Royal Wootton Bassett Field of Remembrance Opening Ceremony

Emma Hickman and daughter

Field of crosses

Steve of the RBL

Lt Col S O’Herlihy MBE RM

Emma Hickman and daughter

Emma Hickman and daughter

Legion Rider

Lt Col S O’Herlihy MBE RM

Wounded Veteran

Crowds gathered in the pouring rain to remember the brave servicemen and women who fought and died in the Afghanistan conflict at a service at The Royal British Legion’s Field of Remembrance at Royal Wootton Bassett today.

Some 46,000 crosses have been planted within the walled garden in Lydiard Park in Remembrance to the 446 Service people that have been killed since the start of the conflict in 2001. A number of civic dignitaries, guests, members of the Armed Forces and school children planted crosses during the service.

For me the most poignant of all was young Emma Hickman and her baby daughter. Emma was the fiancee of Private Daniel Wade who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012.

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In Swindon a lone Veteran stands in silence to mark the funeral of Lee Rigby

a veteran lee rigby funeral

An Army Veteran stands alone at the Swindon War Memorial at 11:00 to mark the minutes silence for the funeral of Drummer Lee Rigby which was taking place in Bury, Greater Manchester. As I am sure you all know Drummer Rigby was killed in a very inhumane way in Woolwich, London in May.

There were a couple of others there to pay their respects but they stood well back from the memorial. I saw no other evidence in Swindon of anybody else observing a minutes silence.