Festival of Remembrance
10 volunteers from Kent Weald county and one shadow supported the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 8 November. The volunteers sold performance programmes to attendees. "We had a great day meeting and talking with so many veterans," said county commissioner Dawn.
Centotaph
Leaders, young leaders and Rangers from Girlguiding Sussex West county represented Girlguiding at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, 9 November. After the two-minute silence at 11 o’clock, Jackie Brown, Worthing Cissbury division commissioner, laid the Girlguiding wreath, as the nation remembered all those who have died serving our country. See them online on BBC iPlayer at 2:22:50.
Jackie said: "We had the most fabulous day . All the participants felt very honoured and privileged to have taken part."
Several members in particular honoured their relatives who have served, wearing their medals during the procession where appropriate. Find out more about their stories below:
- Jackie wore the medals of her father, Theodore Smith, who served in North Africa. Theodore was at Scout camp on the day war was declared and the leader hastily loaded them all into his van and returned home, only to be told to go back to camp as it was safer there than in Chatham by the dockyards. She also wore the medals of her father-in-law, Leonard Brown, who was in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and took part in the D Day Landings before heading up through France to Germany having also survived the Great Battle for Lebisey near Caan.
- Stephanie, leader in training with 3rd Chichester Guide unit, wore the medals of her great grandfather, Bertie Leonard Cox who was in the 8th King’s Royal Hussars. Her daughter Lucy, a young leader, wore her great grandfather’s medals, Leonard Arthur Cox, who followed in his father’s footsteps into the 8th King’s Royal Hussars. Stephanie’s father was also in the parade as he served in the Royal Navy during the Falklands war where his ship, HMS Ardent, was sunk.
- Nicky, leader of 2nd Storrington Guide and Ranger unit, honoured her grandfather Cpl Percival Scammell, who served in the Royal Hampshire Regiment, (Royal Engineers). Percival’s sister Amy served in a bomb making factory. Nicky’s father, Stanley Thomas Scammell also served in World War II. He joined up as soon as he turned 18 and went across to Holland post-D Day.
- Clair, leader of Bognor Regis South Ranger Guide unit, honored her grandfather, Charles Rivers Jordan, who served as a gunner in the 30th Coastal Bty, 8th Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery, Fortress Command, Hong Kong, 1937-1941. After the fall of Hong Kong he was being transported back to Japan in the Lisbon Maru when it was torpedoed by the USS Grouper (not being marked as having prisoners on board). He only survived because he was helped by Chinese fisherman but he was recaptured by the Japanese and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner. A recorded interview with Charles Jordan is also available at the Imperial War Museum and available online at https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80023820
- Kirsty, leader 4th Chichester Brownie unit and 7th Chichester Guide unit, honoured her parents who worked for SCEA (Service Children’s Education Authority) for 30 years both at home and in Germany and Holland. Between them they taught hundreds of forces children in both the army and RAF.
Around the region
Meanwhile, thousands of Girlguiding members took part in local Remembrance events across London and South East England, showing that the spirit of remembrance is very much alive. We’d like to say thank you to all those who represented Girlguiding in their local communities on Remembrance Sunday.
