Students will pay their own tribute to lives lost during the First and Second World Wars this week in an historic Service of Remembrance at Redcar & Cleveland College.
The youngsters, who are currently studying Public Services at the college, will join the Old Boys of the Sir William Turner’s School as they remember 103 former pupils killed in action during the conflicts.
In its 97th year the annual memorial service brings together the schools’ former pupils, current students and the surrounding community.
The college’s course leader for Public Services, Mark Watts, said: “It’s important for our students to be involved as all of the public services play their part in Remembrance, even when they are deployed on operations.”
Dating back to 1922, the annual service of remembrance used to take place at the former Sir William Turner’s School in Redcar. It has now become a part of the traditions at Redcar & Cleveland College.
Some 350 Old Boys from the school fought in the First World War, 48 of whom died in active service. During the Second World War, there were 650 Old Boys who served in the armed forces, and 55 of them lost their lives. They are commemorated on two War Memorials at the college.
Mark said: “Remembrance offers a moment of reflection to remember every single person that died in conflict and to remember that behind every name is a life and an individual story.
“For our students the Old Boys of the Sir William Turner’s School were people from the area where they live, many were the same age as them, and while it might have been 100 years ago these are young men that would have shared the same thoughts and aspirations.”
In 2014, two leather-bound memorial books dedicated to those who lost their lives were compiled, after extensive research, by students of the college and two Old Boys of Sir William Turner’s School, Brigadier His Honour Philip Norris and local historian Peter Chester. These books will also be on display at the ceremony.
Joining the memorial service at the college at 10.30am on Friday (8th November) the Public Services students will follow an Honour Guard from the Royal British Legion and the congregation to the Celtic Cross War Memorial at 11am, where the Last Post will sound before two minutes’ silence is observed and wreaths are laid.
Small wooden crosses, each bearing the name of one of the Old Boys who lost their lives, will also be placed.
The Sir William Turner Foundation has commissioned a website, http://www.sirwilliamturner.org.uk/ , on which brief historical details of the Old Boys who lost their lives can be found.
