Montgomery Remembers
November 2024
Memorial Crosses
At a moving ceremony led by ex-servicemen Captain Paul Hodgson and Rev Paulette Gower, the Montgomery school children mustered at the Garden of Remembrance last week to place 34 small wooden Memorial Crosses, to help remember those of the town who fell in the two World Wars.
This has been a tradition since 2014 when the Gardens were extensively refurbished and the War Memorial was constructed and dedicated to mark the centenary of the start of WW1. Each year, children from the school note the individual names and details of The Fallen, which they carefully inscribe on small Remembrance Crosses, ready to be planted in the Memorial Garden facing towards the Town War Memorial ahead of Remembrance Sunday. As the children came forward one by one to place their crosses, Paul Hodgson read out the names and told the children where some of the men had lived. Some had homes in view of the memorial garden, and some have relatives still living in the town; most of the servicemen had attended Montgomery School.
Remembrance in Montgomery
The Remembrance Sunday Parade formed up on Broad Street, marshalled by the Sergeants at Mace, David and Mark Weaver. The parade comprised veterans from each service; representatives of the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers with their standards; the Trefoil Guild; Freemen of Montgomery; the Clergy; the Fire Service, Police and NHS; the Sergeants at Mace, members of the Town Council, and the County Councillor. With flags and standards, they marched from Broad Street to Church for the Remembrance Sunday Service at St Nicholas’ Church. The service was led by Pool Mission Area leader, Revd Paulette Gower. Having previously led Remembrance services at Montgomery’s Memorial Garden, the County Memorial, and other churches in the Mission Area, this was Revd Paulette’s first Remembrance Sunday service at St Nicholas’ itself.
Following the service in church, the parade reformed and continued at a slow march to the Garden of Remembrance and War Memorial. It is ten years since the Gardens were extensively refurbished and the War Memorial was constructed and dedicated to mark the centenary of the start of WW1. Here, those gathered remembered the men and women of Montgomery Town who served in the two World Wars and the sacrifices of those whose lives were lost and damaged in these and later conflicts.
The parade bugler, Bill Ridley, played Calon Lân as everyone assembled for the service, which was led by Revd. Paulette, who opened with ecumenical prayers on behalf of St Nicholas’ Church and Montgomery Chapel. The two National flags were paraded either side of the Memorial by Lesley Williams and Russ Honeyman, Wreaths were laid on behalf of the town’s organisations and in memory of those who suffered.
The bugler sounded The Last Post and the National flags and standards lowered for two minutes’ silence, during which the Exhortation to Remember and the Kohima Epitaph were read by Commander Michael Jordan RN and Chris Boundy, whose father Terry served in the Far East in the Second World War. As the bugler sounded Reveille, the flags were raised and the names of Montgomery’s Fallen were read out by Michael Jordan and Quintin Batt.
The Act of Remembrance concluded with prayers, the National Anthems and a blessing.
All were welcomed back to the Town Hall for hot drinks and biscuits courtesy of the Mayor. Donations were added to those generously made at The Pound and in Church.
In total, just over £400 was collected on Sunday to be added to the Poppy Appeal total, and go to support the work of the Royal British Legion.
The service was live streamed for those unable to attend for reasons such as travel or ill health, and was watched live from as far away as Perth, Australia.
An edited video of the Remembrance Sunday service was then shared on Armistice Day morning.
Mark Michaels, usually resident in Montgomery but currently in Leon, Spain, said, “Thank you to those who provided this link so those of us unable to attend could be 'present'. Always such a moving and memorable occasion.” Former Mayor Paulene Jones commented, “Beautiful service and the bugle player is to be congratulated for the perfect heart aching contributions to the service.”