‘Carpet of tears’ as Forces town pays silent tribute to the fallen
IN A corner of the West Country whose name is synonymous with the casualties of modern warfare, veterans and service personnel came together in silent tribute yesterday.
Some 15,000 wooden crosses and commemorative markers formed a carpet of tears inside the walled garden of Lydiard House and Park, on the edge of Royal Wootton Bassett.
It is a town that has witnessed the repatriation of more than 300 British service men and women, killed in action between 2007 and 2011.
The opening of its Field of Remembrance – one of six across the country – was attended by hundreds of local residents and children, as well as General Sir Jack Deverell, the former commander-in-chief of Allied forces in Northern Europe.
The Rev Jane Curtis, the vicar of Royal Wootton Bassett, led the prayers and gave a blessing before they all sang the national anthem. Afterwards, visitors planted their own tributes, each with a personal message to someone close to them.
The field will remain open until November 18.