At 1100 last Sunday and again on Armistice Day, people across our area and the country fell silent in remembrance as we have done for over a century. Many will have specifically remembered loved ones who served in uniform, but in our corner of Lincolnshire especially, we all share a deep connection to our Armed Forces.
As Bomber County, Lincolnshire is not just the spiritual home of the Royal Air Force and the daring Dambusters Raid, but remains the proud host of so many RAF airfields and personnel.
Just outside Grantham, the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks symbolises Lincolnshire’s ongoing contribution to the British Army. Almost every Army reservist, who do so much to support the work of our regular forces, visits the barracks at some point throughout their training.
Of course, it is the local men and women currently serving within our Armed Forces who so clearly keep this connection alive. It is they who have chosen to sign-up to serve our country in uniform, following in the footsteps of those generations we remembered this week.
Over recent years, I have been fortunate to meet so many members of our Armed Forces, and just this week in Parliament I was excited to meet members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams. These personnel operate in the most high-stress situations, both at home and overseas, and it was great to hear about the work they are doing in assisting Ukraine to tackle explosives left behind by Russian invaders.
We all should understand the crucial role our Armed Forces play on the global stage and the values and ideals those soldiers, sailors, and airmen we hold in our thoughts made the ultimate sacrifice for.
Since the Great War, the poppy has been a symbol of our remembrance, not just in Britain, but across the Commonwealth, representing soldiers of different faiths and backgrounds who fought and died shoulder-to-shoulder.
Whether defending our island from those who wish to do us harm or defending our interests and allies overseas, British forces have always stood for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
In schools and our wider community, it is important that we are reminded of these values and this history, and always encouraged to wear our poppies with pride so that we might never forget.
From the national service at the Cenotaph in London to those held within our smallest village church, we have again recommitted ourselves to this task.
I was honoured to attend the service and lay a wreath on behalf of us all at St Wulfram’s Church last Sunday. I am always taken back, although not surprised, by the scale of the turnout of local residents who wish to pay their respects.
In Bourne too and in so many of our villages, wreaths were laid at memorials naming those brave young men who left their loved ones to serve our country on land, sea, and in the air over both World Wars, sadly never to return.
Those who gave their lives in service of our nation will never be forgotten.
