Lest we forget - thousands line streets as Sunderland honours fallen heroes on Remembrance Sunday
“These people put so much of their lives on the line, with many having lost their lives, and so it’s important to remember them, respect them, and honour their service”
Thousands of people packed into the city centre for Remembrance Sunday to pay tribute to those fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Led by personnel from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, and 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, who’ve both been granted the Freedom of the City, veterans and currently serving personnel paraded through the streets, taking the applause of the crowds.
Captain Joe Giles of the 3rd Rifles read a moving rendition of the First World War poem, For the Fallen , before the firing of two field guns marked a two minute silence at 11am.
Dignitaries including the Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Ms Lucy Winskell, and city mayor Councillor Robert Hutchinson laid poppy wreaths around the War Memorial and on the Memorial Wall.
Memorial Wall is a tribute to those who’ve lost their lives in active service since the end of the Second World War.
A speech was read by Clr Hutchinson and the ceremony had personal significance to the mayor who lost his uncle in World War Two.
He said: “My mother’s brother was lost after the submarine he was serving on was attacked in the Mediterranean on October 10, 1940. He was from Grangetown and my grandmother always said he was a great swimmer, and so she though he would come back - but he never did.
“Sunderland has a massive veteran population and it’s very important we remember those service personnel who didn’t come back from conflicts.”
Also represented at the ceremony were serving men and women from HMS Anson submarine, which is officially affiliated to Sunderland.
Weapon engineer officer Tom Steadman said: “When HMS Ocean was decommissioned, HMS Anson took over that role. It’s really important for us to be here today as it helps build that link with our city and it’s an opportunity for people to thank the Royal Navy and for us as a crew, it’s a chance to show our gratitude.
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“Remembrance is an opportunity, for at least once a year, to take a second and remember those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to have the freedoms we have today.
“It’s also important to remember current serving personnel. There are still conflicts around the world and people putting their lives in danger, and it’s important to recognise we do still currently have people at sea, defending our country. It’s important we recognise their commitment and sacrifices and the fact they don’t always come back as safe and healthy as we would like them to.”
Sunderland’s Remembrance Service is one of the biggest in the country outside of London, with hundreds of veterans who attend each year.
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Three of those were Alan Praget, 52, Stephen March, 59, and Floyd Stewart, 51, who all served in the Royal Navy.
Alan, who served for 8-and-a-half years, said: “These people put so much of their lives on the line, with many having lost their lives, and so it’s important to remember them, respect them, and honour their service.”
Stephen, who served for 15-and-a-half-years, said: “It’s important to remember them not just today, but throughout the year.”
Floyd added: “It’s also important to remember the sacrifices made by military families and the people who are left behind when service men and women go on deployment. We also need to recognise the hidden scars people may have.”