Remembrance Service Sunday 21st Oct 2018 - Address by Prime Minister Theresa May
The Remembrance Service on Sunday 21st Oct 2018 was attended by the MP for Maidenhead and Prime Minister Theresa May along with the Mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead. Fr Jeremy commented that The Prime Minister gave an outstanding sermon address which reminded us of the sacrifice made not only by the people of Boyn Hill but right across the town of Maidenhead, what was quite a relatively small population at that time, who gave their lives in the war.
The service included the blessing of the two memorial name boards of Boyn Hill residents who lost their lives in the First World War, and in more recent conflicts.
The Maidenhead Branch of the Royal British Legion participated in the service, including Standard Bearers and a Bugler who played the Last Post and Reveille. .
Mrs May's address is reproduced below by the kind permission of her office:-
This year marks a century since the end of the First World War – a milestone for our country and the world.
The war memorial on the exterior of this church was dedicated in 1921 to commemorate the sacrifice of men and women from this parish in that terrible conflict.
It is inscribed ‘To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Fallen’
And we do remember them.
In towns across our country, the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice over 100 years ago are engraved on memorials and inscribed on rolls of honour.
We remember the young men who left their homes to fight and die in the mud and horror of the trenches.
We remember the sailors who shovelled coal into hellfire furnaces in the bowels of battleships.
We remember the selflessness of a remarkable generation; who for our tomorrow gave their today.
I think of Hubert Grant - my father's cousin in whose honour he was named. Hubert fought and died at Passchendaele at the age of just 19.
Last year, at the service to mark the centenary of that battle, I took a moment to find his name on the Menin Gate, alongside thousands of his compatriots.
We will remember them all.
Alongside a commitment to remember, we have a responsibility to make certain that those who fought for our freedom did not die in vain.
A determination to pursue this calling transformed our country. A determination that the men who returned from the quagmires of Passchendaele to their families, should have homes fit for heroes.
That the women who made munitions, kept the buses and trains running, served as firefighters and police officers, should have a voice in our democracy.
That a country which stood together in solidarity, should become a fairer, more equal society.
A generation later, another victory built on shared sacrifice renewed that determination.
Twice in a century, Britain came together to beat the odds and build a better future.
The legacy of the Great War is not only the freedom we enjoy today but our enduring determination to build a better Britain and a better world.
A Britain where the next generation can enjoy a better life than their ancestors.
And a world that is safer and more peaceful than before.
Mrs May also personalised the address by referring to the 133 people who gave their lives named on the original memorial board along with the reference to the four VC's (Victoria Cross) that were awarded to residents of Maidenhead.
A pdf of the Service Booklet can be downloaded here.