We also had standards from the Artist’s Rifles and the Woking Royal Naval Association.

Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and the Rev. Rob Bennett performed official duties.

We retired to The Trench Experience to continue the stories.

Thanks to the Bugler’s Association for assisting with the sound today, Paul McCue for the IR and Alan Meeks and Dave Lucas for the photographs.

January Last Post

Today on a very cold afternoon, around 40 people attended the Brookwood Last Post.

The poem was called ‘The End and the Beginning’, written by Polish poet WISŁAWA SZYMBORSKA between the first and second worlds wars but still very much pertinent today.

Our Individual Remembrance was a first for us as he was a Polish national. Kapral (Corporal) Czeslaw Firewicz of the 1 Dyw. Gren (1^st Grenadier Division) Polish Army. He died on 7 January 1944, exactly 80 years ago today aged 23. He is buried in the Polish Plot a few metres from where the ceremony was held today.

We had three Standards on parade; the BLP Standard paraded by Alan Lopez, the Royal British Legion Bisley, Knaphill and West End branch and the Artists Rifles carried by Norman Holden and Eddie Jones respectively.

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience to warm up.

Thank you to both Alan Meeks and Mike Hillman for the photographs.

Below is an audio recording of the ceremony for those who were unable to attend.

December Last Post

Unusually the rain fell just as the ceremony begun. The first time many could recall rain falling during the ceremony for several years. Many people had probably checked the weather report and stayed at home as there were fewer than 40 people in attendance.

Our Individual Remembrance was a Canadian and not for the first time, was not a victim of war, but was killed when he crashed the motorcycle he was riding. Lance-Corporal Andrew William MacIntosh, Service Number: B/72703 of the 11 Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps died on the 3^rd December 1943, exactly 80 years ago today aged 38.

He was a bar tender in civilian life, son of Andrew and Marguerite MacIntosh of Chatham, New Brunswick. He died at Wool, Bere Regis, Dorset due to a fractured skull from a motorbike accident while off duty.

Our poem was The Dead, Part III of the 1914 collection of the celebrated poet, Rupert Brooke.

The Dead

Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!

There’s none of these so lonely and poor of old,

But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold.

These laid the world away; poured out the red

Sweet wine of youth; gave up the years to be

Of work and joy, and that unhoped serene,

That men call age; and those who would have been.

Their sons, they gave, their immortality.

Blow, bugles, blow! They brought us, for our dearth.

Holiness, lacked so long, and Love, and Pain.

Honour has come back, as a king, to earth,

And paid his subjects with a royal wage;

And Nobleness walks in our ways again;

And we have come into our heritage.

Our Senior Standard Bearer, Tom Milne paraded the Union Flag and Alan Lopez the BLP Standard. We also had Standards from the Woking Royal Naval Association and the Artists’ Rifles. Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and Peter Hills delivered his usual wisdom. The Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph were spoken by the same individual, member Denis.