Westbury Remembers

Westbury residents came together to honour and remember those who have served and sacrificed for their country at the annual Remembrance Service. 

 

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This year’s event took the form of a Drumhead Service in the Market Place, due to ongoing works on the Rotunda preventing the use of the War Memorial.  

Reverend Rebecca Harris, Team Rector of All Saints Church, led the service. Westbury Mayor Jane Russ delivered a reflection, which included the history of the Drumhead Service. 

Trowbridge and District Youth Band provided the music at the service, and local groups and organisations lay wreaths in front of the drums. 

“The Remembrance Day service in any town is an important event,” said Cllr Russ. “With the ongoing development of the Rotunda, the town council felt it crucial that residents should be able to honour the fallen with respect as they always have, even though the War Memorial was not available.” 

“The Market Place Drumhead Service proved the perfect solution, and many attendees voiced their sombre joy at how meaningful it had made it for them.” 

“The first documented use of a drumhead service was in the 1700s and it is a format still used across the British Army today,” said Cllr Russ. 

“It evolved where a service was needed before going into battle or to honour those who had fallen during a battle. The logistics of transporting soldiers to the nearest church and back was really challenging and so the Regimental Padre would hold a service ‘in the field’.   

“There would be no structure on which to place a bible or other ecclesiastical equipment so the concept of stacking up the regimental drums to act as a makeshift altar came into being.” 

On Armistice Day, Tuesday 11th November, Cllr Russ joined John Chandler and Rocket Ron Fraser from the Potterne branch of the Royal British Legion at Westbury Station to hand wreaths to the Poppy Train to Paddington. 

Poppies to Paddington began during the November 2020 lockdown and has since become a key annual event across the GWR network to honour those lost in past and present conflicts. 

In partnership with The Veterans Charity, wreaths were placed on early-morning train services from over 60 stations, arriving at Paddington for the Remembrance Day service. This year, more than 250 wreaths were laid at the war memorial on Platform 1.