ON SUNDAY, November 9 at 10.45a.m. a joint Remembrance Service took place at St. Mary Magdalene between the Parish Church and Rodborough Tabernacle United Reformed Church.

It was led by Rev Brian Ludlow and Rev Eric Massey.

During the first hymn the uniformed organisations brought forward the flags.

Maureen Arthur read the names of the War Dead for World War I and Ian Sullivan for World War II.

After the reading of Laurence Binyon’s poignant poem the two minutes silence began and on completion the Union Flag was placed on the alter by Brian.

Mary Jones, Beaver Blue, read from Michael Mopurgo “Only Remembered” and Ian Sullivan from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Brian gave the address of moving forward and forgiving one’s enemies.

How showing kindness can make them repent.

Sometimes war is inevitable and it is very difficult for the troops to act in a just manner and how they are badly affected afterwards.

He told of Eric Lomax, a prisoner in a Japanese War Camp during the Second World War.

They had suspected that he was making a secret map of the camp and broke both his arms and he was left in a cage for a long time.

He survived but had terrible nightmares and remembered one guard.

In 1989 a friend showed him an article about this guard Takashi Nagase who had remembered Lomax and how he was treated and had been doing good deeds to repent.

This man wrote “Crosses of Tigers” in 1991 all about his war crimes.

He felt deep remorse but Lomax would not forgive him but eventually they met in the old Prison Camp and Lomax’s nightmares stopped.

Years later Lomax wrote a book which was made into a film “The Railwayman” in 2012 but he died just before it was released.

Brian and Eric led the prayers and then Brian hung a wreath below World War I tablet and Eric below World War II tablet.

The scouts took small wreaths into the grave yard to lay on the twenty graves where the War Dead are mentioned.

The Service ended with the singing of the National Anthem.

Drinks were served in fellowship.

To commemorate the Centenary of the start of World War I, Remembering Rodborough, led by Julie Mountain and Steve Pitman, had prepared a wonderful display of photographs and information collated of the War Dead.

Large photos were hung either side of the entrance and either side of the Church information they had uncovered of the men’s previous lives, families, their war record and the day they died.

The ladies of the Church had made beautiful floral tributes and the scouts had cleared the twenty graves of the men remembered in the Church Yard and had undertaken research for each person and a floral tribute on each one.

Rodborough had truly Remembered.