RAF Coningsby remembers the fallen at annual Armistice Day service
Hundreds gather to pay their respects to those who have died while serving with the military at RAF station’s annual Service of Remembrance
Hundreds of RAF Coningsby service and civilian personnel gathered on Wednesday (November 11) to remember those who have died while serving with the military at the Lincolnshire station's annual Service of Remembrance.
Personnel lined the road outside the Station Chaplaincy, standing five deep in places, to pay their respects together. The service began with a welcome and introduction from Padre Alex Hobson, RAF Coningsby’s Senior Chaplain, followed by a reading from Psalm 46.
In his address, Padre Hobson reminded those present that memorials to the fallen can be found in almost every town and village, including in nearby Coningsby and across Lincolnshire. He spoke of those lost in the two world wars, in Korea, the Falklands, the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan, and said that each of them mattered, as did the families whose lives were changed forever by their loss and those living with injury, PTSD or moral injury.
The Act of Remembrance followed. Group Captain Andy Hampshire, Station Commander, recited the Exhortation, before the Last Post was played and a two-minute silence was observed. Reveille then marked the end of the silence.
Wreaths were then laid by the Station Commander, by the Officer Commanding 29 Squadron on behalf of the Commander Air Wing, by the Royal British Legion and by local school children.
RAF Coningsby Chaplain Padre David Andrews said: "There is a special significance to a Service of Remembrance on a Royal Air Force station. In so many ways, we are standing on the same ground where those who made the ultimate sacrifice once stood. This gives us not only an added sense of poignancy, but a deep feeling of connection to those who have gone before us. Their stories are woven into the history of this place and into the values we continue to uphold. Today gives us an opportunity to pause, remember with gratitude, and reflect on the cost of service and the importance of standing together as a community."
The service closed with prayers and a time of reflection, including a collect for the Royal Air Force, the Lord's Prayer and a blessing.
Group Captain Hampshire said: "Armistice Day, quite properly, focuses our thoughts on the people who have given their lives to defend their country and be grateful for that sacrifice. I believe we also have an opportunity and obligation to thank the veterans who are still with us."
He continued: "Remembrance is deeply personal to all of us who serve. It is a moment to pause, reflect and remember those who went before us, the sacrifices they made, and the responsibility we carry to honour their legacy through our own service today. What made this year's commemorations particularly special was seeing so many people from RAF Coningsby taking the time to share this moment of reflection on the sacrifice which so many have made, and which may still be made today.”