If anyone in your family has earned a war medal, wear it this Sunday 9 November at Grahamstown's Remembrance Day parade.
If anyone in your family has earned a war medal, wear it this Sunday 9 November at Grahamstown's Remembrance Day parade.
"Members of the public can wear a medal that belonged to a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent," said Graham Gooden, who is known as 'Old Bill' at the Makanakop Shellhole, organisers of the parade.
"As long as they wear it on their right-hand-side." Veterans should wear their own medals on the left-hand sides of their chests.
The annual parade, a tribute to men and women who have been involved in various conflicts around the world, is held on the closest Sunday to the anniversary of the end of the First World War to commemorate those who lost their lives.
The public is welcome to the event, which begins at 10.30am. The Armistice was signed at 5am on 11 November 1918 and fighting on the Western Front officially ended at 11am.
Gooden said Sunday's event was open to members of all ex-servicemen's associations. Serving members of the First City Regiment and South African Police Service, representatives from Makana Municipality and members of Moth will be among those laying commemorative wreaths.
Moth, The Memorable Order of Tin Hats, is a brotherhood of ex-South African soldiers founded on the idea of remembrance of servicemen and helping one another when in need.
A feature this year will be simultaneous marching by the St Andrew's pipe band and cadets and Kingswood College marching band and cadets, from their respective schools. Gooden said they will meet up in Church Square and perform together.
Grahamstown resident and Moth Adjutant, Ben Bezuidenhout, spoke this week to Grocott's Mail about the event, “It’s vital that we never forget. Millions of people died in the First World War 100 years ago. It’s important to remember that we never want that to happen again.”
Forecasts promise warm, dry weather this Sunday.
The public is invited to a special remembrance service also honouring the centenary since the beginning of the war on Tuesday 11 November at 10.30am at the Kingswood College Chapel.
The Kingswood College Concert Band will perform and accompany the hymns. Meanwhile, St Andrew's has been commemorating the century since the start of World War I over the course of this year.
This included a series of talks by novelist Marguerite Poland on the role that Old Andreans played in the Great War.
The commemorations will conclude Saturday 22 November with a production at the base of the Clock Tower at St Andrew’s College, which will juxtapose the experiences of present college pupils with those of Old Andreans fighting in Europe and East Africa.
It will draw on archival material as well as Poland's writings and use pre-recorded voice-overs, data projections, the Chapel and Chamber Choirs, the Grade 11 cadets, video footage, short scenarios, extracts from speeches and letters and poetry to capture a vital part of school history and mark 100 years since 128 Old Andreans lost their lives.
The show will begin at 7pm. Seating is limited, and tickets can be purchased for R30 from Barbara Black (046 603 2300 or b.black@sacschool.com).
