Centenary tribute to First World War sacrifice

Tuesday 05 August 2014

More than 2,000 Islanders gathered in the Royal Square last night to pay a sombre tribute to the dead and wounded of the First World War, which began exactly 100 years ago.

The service mirrored events taking place in Westminster Cathedral and all around Europe as people paused to mark the centenary of the outbreak of a war which left 16 million people dead and a whole generation cut off in its prime.

Bailiff Sir Michael Birt led the ceremony in the square, beginning his speech by explaining how the outbreak of hostilities had shocked a small and peaceful Island – and how the conflict would grow to an unimaginable scale that saw British casualties on the first day of the Battle of The Somme outnumber the entire population of the Island at the time.

The ceremony also saw performances by the Musical Originals Choir and the Band of the Island of Jersey, as well as a joint service by the heads of the Island's Anglican, Catholic and Methodist churches. It concluded with the laying of wreaths and the national anthem.

“Why is it important to mark an event which occurred 100 years ago?” asked Sir Michael, in his speech before a crowd of more than 2,000 people.

“I think there are two main reasons. First, we must never forget the sacrifice of those who died. We owe it to them and to their memory. But secondly, we have to learn from the errors of the past. To the present generation it seems inconceivable that, only 21 years after the end of the Great War, with the catastrophic loss of life involved, Europe was once again at war.

“By recalling the sacrifice and suffering of the First World War as well as the Second, we remind ourselves of the importance of trying to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.

“So, on this night, let us pay our respects to the brave young men who gave their lives so that we might be free and whose sacrifice is captured so eloquently in the Kohima Epitaph, which we shall hear shortly ‘For their tomorrow, we gave our today’.”