11 Days of Remembrance: The Next Best Thing

So, I presume it's no secret that I'm disappointed I'll be missing tomorrow's Remembrance Day service at Warplane Heritage. However, I was able to attend a small service this afternoon at the Glanbrook Arena, which is pretty much in my backyard.

The Township of Glanbrook, aside from having itself a group of Willing Workers, also had its fair share of men serving in the First World War and the Second. The arena, which also houses the Township office (a separate building, but on the same property), has its own cenotaph to commemorate our fallen heroes.

For as long as I can remember, or at least when I had started out my cadet journey, the Glanbrook Arena holds its own Remembrance service the Sunday before November 11. Today was no exception.

My mum and I made our way to the arena, and like always, my former squadron was there for the occasion. I guess I must be old now as I didn't recognize any of the kids. A couple of the officers I still knew, but everyone else was lost on me. But, they still did well with the service.

779 has always had a senior ranked cadet as the Master of Ceremonies for the service, and a trumpeter from the squadron band always plays the "Last Post" and "Reveille". A cadet always recites "In Flander's Fields" and either a cadet or a Wing member shares "High Flight," a piece of poetry that is quite dear to those of us who love to be airborne. Wreaths are laid, and various religious representatives come out to lead us in numerous Remembrance prayers.

It may not be anywhere near on par with the service at Warplace Heritage, or at least in terms of size, but the one in my backyard still holds some importance to me. It meant that I could still attend a service this year, and it also brought back squadron memories.

As for Glanbrook's fallen, they are as follows:

1914-1918
Albert Bell
Elvis Bell
Alexander Bell
John Cleghorn
Angus Fletcher
Reginald Fowler
Roy Gowland
Gorden Hildreth
Norman Krick
Arthur Switzer
Harold Switzer
William Thomas

1939-1945
Donald Bates
Malcolm Carver
Roy Clausen
David Crozier, D.F.M
Harley Duff
Robert Fletcher
Roy Hillgartner
Orville J. Jerome
Ivan Kelly
Lavern Oliphant
Grant Simpson
Arthur Switzer

The men listed here came to Canada from Europe for their flight training as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program (BCATP). They were killed during their training, but their memories live on.

BCATP 1939-1945
LAC Dennis Donohue
LAC Dennis A. Drayton
LAC Reginald A. Gillman
LAC Ernest Johnson
LAC James Watson
LAC Tauton O.C. Pauyat
ACI Stephen Proudly
LAC Charles G. Chadwick
F/L John O.D Kellow
F/O Peter Scott AFC
Sgt. Richard G. Beoard
Sgt. Edward Doughty
Sgt. Herbert Preston
Cpl. Colin J. Campbell
Cpl. Michael Joseph Quinn
LAC Sidney L. Bresloff

  For more, refer to the 11 Days of Remembrance miniseries from 2011 and 2012.