Time to Remember (From This Is Wiltshire)

Time to Remember

7:00am Friday 6th November 2009

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People across west Wiltshire and Corsham will pay their respects to those who have served in wars gone by and those who are still fighting for their country today, as Remembrance Day services are held across the area this weekend.

Here is our guide to the services and parades being held:

MELKSHAM

A wreath to remember Polish soldiers who served with allied forces during the Second World War will be laid on the war memorial in Melksham for the first time on Remembrance Sunday.

Polish Second World War veteran Walik Jaworski, 82, of Semington Road, Melksham, will lay the wreath at the memorial in Canon Square in memory of his fellow servicemen and women.

Mr Jaworski joined the Polish army as a 15-year-old cadet before signing up as a fully fledged soldier at the age of 17.

He said: “I met Melksham mayor Richard Wiltshire recently and we started talking about the Polish war memorial that has recently been erected in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

“I was not able to go to its official unveiling, but I went the next day and it was wonderful. It was after this that we arranged the wreath laying at the remembrance service.”

Mr Jaworski served with the Polish forces under British command in the Middle East during the Second World War.

When the war was over he was posted to Grimsby before moving to Scotland.

During the post-war years he helped with the rebuilding of Bath, which had been badly damaged by Nazi bombing raids.

He met his wife Glenice shortly afterwards and the pair have been married for 55 years. They have two sons, Mark and Christopher, and five grandchildren.

The former soldier is also a member of the West Wiltshire Twinning Association, which twinned with Elblag in north east Poland following the signing of a charter by the mayors of the area’s five towns on March 31, 2000.

As well as representing his fellow servicemen, Mr Jaworski will also attend the service and act of remembrance on behalf of the twinning association.

The Remembrance Sunday parade will leave the King Street car park in Melksham at 2.40pm and arrive at St Michael’s Church for a 3pm service.

Members of the public are asked to be seated in the church by 2.45pm. Wreaths will be laid at the war memorial afterwards.

TROWBRIDGE

Public demand has led to changes being made to the Remembrance Day parades in Trowbridge for the first time in half a century with an Act of Remembrance due to be held at the war memorial at 11am.

The parade will assemble in Market Street at 9.15am and move off at 9.25am, to march to St James Church, for a service at 9.45am.

The parade will be led by the Trowbridge Cadet Band and representatives from Wiltshire Council, West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison and town councillors will be among those at the service.

Trowbridge Royal British Legion branch chairman, Matthew Ridley, said the service is due to end at 10.20am and the parade will then re-form in Church Street before marching to the war memorial in the town park.

He said: “It’s usually quite a busy and popular parade and a lot of people come out to watch and follow it.

“It’s slightly different this year, as for the last 50 years or so the Act of Remembrance has taken place in the church, but this year it will take place at the war memorial.

“This is something people in the town wanted.”

Around 30 people will lay wreaths, including Dr Murrison and councillors, following the Act of Remembrance, which will take place at 11am followed by a two minute silence and then readings.

A hymn will be sung to the sound of the Salvation Army band and this will be followed by a blessing and then the parade will return to Market Street.

Mr Ridley said he and a few other legion members will make their way to the war memorial in Hilperton following Trowbridge’s parade.

BRADFORD ON AVON

The Rev Alan Jones will recount tales of fallen war heroes from Bradford on Avon as part of the town’s Remembrance service this weekend.

Following a 10.15am service at Holy Trinity Church in Church Street, a procession will weave through the town at 10.45am, crossing the footbridge to Westbury Gardens for the Act of Remembrance Service at the war memorial.

The service will include a two-minute silence, the laying of wreaths, hymns, the Lord’s Prayer and the ringing of the church bells at Holy Trinity from 11.10am.

As part of Remembrance Weekend, an exhibition will take place at the museum in Bridge Street, focusing on the servicemen and woman from Bradford on Avon and the surrounding areas who gave their lives during the Second World War.

