LIGHTS FANTASTIC FOR OUR HEROES
LEST WE FORGET...
LANDMARKS were lit up across the nation yesterday to remember our fallen troops.
The slogan “There But Not There” and an image of a soldier was projected on to attractions from the Angel of the North to Cardiff Castle.
Silhouettes of Tommies have appeared right across Britain since the campaign kicked off in February.
They honour the sacrifice of British and Commonwealth troops who died during World War One, while also raising funds for military charities.
The There But Not There campaign aims to commemorate the dead, educate all generations, and help heal today’s veterans suffering mental or physical wounds.
General Lord Dannatt, patron of There But Not There and former Chief of the General Staff, said: “As we reach 100 years since the Armistice, it is vital that we reflect on the sacrifice made by an entire generation of servicemen and women.
“These wonderful landmarks, coming together, provide a remarkable representation of the nation doing exactly just that.
“We have been incredibly moved by the overwhelming public support we received across the country, which has led to more than £4million raised for military and mental health charities.”
Streets have also bloomed red with poppies and been transformed with decorative panels to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.
A poppy shower was projected onto the front of Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, organised by the Royal British Legion, to raise awareness of its Thank You campaign, which invites people to give thanks for the sacrifices made.
Fields of Remembrance are based at six British sites, with Cardiff Castle home to more than 6,000 crosses and commemorative markers, each with a personal message in memory of servicemen and women who died in the conflict. There are also sites in London, Belfast, Gateshead, Staffordshire and Royal Wootton Bassett, with more than 120,000 crosses laid in total.
A breathtaking display of poppies inside Lichfield Cathedral commemorates Armistice Day as part of a yearround programme.
Artist Peter Walker created the indoor poppy fields which were brought to life by the actor Eddie Redmayne reading war poetry.
Thousands of shrouded figures have been laid at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in an art installation representing the men who died at the Battle of the Somme and whose bodies were never recovered.
Prince Harry, who twice served in Afghanistan, opened the 90th Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday before paying his respects at yesterday’s rugby match between England and the All Blacks.
The prince appeared emotional as he laid a wreath on the Twickenham turf before a two-minute silence.
Fields of Remembrance have also gone on display this weekend at Saltwell Park, Gateshead; the National Arboretum, Staffs; Belfast City Hall; Lydiard Park, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wilts.
Beefeaters at the Tower of London will light the last flames of the Beyond The Deepening Shadow display this evening and bells will ring out as beacons blaze throughout Britain and criers in 180 towns perform a “cry for peace” tonight.
At 6am today bagpipers in 2,000 locations across the UK and the THE recently-formed Boy Scouts were encouraged by founder Robert BadenPowell to aid the war effort.
Amid fears of an invasion, Scouts set up first aid posts, guarded phone lines and worked as dispatch riders for the Government.
Leslie Friswell, aged 11 in 1914, acted as an all-clear bugler in north London. Commonwealth were playing traditional lament, Battle’s O’er.
In Mons, Belgium, cyclists started a sponsored ride to London, via Ypres.
Also from 6am and through the day, giant portraits of local war heroes were to be drawn in the sand at 32 beaches for Danny Boyle’s Pages Of The Sea national event.
A 150ft etching of war poet Wilfred Owen was also being made at Sunny Sands, Folkestone.
DAILY STAR SUNDAY SAYS
– PAGE 6 A BOX of poppies from one of the first Poppy Appeals has been found in a suitcase. The poppies, made from red fabric with “Haig’s Fund” in their centres, are believed to date back to before World War Two. Bernie Axtell, 77, found the box at his Cardiff home last Sunday. He was given the poppies by a friend 30 years ago and “put them away for a rainy day”. They will be laid at the Cenotaph today. the