We welcomed the Mayor of Woking, Cllr Ilyas Raja to the July ceremony, a ceremony that now traditionally is focussed on Belgium. We were fortunate to have a further distinguished guest with Colonel Bruno Plaetsier, Belgian Defence Attaché attending for the first time.

Prior to the BLP ceremony a short ceremony took place at the Belgian plot with Col. Plaetsier laying a wreath remembering all Belgian forces killed in wars.

Paul McCue led the Individual Remembrance as we remembered Lieutenant Julien Théodore Joseph Marie Detal. Lieutenant Detal was a member of the Belgian Army serving for three and a half years between 1934 and 1937. He then became a reservist and saw action at the beginning of WW2, being taken prisoner in May 1940. He escaped in September 1940 and eventually made his way to England in 1941.

On arrival in England he chose to volunteer for T (Belgian) Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He received parachute and sabotage training and was parachuted into France in September 1941. He was eventually arrested and imprisoned by the Vichy French until he escaped again and reached London, via Spain and Gibraltar, in August 1943.

Having transferred to the F (French) Section of SOE he was again parachuted into France in February 1944, only this time a compromised radio set led the Germans to arrest him on arrival. Detal joined other captured SOE operatives that were deported to Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. On 12 September 1944, he was brutally murdered by hanging and his body disposed of in the furnaces of the crematorium. He was 23 years old at the time of his death and is officially commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial to the Missing. He is also listed at the F Section Memorial in France and at the site of the former Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. There is a detailed Lieutenant Detal biography below.

Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post. We had Standards on parade from the Royal Engineers, The Royal British Legion, The Belgian War Veteran Federation, the Woking Royal Naval Association and the Artists Rifles. The BLP Standard was paraded by Alan Lopez.

Wreaths were laid by Col Plaetsier on behalf of the Belgian Embassy and Rudy Peleman on behalf of the Belgian War Veteran Federation.

By coincidence The Red Arrows overflew the ceremony at the most appropriate of times. We are grateful for their participation! Afterwards we had a cup of tea at The Trench Experience.

Thank you to Paul McCue for the extensive research and Mike Hillman for the photographs.

We had a visitor from Canada at our ceremony today and she spoke about Sergeant Alfred George Jackman of the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Royal Canadian Hussars, a light cavalry regiment. Sergeant Jackman was killed exactly 80 years ago today on 2nd April 1943, he was 23 years old and is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post, and the Brookwood Last Post Standard was paraded by Alan Lopez. We also had standards from the Royal Engineers, the Artists Rifles and the Royal British Legion.

The weather was colder than expected and we retired to the Trench Experience to warm up and have some refreshments.

Today saw a good turn out of Standards for the ceremony.

We remembered Gunner Edward Kenneth Balm, service number B/38297 of the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was aged 20 years old when he died.

We also remembered Gunner Robert Alexander Dixon, service number D/118141 also of the Royal Canadian Artillery.

Both were killed exactly 80 years ago today on 5th March 1943 and are buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Paul McCue delivered the Individual Remembrance with Peter Hills offering prayers and blessings. Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post.

We had standards from the Woking Royal Naval Association, the Artists Rifles, the Royal British Legion (Surrey), the Royal British Legion (Knaphill, Bisley and West End Branch) and our Senior Standard Bearer paraded the Royal Engineers Standard. Alan Lopez carried the Brookwood Last Post Standard.

Charlie Neale, a Sea Cadet from Guildford, placed poppy crosses on the graves and read the Kohima Epitaph.

Afterwards we retired to the Trench Experience for refreshments.

Thank you to Alan Meeks for the photographs.