Services in Yarmouth on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day honoured the war dead

Yarmouth Armistice (Image: Archant)

The annual civic Remembrance Day service took place at the First World War Cenotaph, and was attended by Mayor of Great Yarmouth Cllr Shirley Weymouth, MP Brandon Lewis, and other dignitaries including the High Steward of Great Yarmouth Henry Cator.

Forces groups and youth organisations marched to the park from the Market Place where they had gathered earlier, arriving for the service to be briefly opened by Team Rector Canon Chris Terry with a prayer before the Last Post signalled the two-minute silence at 11am.

Afterwards Cllr Weymouth led the wreath-laying on the war memorial and on behalf of the people of the borough, and other wreaths were laid on behalf of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, as well as other groups including youth organisations.

Among these were Brenda McNama and Doris Galbraith, representing the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) and the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS).

Remembrance Service in St George's Park, Great Yarmouth, 2015. Barry Darby, of Great Yarmouth, served in Borneo in 1963/64. (Image: Geraldine Scott)

'We come every year to represent ourselves and our colleagues,' said Mrs Galbrath from Fleggburgh. 'We'd go in again tomorrow if we could.'

Mrs McNama, 74, added: 'You've got to do something every year. I joined up when I was 17 and I served in Egypt, now we help selling poppies.'

The service has grown in numbers over recent years, and during his address Canon Terry told onlookers Remembrance Day 70 years ago was the first to be held in peace time, 'but there is still much to do to build peace worldwide.'

Barry Darby from Bradwell was also there to honour those who were lost.

Remembrance Service in St George's Park, Great Yarmouth, 2015. Brenda McNama, left, and Doris Galbraith, right, served in the Women's Royal Army Corps in the Second World War. (Image: Geraldine Scott)

'You've got to remember friends who have fallen and support the Royal British Legion,' said 73-year-old Mr Darby, who served in the RAF in Borneo in 1963/4.

Another veteran attending the service and proudly displaying his medals - The 1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, and the Victory Medal, was 92-year-old Stanley Seago.

Mr Seago, from Yarmouth, said: 'I'm here because of the lives that were lost, and for those who are living and who still remember the fallen. I went into the Army in 1941 and they shipped me off straight away. I spent a lot of time in Italy, I ate lots of spaghetti then!'

Paul Williams, chairman of the Great Yarmouth Royal British Legion said the day had gone well.

Remembrance Service in St George's Park, Great Yarmouth, 2015. Stanley Seago, of Great Yarmouth, served in Italy and North Africa in the Second world War. (Image: Geraldine Scott)

'It's terrific, and it was extremely well-attended. I'm very proud of the Royal British Legion and I'm proud we're affiliated with all the groups of youngsters who are here today too.'

Then, on Armistice Day itself - Wednesday - people came together again, this time at the Second World War Memorial.

Silence fell in Great Yarmouth town centre and in St George's Park on Wednesday morning, when people paid their respects to those who fought and died for our freedom.

The service was again opened by The Revd Canon Chris Terry, who said 'we must remember those who have died for their country in conflict' before beginning a two minute silence, only interrupted by the sound of seagulls overhead.

Tim Bailey, from Great Yarmouth, who served in Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan between 1994 - 2014. Pictured here at Armistice Day 2015 service in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Geraldine Scott)

Deputy Mayor Cllr Marlene Fairhead laid a wreath, before Canon Terry led the group in a prayer.

He said: 'Blessed are the peacemakers for they are the children of God.'

Tim Bailey, of Great Yarmouth, served with the Royal Artillery from 1996 until 2014, with deployments in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan among others. 'It's incredibly important to be here today as well as Sunday,' he said.

Cllr Fairhead added: 'Today is the day it all ended and it means a lot to a lot of people.'

Gillan Clarke, of Stalham, whose second husband was an RAF navigator. Pictured here at Armistice Day 2015 service in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Geraldine Scott)

After the service, many stayed to study the names engraved on the Cenotaph, and the wreaths that had been laid three days previous.

One of these was Gillian Clarke. Mrs Clarke's first husband, John Green, sadly died in 2010 but they spent 22 happy years together where they were both involved in selling poppies and the administration of the Royal British Legion. Mrs Clarke's second husband, John Clarke, was a navigator in the RAF, he died in 2014.

'I'm here to honour both of their memories,' said Mrs Clarke, who lives in Stalham. 'I'm remembering them and all the ex-servicemen and women, as well as the cadets and those serving today.'

Services were also carried out elsewhere in the borough, including in Gorleston where schoolchildren laid a wreath as part of the Historic England heritage project.