Just before the eleventh hour on a mild autumnal eleventh of November, around 1,400 boys and staff from our Prep and Upper schools came together for an Armistice Assembly to remember the millions of soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during war.
This year, the assembly took place outdoors on our Inky Pitch to enable the whole school community to come together. All fell silent as members of our CCF paraded their banner across the pitch before the Head Master and Chaplain began the service.
Inscribed on the walls of the school’s Memorial Hall are the names of 756 Old Bedfordians who lost their lives in the two World Wars. As has become the custom, as 11 O’clock approached, the Head Master read out the names of fallen Old Bedfordians – this year those whose family name started with ‘S’. For every soldier, there is a story, and this year as the names were read aloud, we were reminded of the four Stretton brothers who lost their lives during the First World War, all fighting gallantly for their country on the front line. Our hearts went out to thoughts of a grieving mother waiting at home for her sons, who never returned.
OB Club President, Prof. Martin Snaith, read an extract from the poem For the Fallen ahead of the eleventh hour.
As The Last Post played on the bugle, the banner dipped, and heads bowed to mark the start of the two-minute silence – only the faint sound of birdsong could be heard.
The silence ended as the RSM raised the banner and read aloud the words:
“When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow we gave our today.”
