A chilly February day saw around 40 members of the public join us for our monthly ceremony today.

The subject of our Individual Remembrance was Pilot Officer Peter Harry Moller of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on 22 January 1941, aged 24 and is buried yards from the RAF Memorial Shelter in Brookwood Cemetery. He was killed when the Blenheim he was in crashed shortly after take-off from Bodney.

Tom Milne paraded the Union Flag and Alan Lopez paraded the BLP Standard. Rob Bennett performed chaplain duties and Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post.

The Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph were read by two young people, a brother and sister who happened to be in the cemetery. The BLP’s goal is for young people to be involved in the ceremony as much as possible.

After the ceremony, we retreated to the Trench Experience to warm up.

Photos kindly taken by Alan Meeks and Mike Hillman and used with permission.

In the modern history of the BLP, today was the first gathering on New Year’s Day as far back as anyone can remember and it was surprising to see around 40 people attend what was expected to be a casual and short ceremony.

A brief ceremony took place and the subject of our Individual Remembrance was Guardsman Alexander MacLeod of the clan MacLeod.

Guardsman MacLeod of the 2nd Bn. Scots Guards died on the 1st January 1915, aged 28. He was the husband of Bridget MacLeod and is remembered on Le Touret Memorial, Richebourg-l’Avoué, in the Pas-de-Calais region of France.

Senior Standard Bearer Tom Milne carried the Union, Flag, Alan Lopez the BLP Standard. Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and played the National Anthem. Peter Hills officiated over the ceremony. Eddie Jones paraded the Artist’s Rifles Standard.

We then retired to the Trench Experience for refreshments.

Thank you to Mike Hillman for the photographs.

December saw two families join us to remember family members lost in conflict. Members of Private Delmyr Gee Gosper’s family and Private Henry George Munday family participated in the ceremony and wreaths were laid remembering both soldiers.

In attendance for the first time was representatives of the Belgian War Veteran Federation – UK Branch.

Private Gosper of the 36th Battalion – 9th Brigade Australian Imperial Forces was born in Meranburn, NSW, Australia in 1895. He was one of 12 children and was originally a farm labourer in the vast area to the west of the Blue Mountains.

He enlisted on 29th August 1916 and left Sydney on HMAT Wiltshire on 7th February 1917, arriving in the UK on 11th April. He was killed in action about six miles north east of Ypres along the Menin Road between Ypres and Passchendaele on 11th October 1917. Private Gosper has no known grave and is remembered on the Australian Roll of Honour, Menin Gate, Ypres.

Private Munday was killed in action on 31st March 1916 outside of Ypres. He was 27 years old and the father of four children. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres.

Alan Lopez was our Standard bearer and Tom Milne paraded the Union Flag. Peter Hills performed chaplain duties and afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience to continue the stories.

Thank you to Alan Meeks and Tony McCallum for the photographs.