Tributes to the fallen
Service held at town cenotaph
East Kilbride paid tribute to the war dead on Sunday with a Remembrance Service at the cenotaph.
Members of the public joined the ex-services organisations, armed forces personnel, local dignitaries and uniformed youth organisations to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Eddie Hayes, the chairman of the Royal British Legion’s East Kilbride Parish branch, was delighted with the turnout. Lest We Forget.
They converged at the cenotaph in East Kilbride under grey skies to remember the war dead.
Members of the public joined the ex-services organisations, armed forces personnel, local dignitaries and uniformed youth organisations on Sunday to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Following a march from the town’s Royal British Legion club, Councillor Alice Marie Mitchell welcomed everyone to the service which was conducted by Rev Anne Paton, of East Kilbride Old Parish Church, and Father Rafal Sobieszuk, from St Bride’s RC Church.
The Last Post was played following the first hymn and the Narrative of Remembrance before two minutes of silence at 11am.
The Reveille was sounded with the first wreath then laid on behalf of the people of South Lanarkshire by Councillor Mitchell, while a lone piper played a lament.
Dr Lisa Cameron, MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, laid her tribute and was followed by East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani and Central Scotland list MSP Graham Simpson.
Wreaths were also placed at the war memorial by representatives of the armed forces, with the tribute on behalf of the Scottish Transport Regiment laid by the town’s former MP, Adam Ingram, who is honorary colonel of the regiment.
They were followed by the ex-service organisations, including the Royal British Legion, the emergency services and the town’s uniformed youth organisations.
The service ended with For The Fallen, the words of Laurence Binyon, spoken by Eddie Hayes, the chairman of the East Kilbride Parish Branch of The Royal British Legion.
South Lanarkshire Council representatives, other dignitaries, the Royal British Legion and military units formed up to march behind the East Kilbride Pipe Band back to the Old Parish Church.
Reflecting on the service, Mr Hayes said: “There was a smashing turnout.
“In terms of the weather, we were lucky – it was comparitively mild.”
Later in the day, a delegation from the legion visited the cenotaph to lay a commemorative cross in memory of Private Stephen Young, who died in July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.
The cross had been sent to the legion in a letter from Anne Young O’Leary from Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
Private Young was a member of the 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders.