Page 59 - Bugle No. 17 Spring 2021

Laying of the wreaths in the DLI garden
NORTH
Special wreath laying at
the National Memorial Arboretum
It is with pride that the Association publishes this photograph of General Sir Patrick Nicholas Yardley Monrad Sanders KCB, CBE, DSO, ADC laying the DLI wreath at the DLI Memorial in the National Memorial Arboretum on VJ Day 2020. General Sanders currently serves as Commander United Kingdom Strategic Command.
General Sir Patrick Sanders
KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen
lays a DLI wreath
On Regimental Sunday, 13th Sept there was unfortunately no parade but accompanied by the traditional bugle calls of Last Post and Reveille, wreaths were laid in the DLI Memorial Garden by The Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Sue Snowdon to confirm the long association between the County and the Regiment and by Maj Chris Lawton, Associa- tion Chairman on behalf of the Regiment.
A short service at the DLI Chapel within the cathedral followed, led by The Dean, The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, arranged by the Vice Dean The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel. The DLI Association Secretary Lt Col John Heron read a passage from Corinthians, and the names of The Fallen were read by the Chairman. The Bugler, Lt Jonathan Miller, RIFLES sounded Last Post and Reveille. There was no lunch or concert due to lockdown and it is hoped that in future years a more traditional weekend can be re-established, to include the Association Parade, and the ACF Band & Bugle.
There was no lunch or concert due to lockdown
Maj (Retd) Chris Lawton and the Lord Lieutenant of
Wreaths are laid at the Durham City
Durham lay wreaths at the DLI WW2 Memorial
“The Faithful” Inkerman Dinner Club VC Stone Ceremony
The Dinner Club was only able to lay just two wreaths this year, without ceremony, one from the FIDC, laid by Maj Michael van der Gucht TD, and one from The Regiment, by Major Chris Lawton MBE DL.
DLI wreath is laid on the
Warlencurt Cross
WW1 Memorial by the Lord Lieutenant
Remembrance 2020 – County Durham
2019 on Remembrance Sunday saw
the streets of Durham City, Sunderland, Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, Bishop Auckland and every other town and city and borough in the North East filled with thousands of people attending the parades and paying their respects. 2020, there were no such crowds. There was no public access to Durham Cathedral where the DLI Chapel would be the central attraction to remember the 12,556 members of the DLI who lost their lives in the First World War and the 3,011 who died in WW2.
Most parades and services were cancelled however, Durham County Council (DCC) did plan different but equally special events to honour those who had given their lives in conflicts all over the world from WW1 to the present day. From Sunday 8 – 11 November Durham and Bishop Auckland Town Halls, the Butler Market Barnard Castle, the Cenotaph
and Poppy Fence at the Green at Seaham and the War Memorial in Chester-le-Street Market Place were all flooded in a wash
of red lighting. As well as lighting up the landmarks the iconic Helvetictoc artwork on the wall of Clayport Library from the Sunday to the Wednesday was lit up with a projection “For the Fallen”, the well-known war poem written by Laurence Binyon. There was also
a display of cascading poppies spilling over the balcony of Durham Town Hall into the Market Place.
A service conducted by the Dean of Durham and his clergy and the choir was live streamed from inside Durham Cathedral and continued at the WW1 Memorial outside at the east end of the Cathedral where wreaths were laid. The Act of Remembrance and Kohima Epitaph were spoken by Maj (Retd) Chris Lawton MBE DL.
12,556 members of the DLI who lost their lives in the First World War and the 3,011 who died in WW2
RIFLES The Bugle 59