Today in the heavy rain, we held a short ceremony with just under 40 people in attendance. We remembered Dennis Edgar Hayes, service number A/6038. Son of Georgina Hayes, Dennis was a member of the Royal Canadian Regiment and died on 3rd March 1944, aged 25. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Paul McCue reading the poem ‘Soldier’s Dream’ by Wilfred Owen

Mrs Ruth Moore sounding the Reveille

Paul Iverson remembering Explorer Scout Jodie Chesney

Standard Bearers Eddie Jones and Alan Lopez

There were around a dozen adult Scouters from Woking District in attendance.

Paul McCue read the poem ‘Soldier’s Dream’ by Wilfred Owen. Our bugler was Mrs Ruth Moore and our Standard Bearer was Mrs Sue Stallard. Photographs by Tony McCallum of WyrdLight Photography.

Afterwards we went round to the Trench Experience for some refreshments.

Today, with snow and ice on the ground, relatively few made it to the short Last Post Ceremony. Members who had a considerable distance to travel were discouraged from coming. As such, there were around 15 of us, and our Standard was not on parade. We followed the short ceremony.

We remembered Private Richard John De Mansfield Absolon from the Parachute Regiment, service number 24547055. Private Absolon was killed in the Falklands on 11/12 June 1982. He was a scout / sniper with the 3rd Battalion and was tasked with gaining information on the enemy deployed in defensive positions in the Mount Longdon area.

On the night of 11/12 June, with his partner, he led B Company on to Mount Longdon in the first assault to capture the position. He was tragically killed by mortar fire the next morning. He was awarded the Military Medal and was from Weybridge, Surrey.

We had Standards from the Artists Rifles and the Maverick Explorer Unit. Our bugler was Mrs Ruth Moore.

Alan Lopez, Kevin Davis, Ruth Moore and John Kingsbury

Brookwood Military Cemetery

Eddie Jones and Alan Lopez – February Standard Bearers

Afterwards we had refreshments at The Trench Experience.

Credit: war-memorial.net and Kevin Barker (photos).

Today in the relatively mild temperatures, just over 30 people attended the January Last Post. We were without our padre, and so performed the short ceremony.

We remembered two individuals; Private Walter George Woolford of the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment and Pilot Officer Brian Alphonsus McConnell DFM.

Private Woolford was aged 31 when on the 6th January 1919 it is believed he was a victim of the Spanish influence epidemic. He was a New Zealander from Auckland.

Pilot Office McConnell was a member of the Royal Australian Air Force and was a navigator in a mosquito fighter-bomber with the 464 (RAAF) Squadron flying from RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. He was aged 21 when he died on 6th January 1944.

Both are buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Our Standard bearer was Mrs Sue Stallard, Paul McCue read the poem and Individual Remembrances and Antony McCallum was our photographer.

Afterwards we went round to The Trench Experience for refreshments.

Paul McCue reading the poem

The January Braves