South Yorkshire Times – Friday 18 November 1932
The Season of Remembrance
Mexborough
At The Memorial
Mexboro’s Armistice service was this year held from the bandstand near the war memorial in Castle Hill grounds, and was attended by an exceptionally large number of people. It was one of the most impressive held since the Armistice.
The procession included police, Military Band, urban Councillors and officials, the fire brigade, scouts, Ambulance Brigade, nursing sisters, Rotary Club, Chamber of Trade, and ex-Service men under Mr. S. Worrell and Mr. J. Lines. Wreaths were laid on behalf of the British Legion, Rotary Club, fire brigade, and “South Yorkshire Times” ex-Service men. Later, a wreath from the Adwick Road School was placed upon the memorial.
The service, which opened with the hymn, “O God, our help in ages past,” was conducted by the Vicar (the Rev. E B. A. Somerset), the Rev. W. Ashby, the Rev. J. H. Smith, the Rev. W. Simpson, Pastor J. E. Townson, and Mr. W. A. Lewis. Prayers were offered by Mr. Ashby, and following the hymn “For all the saints” Mr. Smith read the Lesson. The signal for the silence was given by Bandsmen Crocker, Murray, Reece and Potts, who sounded the Last Post, the silence being concluded by the sounding of the Reveille. The National Anthem was followed by the hymn “Abide with me,” and the Vicar pronounced the Benediction.
The procession re-formed and paraded along Church Street and Market Street to Montagu Square where, after a wreath had been placed on the memorial to Sapper William Hackett. V.C., by Mr. Worrell on behalf of the British Legion the ex-Service men were dismissed, Mr. Worrell thanking them for turning out, and the procession broke up.
Parish Church Service.
On Sunday morning a service attended by ex-Service men, councillors, and various organisations, was held in the Parish Church.
The procession was headed by the Mexboro’ Military Band, and included members of the men’s and women’s sections of the local branch of the British Legion, the Mexboro’ police under Inspector &diem, and the local ambulance divisions. During the service, which was conducted by the Vicar (Rev. E. B. A. Somerset), assisted by the Rev. G. H. Bedford, Mr. H. S. Walls, president of the Mexboro’ branch of the British Legion, placed a cross of Flanders poppies in the war memorial chapel. The collection, for Earl Haig’s Fund, realised £t 55.
The Vicar said it seemed certain that throughout the present generation the 11th of November would be kept as a very solemn Season.
Why had God called our comrades and not us? Surely it was because he had work for them to do elsewhere, while there was still a battle to fight for those who remained here; still work to be done which demanded courage, devotion, sacrifice and enthusiasms:
“One sometimes looks back on the war years with a little regret, because one found then what a fund of sacrifice and enthusiasm there was deep down in people’s hearts if they had the opportunity to pour it out.
The Vicar referred to the unemployment problem as the greatest which had to be faced. “I think it is an extraordinary testimony to the character of British men and women that at present they are so often cheerful and patient in the face of difficulties.” Many felt they would like to smash the present civilisation and start again, but unfortunately they could not cut away history like that. Nature and the life of man worked very slowly, and only step by step could the civilisation of mankind grow. “Our civilisation is not what it should be until every child that is born has a fair chance of being brought up healthy and good, and receiving a proper education, until every woman has an opportunity of doing her sacred work of making a home, until every father has an opportunity of honest work of earning a decent living for himself and his family. These are elementary things, but we cannot be satisfied with our civilisation unless they are given.
The Real Enemy.
“The real hindrance is the selfishness of man. What needs changing is not civilisation, or government or theories, but the heart of man. It needs purging of selfishness and purifying by the grace of God.” We needed a leader whom we could follow in difficult times who would also be their companion and friend, and that Leader was Christ.
The Military Band took part in the service, and at the close gave an impressive rendering of Handel’s “Largo.”
The procession subsequently re-formed and marched to Montagu Square, where the Last Post and Reveille were sounded. The band played a verse of “Land of hope and glory” and the National Anthem, and the men were dismissed by Mr. J. Lines.
The Vicar, preaching at the evening service from the text, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I come not to mend peace but a sword” (Matt. 10. 34) said that war was an essential element in human nature. The spirit of conflict could not be eradicated. It must be given new direction and our combative energy employed against the real evils of the world.
There were short services in all the schools, and the scholars were assembled for the Silence. Adwick Road scholars later laid a wreath on the Cenotaph.
On Sunday evening at the Free Christian Church the Rev. J. H. Smith conducted a service of remembrance and during his sermon called on the members to work so that the ideal for which our men died in the war should not be left unattained.