‘They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, not the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.’
—
Remembrance Day this year will mark 101 years since the end of World War I, and with this year also being the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, it is an opportunity for us to reflect on those lives that have been lost.
We all have our own ways of honouring Remembrance Day, and those who have fallen in both World Wars and other conflicts; be that by wearing a poppy, taking part in the two minutes silence, or in more private and personal ways.
These acts of remembrance got us thinking about the ways that the people of Dorset may have honoured this day in the past…
Book of Remembrance
One way that people honour those who have fallen is by creating remembrance books. In our archive we hold Books of Remembrance from Weymouth college (D-1345/1). It contains photographs of all past members who fell during both World Wars and includes information of where, when and how they died. Amongst so many heartfelt entries a few stand out as especially moving, such as the entry for John Richardson Le Geyt Pullen, who died at the age of 15 as a midshipman for the Royal Navy.
Another record details the deaths of twins Robert Walter Barnes and John Archibald Barnes who both died at the age of 26 in different countries. Oliver Barton James’ entry tells the courageous story of him losing his hand after being shot down in Germany, yet still managing to escape from the prisoner of war camp where he was being held, before returning to England to fly again with an artificial hand.
Church Programmes
We also have a selection of church programmes for past Remembrance Day services. Some of these are orders of service for Dorset churches such as Wimborne Minster from 1926 (PE-SML/SE/1/4), and others are national service programmes that were ‘Commended for general use by the Archbishops of Canterbury, of York, and of Wales, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, and the Moderator of the Free Church Federal Council’ (PE-HOR/SE/2/1). Despite their different origins and varying dates, their content is very similar, containing hymns, acts of remembrance, prayers and the two minutes silence. They all have a very traditional and respectful feel which has not changed over the years.
War Memorials
Dorset has many war memorials, and the Dorset History centre holds information and photos on several of them including Sherborne, Dorchester and Charminster. One memorial is quite unique, the Fordington German Prisoner of war memorial located in Fordington cemetery. This war memorial was erected in 1919 to commemorate German soldiers that died whilst they were kept at Dorchester prisoner of war camp and was designed by the prisoners themselves. In the archive we have a booklet of sketches completed by inmates of the camp which includes a drawing of the memorial (D-2063/1). The Germans prisoners were given very respectful funerals, which included a procession through the town which many local people attended. A reminder to all that wars are fought and suffered by many different sides.
Dorset has always made an effort to honour Remembrance Day, with church services, parades, war memorials and more. Looking back at the records of this in the archives shows how little has changed, Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday are still honoured across the county with a number of parades and services taking place this weekend.