Friends of a historic Coatham school will pay tribute to the fallen at Redcar and Cleveland College’s annual Remembrance service on Friday (November 7th 2025).
The event remembers the 103 Old Boys of Sir William Turner’s School who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.
An important date on the college calendar, the service brings together former staff and students of the school, along with friends, family members, and current college students.
As part of the service, the names of the Old Boys will be read out and the small details of some of their lives shared.
Speaking after the service last year, historian Peter Chester, a former lecturer at Sir William Turner’s Sixth Form, said: “Behind every name was a real person with a family, friends and their own personal story.
“Each was someone’s son. They had mothers and fathers, they could have had brothers and sisters, wives and children, friends, colleagues and schoolmates.”
During the First World War 48 Old Boys of Sir William Turner’s School died on active service and a further 55 lost their lives in the Second World War.
Now in its 103rd year, the ceremony at Redcar and Cleveland College will include an Honour Guard from the Royal British Legion that will lead the congregation out to the Celtic Cross War Memorial, on the corner of Corporation Road and Locke Road.
Guests, students, staff and members of the public will lay wreaths and small wooden crosses bearing the names of the fallen Old Boys at the memorial.
The Last Post will sound, and a two-minute silence observed.
This year the Remembrance Service will be held in the college’s Higher Education Centre at 2pm on Friday. Those wishing to attend are asked to assemble from 1.30pm onwards.
To find out more about Sir William Turner’s School, the Old Boys and brief historical details of those who lost their lives, visit: www.sirwilliamturner.org.uk
