We Will Remember Them

The sombre news of the three hundredth death on active service in Afghanistan came today. In my first term at Haileybury ITV televised the Remembrance Sunday School service. During the two minutes' silence the film cut between the six hundred and fifty odd of us standing silent in the chapel, pictures of the horror of the trenches, and the names in the chapel cloisters. During the Great War about 650 Haileyburians were killed - approximately a school full.

The ethos of service remains strong to this day; Richard Palmer (E 92) was killed in Iraq in 2006 and his name now stands at the end of the sorrowfully long list. In the ancient church they spoke of the 'red' martyrdom of those who shed their blood, and also of the 'white martyrdom' of those who offered long lives of selflessness. The examples of both challenge a world which too easily names 'heros' and measures worth in money and success rather than in service and self offering. Generations of Haileyburians have been taught to be true to higher values than gratification and the pursuit of fame and fortune, and many have attempted so to frame their lives, sometimes at great cost.


On 7th May next year we hope to hold an event at the National Memorial Arboretum, whose current CEO is Charles Bagot-Jewitt (Tr 78) to celebrate and reaffirm the ethos of service. John Palmer (E 62) will be with us. Current and former service men and women will be invited and those of whom the Society office knows who have a link to someone commemorated at the Arboretum. There will also be those like me were in the CCF at school but did not pursue a military career, and it is hoped that other OHs and friends of the school will also come. The plan is to take an honour guard from the current CCF and after a service to have a buffet lunch and then allow time for mingling and wandering among the trees and the memorials.