Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 15 November 1924
At Denaby and Conisborough
Reverent Tributes At Church And Shrine
“If we break faith with those who die we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.”
Keeping faith with those who made the supreme sacrifice during the Great War for civilisation was the key-note of all the discourses at the observances of Remembrance Day in Conisborough and Denaby on Sunday.
In the morning a huge procession was formed in Denaby Main, with at the British Legion headquarters, the Headquarters Company, Mexborough and Conisborough Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, with Nursing Sisters, a detachment of the 5th K.O.Y.L.I. (Territorials), and Boy Scouts. This imposing parade was headed by the Headquarters Band, S.J.A.B., under the conductorship of Bandmaster M. Sear, and marched by a circular route to the Denaby Parish Church, where the Vicar of Denaby (the Rev. H. Lee) conducted the service.
Preaching from the text, “Let us now praise famous men,” Mr. Lee said that this time of the year was becoming a “sore hallowed time.” The associations demanded solemn, thankful remembrance. The history of our country was enriched by the names of many great and glorious men famed for deeds of valour and self-sacrifice, but surely nothing could be compared with the wondrous deeds and sacrifices of the Great War. Trafalgar, Waterloo and Balaclava paled into insignificance before the great deeds of this war and so we thanked God for what they did and in our thanksgiving remembered what was the sacrifice. Heroes as and these men in the Great War, stood the Cross of sacrifice, on which they were crucified that we might live. As the Cross of Christ was the epitome of all goodness and truth so surely theirs was the same supreme sacrifice which would be ever remembered. Let us always heighten our remembrance from sin so their sacrifice brought freedom and liberty and all that we want to make life worth living. He asked what our Armistice Liberation must be if we were to hand it on and lest the dead had been in vain.
The supreme sacrifice which would be ever remembered, of course Calvary brought our redemption from sin so their sacrifice brought freedom and liberty and all that we want to make life worth living.
The General Election just held would have been if we had lent the war and been in serfdom to another nation. We, as free men, ought to work together in mutual goodwill and forbearance to make all happy. Surely, said that this could not be done, but during the war classification was done away with, when we were facing the reality of life and death. This reality, though not so apparent, was still there. If it seemed that England was not improving we should lift up our eyes and behold their sacrifice, who did more than was thought mortal men could ever do. We wanted to see England peaceful and prosperous and secure. If we lived as noble men it would come.
Then the Ambulance Brigade Band, which had previously played for the singing of “The Supreme Sacrifice,” accompanied the hymn “For All the Saints,” and a collection was taken for St. Dunstan’s.
The congregation then moved to the cenotaph in the churchyard where the officer in charge of the parade, Capt. H. C. Harrison, spoke. He said that on this day, set apart for the Armistice observance he was asked to give a message. He did not think it possible to forget the supreme sacrifice which was denoted all over the country by crosses, there were too many of us clearly and closely connected to forget. The stillness on Tuesday would give an opportunity of remembering what that sacrifice was for, the men who gave their lives had no more call than we had, but they gave to preserve freedom and peace, the birthright of Englishmen. They had left a sacred heritage which we must not sully, neither throw away the fruits of the victory. The thousands who gave up all were watching to see that we did not cast away the opportunity. If we kept that in mind, and we could not help doing so, we should make England a better country.
A number of wreaths were then placed on the Cenotaph and the Vicar said a prayer for the departed. Then the Band played the Dead March in “Saul.” Bugler Ross sounded the “Last Post,” and after singing “O God our help,” the procession was re-formed to march back to Headquarters.