Remembrance across the Brigade

Wednesday 2nd January 2019

80 young people and Leaders from across the Brigade took part in the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London on Sunday 11th November.  BB members from England, Northern Ireland and Scotland took part in the parade and also laid a wreath at the Cenotaph.

The young people and Leaders represented 31st Northampton, 1st Acomb, 3rd Kettering, 1st Ossett (England); 16th Newtownabbey, 24th Belfast, 1st Fintona and 7th Portadown (Northern Ireland); and 22nd Paisley and 1st Whitburn (Scotland) Companies.

Karl Boyd, member of 16th Newtonabbey Company, was one those taking part in the parade.  His Great Grandfather L/Cpl William Boyd served in WW1. Karl was interviewed by Simon McCoy on BBC News on Sunday afternoon.

“As I’ve got older I’ve taken more of an interest in what my Great Grandfather did and researched the medals he received. “It was a privilege and an honour to participate in the parade.”

– Karl Boyd, 16th Newtonabbey.

Elsewhere, 68 BB groups from around the UK have been taking part in the ‘There But Not There’, a project to commemorate those who died in the First World War through installations of silhouettes wherever there is a Roll of Honour.

“The boys within our company found having the silhouettes very moving and a great visual representation of soldiers who lost their lives. Having them sat amongst the boys during devotions was very thought-provoking.”

– Warren Mayes, 7th Northampton. 

BB Companies also played their part in ‘Battle’s Over’, an international commemoration marking 100 years since the guns fell silent at the end of World War I. It began at 6am with lone pipers playing Battle’s O’er, a traditional Scottish air played after a battle, outside Cathedrals and Churches, following which a specially written tribute was read out. At the same time, over 1,000 pipers played the tune in individual locations within their local communities, including many BB pipers. In the evening at 6.55pm buglers including BB young people at over a thousand locations played the ‘Last Post’ at the end of which beacons of light were lit.