We welcomed the 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts to our ceremony today.

Our Individual Remembrance subject was Soldato (Private) Giuseppe Martino from Frosinone, 70 miles south-east of Rome, Service Number: 45914 of the Italian Army. He died 80 years ago on 3 March 1944.

Soldato Martino, an Italian Prisoner of War (though Italy had capitulated in September 1943 and joined the Allies the following month) was engaged with another Italian prisoner and a British squad on timber work in the Scottish county of Angus. The two Italians were not authorised to operate tractors, but while the other men were taking a break, Martino attempted to drive the tractor up a steep slope. The tractor overturned on top of Martino and killed him. He was aged about 23 years old.

He was originally buried in Scotland and his body was reinterred at Brookwood after the Second World War in the Italian plot 16, Lincoln Avenue, row C, grave 3.

We were very privileged to have Jess from Gordon’s School sound the Last Post and Reveille today in her very first ever public performance using a genuine bugle. Jess has sounded the Last Post for us in the past using a cornet and we hope to see her back again soon.

Peter Hills provided the words of wisdom and Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance and poem.

Alan Lopez paraded the BLP Standard, Tom Milne the Union Flag and we had standards from the Artist’s Rifles, the Royal British Legion, Knaphill, Bisley and West End branch, the Woking Royal Naval Association and 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts.

We were grateful to 1st Oxted Barrow Green Scouts for laying a wreath and providing Scouts to say the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph. Our Chairman Kevin Davis is an Explorer Scout Leader and was honoured to participate in the investiture of a young Scout into the group.

Thank you to Alan Meeks for providing the photos and especially the audio.

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.

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.