July Last Post

A minute before the ceremony was due to start, the heavens opened and a good sized audience were left hoping for a short ceremony.

We were honoured that the Assistant Defence Attaché, Warrent Officer Sven Berg represented the Belgian Embassy and was a special guest at the ceremony. We were also grateful to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for joining us again.

Our Individual Remembrance was Lieutenant Eugène Francis Levene. Born in Liège, Belgium on 14 June 1912, the only son of Belgian parents Eugène Felinque and Marie-Louise Felinque (née Marquet). On 29 March 1945 at KZ-Flossenbürg concentration camp in Germany Levene was executed by hanging. He was aged 32.

Below is comprehensive research into his life and death by Paul McCue and the Secret World War 2 Learning Network.

LEVENE summary for Belgium remembers Download

We have heard the poem before, but with our special guest, was certainly apt for the ceremony. Our poem was ‘The Belgian Flag’, written by the Belgian author and First World War poet Émile Cammaerts.

There were nine standards on parade with Alan Lopez and Dennis Stewart parading the BLP and Union Flag respectively.

Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance, Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and Rob Bennet said the wise words.

The rain held off for most of the ceremony but we took the opportunity to go to the Trench Experience to dry off and have some refreshments.

Thank you to Paul McCue for the Individual Remembrance and Mike Hillman for the photographs.

June Last Post

One of the smallest audiences for some time, we were grateful that a Commonwealth War Graves Commission Brookwood Cemetery tour joined us for the monthly ceremony as they usually do.

Our Individual Remembrance today was Sergeant Ian Nicholas Hunt, who was born on 1^st December 1953 in Ashford, Kent.

On the 2^nd June 1982, Sergeant Hunt, also known as Kiwi was accidentally killed during an exchange of fire with an SAS patrol near Teal in the Falkland Islands.

He is buried at St. Michaels Parish Church, Hamworthy, Poole, in Row 2, Grave 17.

He was the only member of the Special Boat Service killed during the Falklands conflict. He was 28 years old.

Three years ago during the 40^th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, we heard poems from Tony McNally.

Tony was 19 in 1982 when he went to the Falkland Islands as a member of the Royal Artillery. It was his experience of war, and in particular seeing the devastation of the Sir Galahad attack that sadly enabled Tony to write such poems. Our poem today was simply entitled ‘Annabelle’.

There were nine standards on parade today with young representatives from the Air Cadets and Woking Scouts.

John Pain of Woking District Scouts delivered the Individual Remembrance. Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and the Rob Bennett performed padre duties.

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience for refreshments.

Thank you to Mike Hillman for the photos and Alan Meeks for the video which can be viewed here.

May Last Post

With the 80th anniversary of VE Day just four days away, our ceremony focussed on that event. Our Chairman delivered a short speech mentioning that on the 8th May 1945, the CWGC website listed over 200 deaths, many of them in the far east as war continued there for a further few months.

We had representatives of the Royal British Legion Riders Berkshire group, that were on a motorcycle ride out today and stopped by for the ceremony. We were grateful that one of their members said the Kohima Epitaph at the end of the ceremony.

Our Individual Remembrance today focused on Sister Mary Satchell of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. Sister Satchell died while on active service on VE Day, the 8^th May 1945.

Nursing in the army can be traced back to Florence Nightingale during the Crimea War and in 1902 the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service was formed that provided nurses across the world during the First World War.

During the Second World War, the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service was expanded in order to provide nurses and sisters at all Military General Hospitals. In this capacity, nurses served in all the theatres of operations where British and Indian troops were deployed.

The Service was in effect officers only, and the rank of Sister was the equivalent of a Lieutenant, although treated as officers, they were not commissioned officers of the British Army.

Sister Satchell, daughter of James and Jeanne Satchell was 30 years old when she died and is buried in the Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery.

Our poem was simply titled ‘VE Day’, a poem by Angela Wybrow. A member of the public very kindly read this out.

A video of the ceremony may be viewed here.

Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post, the Rev. Peter Hills said the wise words today and Kevin Brain delivered the Individual Remembrance.

Our Standard Bearers today.

Keith Tarling - Woking Royal Naval Association

Norman Holden - RBL, Bisley, Knaphill & West End Branch

Tim Edwards - Royal British Legion, Surrey Branch

Tom Milne - Royal Engineers Association Radio Branch

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience to continue the stories. There were some great military vehicles on display that will form the basis of the VE Day celebrations in Woking Jubilee Square tomorrow.