Parade packs town as hundreds pay their respects
2:27pm Sunday 8th November 2009 in News By Simon Farr
HIGH Wycombe town centre came to a standstill today as hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects to fallen heroes past and present.
Children and parents stood side by side with war veterans, members of the armed forces and the emergency services as the High Wycombe Sea Cadets Band led the parade from the Wycombe District Council offices to the war memorial at All Saints Parish Church.
High Wycombe town mayor Julie Pritchard led dignitaries in laying poppy wreaths at the memorial before a two-minute silence was impeccably observed by the hundreds who gathered outside the church to pay their respects to the fallen.
Rev David Picken and Rev Peter Swindlehurst from the RAF Chaplin then led a packed commemorative service in the Castle Street-based church.
Among the gathered veterans was 86-year-old Arthur Stalwood from Totteridge who served in Africa and Italy with the Welsh Infantry.
He said: “Remembrance Sunday is very important to me and the other ex-servicemen, it obviously brings back memories of the war and the friends I lost.
“I think about why we fought, I remember some of the situations I was in such as hearing the Germans talking from one side of a narrow river and them probably hearing us talking from the other side – so it's a very important day for me.”
David Beck served in the Royal Air Force between 1957 and 1984. He said: “Memories for me go back to my father. He was killed in 1943 and today I like to keep my feelings to myself – but it's hugely important and emotional day for me.”
Squadron leader Alec Ostler, 35, from RAF High Wycombe said the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had reignited the public's support for current servicemen.
He said: “Today gives us an opportunity to gather together to remember, to reflect and pay our respects to the sacrifices our heroes, past and present, have made for us.
“I get the impression from what is going on in the world right now, there is a greatening awareness and support from the public for our armed forces and I think that comes out by the amount of people, young and old, you see here today.”
