Our first Last Post of this decade had 42 people witness a short ceremony.

We remembered four Canadian airmen that were lost on 5th January 1945 when the Vickers Wellington bomber LP841 they were in collided with high tension cables when on a night navigation exercise. The bomber took off from RAF Ossington and two minutes later crashed in flames in a field just south of the village of Laxton.

Flight Officer John Clair McLeod (Pilot), aged 20, from Minnedosa, Manitoba; Flight Officer Edward Earl Fernandez (Navigator), aged 28, from Windsor, Ontario; Flight Officer Lou Jan Robillard (Bomb Aimer), aged 31, from Toronto, Ontario; Sergeant E A Bishop (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner), aged 21, from Carseland, Alberta were killed and all are buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery. Sergeant R Eden (Air Gunner) survived.

Tom Milne carried the Union Flag, Alan Lopez was our Standard Bearer and Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post.

With thanks to Alan Meeks for the photographs, and Paul McCue from the Secret WW2 Learning Network for the Individual Remembrance.

Today in the cold we held the short ceremony with a representative from the Woking Royal Navy Association parading their Standard.

We read The Evacuee: The Poem by Arthur King and our Individual Remembrance remembered Stoker 1st Class, George David Spinner. George was aboard HMS Hood when it was sunk by the German Battleship Bismarck on 24 the May 1941 during the Battle of Denmark Strait. He is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval memorial.

Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums attended and they very kindly read the Exhortation, played the Piper’s Lament and recited the Kohima Epitaph. We are extremely pleased that young people wish to participate in our ceremony as young people being involved is part of our mission.

Our Standard Bearer was Alan Lopez. The Union Flag was paraded by our Senior Standard Bearer Tom Milne. Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post and Reveille.

Afterwards we went round to the Trench Experience for mulled wine and mince pies. A nice way to round off an outstanding year for the Brookwood Last Post Association, and we look forward to next year.

Today, we held a magnificent ceremony with several hundred people attending.

The Mayor of Woking, Cllr Beryl Hunwicks attended along with many Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from Woking District Scouts.

The 1st Claygate Scout and Guide band led a parade of Scouters and accompanied the hymn and National Anthem.

Gordon’s School Pipes and Drums led the parade including the Mayor and members of the public.

Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance, and read a poem by 14 year old Joshua Dyer called ‘One Thousand Men are Walking’. The poem was written this year as part of a Remembrance Day project.

For the Individual Remembrance, we remembered Pilot Officer Emil Fechtner DFC RAFVR. Emil Fechtner was born on September 16th 1916 in Prague. He was in the Czech Air Force when the Germans took over Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

He joined 310 (Czech) Squadron at its formation at RAF Duxford on July 10th, 1940. He downed several German planes, including an ME109, DO17 and a ME110. He survived a crash, collision in mid-air before being killed when he crashed near Duxford on 29th October 1940, piloting a Hurricane. He is buried in Plot 28, the Czechoslovakian plot of Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Four Scouts said the Exhortation and the Last Post and Reveille was perfectly sounded by a member of 1st Claygate Scout and Guide band.

Gordon’s School Pipe Major played a highly emotional Piper’s Lament.

Today, the Union Flag was paraded by our Senior Standard Bearer Tom Milne and our Standard was paraded by Alan Lopez. Our chaplain was Rob Bennet and the sound was managed by the Scouts, for which we are very grateful.

At the end of the ceremony, the Mayor inspected the Standards and presented brass shields to the Scouts carrying the Standards that attended the 11 o’clock ceremony on 11 November 2018 at the Menin Gate as part of the centenary commemorations.

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience for refreshments.

For a full set of photos by Antony McCallum, see here.

Photo credits include Kevin Barker, Brian Davis and Antony McCallum.