This is a very special year – the centenary of the end of WW1. With Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday both falling on Sunday, 11th November, the Town Council is working with various organisations towards a number of commemorative events spread over a few days. At this stage, this includes a wreath laying ceremony at the 7th Wilts War Memorial on Friday, 9th November, a commemorative event on the evening of Saturday, 10th November to include a roll call of names of those from the town who served together with a display of photographs and memorabilia. On Sunday, 11th November there will be a Remembrance Parade from the High Street to the War Memorial followed by a service at St Mary’s Church.
As part of a national campaign, Marlborough & District Rotary Club will be organising the lighting of a WW1 Beacon of Light at 7pm on 11th November on The Common. Redrow, developers at the Salisbury Road site are naming streets after local people who served including Elsie Knocker, the well-known British nurse and ambulance driver who grew up in Marlborough and won medals for bravery and for saving lives of soldiers on the Western Front in Belgium. She also features on a commemorative stamp issued by the Royal Mail.
Marlborough Golf and Tennis Clubs are planning to plant a commemorative wood on land at The Common. Marlborough College, where 749 members of its community lost their lives to WW1, is planning a number of events and has published a commemorative book – Marlborough College and The Great War in 100 Stories. There will be other various lectures, events and exhibitions leading up to Armistice Day. Let us know about what other organisations and community groups are planning.
Help us to say Thank You
If you have a family member from the town who served in the First World War, please do get in touch with us at the Town Council offices, we want to make sure that they are properly included in our roll call. We would particularly welcome memorabilia and photographs from to include in our display. Marlborough certainly won’t forget them.
For more information visit www.marlborough-tc.gov.uk or contact the Council at enquiries@marlborough-tc.uk or call 01672 512487