The Names in Stone exhibition, based on the recently published book of the same name written by local author and historian Jonathan Falconer, will feature photographs and documents not included in the book.

The exhibition will run from 9am to 4pm tomorrow (Saturday) and 10.30am to 4pm on Sunday.

Rev Jones will refer to the book during the service, recalling the tale of Sergeant Brian Darch from Bradford on Avon, who was a tank commander in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry, and who died in the invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

Rev Jones also has responsibility for an Anglican parish in Sicily, with which he maintains strong links and is familiar with the place where Sgt Darch was killed and the cemetery at Syracuse where he is buried.

Author Mr Falconer said: “This focus on one particular Bradfordian who gave his life during the Second World War should add a poignant and personal dimension to this year’s Remembrance Day service, especially in this 70th anniversary year of the outbreak of the Second World War.”

Names in Stone: Forgotten Warriors of Bradford on Avon and District 1939-45, is published by Bed & Bolster Publishing, and is for sale at the museum.

The author’s royalties and 50 per cent of the proceeds are being donated to a charitable fund at Bradford on Avon Museum.

WARMINSTER

The sound of drums and engines will be heard in Warminster as the town comes together to pay its respects on Remembrance Sunday.

The Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire John Bush, west Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison and a motorbike branch of the Royal British Legion will be among those parading through the town.

The parade will convene at 2.15pm on Station Road and leave at 2.45pm.

Pat Marsh, secretary for the Royal British Legion Warminster branch, said: “The bikers branch, which are a mobile branch on motorbikes from all over the country, are coming.”

Led by a light cavalry band from Warminster garrison and The Corps of Drums of the 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, the parade will pass through the Market Place, where those taking part will salute the Field of Remembrance at St Lawrence Church.

They will then parade through The Close and arrive at the war memorial in Portway at 3pm for a service led by the Rev Denis Brett.

There will also be services of remembrance at churches in Heytesbury, Sutton Veny and Boyton at 10.45am.

WESTBURY

More than 200 people are expected to take part in the Remembrance Day parade in Westbury on Sunday.

Parade marshal Alan Smith said the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, John Bush, will attend this year’s event.

He said: “It is nice to think that the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire will be in Westbury as he has the whole of Wiltshire to think about.

“We also have another new addition for this year, the Trowbridge Youth and Community Band, who will be leading the parade.”

He said that he expects between 200 and 250 people to take part in the parade, including the Westbury branch of the Royal British Legion, representatives from the emergency services, as well as the Air Training Corps, the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force, St John Ambulance and Westbury Scouts and Guides.

The parade will start from Warminster Road car park at 10.30am and will move along Haynes Road, then on to the war memorial in High Street, where a service will be led by the Rev Jonathon Burke.

Wreaths will then be laid by the Lord Lieutenant, Westbury mayor Sue Ezra, chairman of the Westbury Royal British Legion Eddie Bridges and Wiltshire Council representatives.

Other community groups and organisations will then lay their wreaths and the parade will end just before noon after returning to the car park.

CORSHAM & VILLAGES

Acts of remembrance will be held across north Wiltshire towns and villages on Sunday.

In Corsham, a parade will gather at 10am, starting from outside the Royal British Legion club in Newlands Road.

It will leave at 10.25am and head towards St Bartholomew’s Church and will be followed by a church service at 10.50am, before a gathering around the war memorial at 11.45am.

In Box, a united act of remembrance will take place at the war memorial at 10.45am on Sunday, while in Colerne a parade will take place from 10.25am, starting at Cleaves Avenue and moving along the High Street to the Market Place.

Servicemen and woman from nearby Azimghur Barracks will join community groups on the march, which will be followed by a service at the war memorial.

In Biddestone, a service will be held at St Nicholas Church at 10.50am. There will also be a gathering at the village’s war memorial on Wednesday, November 11 at 11am.

In Lacock, a service will be held at St Cyriac’s Church from 10.15am on Sunday, followed by a gathering at the village’s war memorial at 11am.

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