Falklands : Remembrance Sunday Observed in the Falklands
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 14.11.2005 (Article Archived on 28.11.2005)
On Remembrance Sunday, those who gave their lives for our freedom are remembered.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY OBSERVED IN THE FALKLANDS
By J. Brock (FINN)
A Service of Remembrance was held at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, 13 November 2005.After the arrival of CBSAI, Commodore Ian Moncrieff and Mrs. Moncrieff and H. E. the Governor and Mrs Pearce, the Rev. Paul Sweeting, of the Cathedral welcomed everyone including Members of SAMA’82 and their carers. “Your presence here with is certainly very special.” He said.
“Oh God our help in ages past,” was sung after the welcome. Introductory prayers were by the Rev. Ken Newton from the Seamen’s Mission. “Thine Be the Glory,” was sung before prayers for Remembrance and the Roll of Honour read by former Councillor Mike Summers. Confession and prayer was lead by Monsignor Michael McPartland. Bidding prayers were read by Rev. Kathy Biles of Christ Church Cathedral.
“Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer” was sung before the first reading, Psalm 98 by H. E. the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce.
THE SERMON BY THE REV. PAUL SWEETING:
“I once knew a man who was at my last Church before coming to the Falkland Islands. He is called Arthur and he is retired. I remember that he always used to wear this blazer to Church with some kind of badge on it but I never really noticed. One year I was looking for someone to lay the wreath at the Remembrance Sunday Service and I remembered the badge on Arthur’s blazer. So, I called around to ask him about it. It turns out that he had been in the ‘Air Landing Brigade’ in the Second World War – a forerunner of the Paras. That was the badge on his blazer. So, I asked him about it all.
Arthur wasn’t someone who talked about it very much but we had got to know each other well and he was happy to satisfy my curiosity. He told me about the Rhine crossing in 1945 during Operation Varsity, with Canadian, American and British airborne troops. Five hundred and forty Dakota Aircraft carried 12 Parachute Battalions. Those were followed by 1300 gliders. The push to speed progress in the war was huge. And, these troops made that audacious move and dropped directly into enemy territory.
Germans expected the attack and were ready for them. And, in amongst all of that was Arthur. He was in one of the 1300 gliders. Arthur was part of the motorised forces so he was in the glider with other men and a jeep. He was there when it landed and smashed into a tree. He was the only man to get out of that glider alive.
As he told me all of this, he slowed to a stop and stared down at the pattern on his carpet. In the silence I knew he was not there with me in that room but he was back in that glider.
We are here today to remember people like Arthur. Many of us have never been in a situation like him and some of us have. But whether we have or whether we haven’t, we are united today because we want to honour what people like Arthur did for people like you and me. We want to honour them and we want to remember them.
And, we want to remember what was done for these Islands in 1982. People here want to remember and never to forget. We want to remember those who served in the air, on the land, on the sea and under the sea -thousands of individual stories like Arthur’s.
That psalm we just heard speaks of remembering God and remembers the salvation and hope that he offers. It’s easy to miss but it also speaks of God’s remembering. It says that he remembers his love and faithfulness. That’s not to say that God’s forgetful and has to keep reminding himself. It’s to say that, like us, God wants to remember.
And finally, that psalm reminds us that the story of this world is not over. It reminds us that the broken beauty of our lives and of our world is not the end of the story. It is the middle. It reminds us that people with pain like Arthur and thousands like him feel is not the final end of man or women.
Instead, it leaves us with this – a final reminder – that God will come to the world and the people that he has made to bring his love and faithfulness. And, yes, his judgment because though he seems to delay, though he seems too long healing and justice, still he will come because he remembers and will not forget.
He remembers His love, His faithfulness, just like today we remember and honour people like Arthur, who served and fought and fell.
Today we are united in remembering not just with one another but united with God, whose remembering will bring healing and hope to thousands yet unborn.”
Rev. Sweeting then prayed that we would remember with true honesty and that we would give honour and thanks for people who are prepared to pay the price, though it be ever so high. And, “we wait for your love and your justice to be seen in your world.” He concluded.
The National Anthem was sung and acts of commitment, lead by Rev. Ken Newton, were then pledged and this was followed by the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God.”
A collection was taken in aid of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and Rev. Sweeting then gave the final blessing.
After the service the FIDF, a contingent of Naval Personnel as well as one from MPA marched to the Cross of Sacrifice where the youth organisations had formed up. There were Sea and Marine Cadets as well as Girl Guides and Scouts.
In windy and rainy weather, a brief service took place at the Cross of Sacrifice that included a two-minute silence started by Victory Green’s Saluting Guns. The Last Post and Reveille were played and wreaths laid by H. E. the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce as well as Commodore Moncrief and representatives for FIG, the service organisations and others.
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