Remembrance Day 2023 at Syston Parish Church

St Peter and St Paul’s Church will be hosting a short service of Remembrance after the ceremony at the Town’s War Memorial. This service may appeal particularly to those who are not able to stand for long periods, although all are welcome to attend the service which will start when those who have attended the wreath-laying at the Town’s War Memorial arrive at the church. The service will be attended by the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Colonel Murray-Colville and Edward Agar, our local M.P.
After the service, the church will be open for quiet reflection in the afternoon of Remembrance Sunday between the hours of 1.00pm until 4.00pm.
The church will be decorated in honour of Syston’s ‘fallen’ of the two 20th century world wars, and the church’s two memorial books with details and photos of all Syston soldiers who were killed while fighting for their country will be on display. There will also be an album containing records of all the marriages in local churches during WW2 available to look through.
This year there will be a special display of memorabilia about R.A.F. Squadron 617 Bomber Command. The Squadron is often known as the ‘Dambusters’ and this year is the 80th anniversary of the Squadron’s daring raid on German dams in an attempt to flood the Ruhr valley. During this raid many of the young pilots died. Operation Chastise, commonly known as the ‘Dambusters Raid’ was carried out on the night of 16th/17th May 1943, using special ‘bouncing bombs’ developed by inventor Barnes Wallis.
Also on display will be the marvelous knitted sculpture of a WW1 soldier which was made by Syston’s mystery knitter, Syston Knitting Banxy, to commemorate the Centenary of the formation of the Royal British Legion in 1921. The first ever Poppy Appeal was held that year, with the first Poppy Day held on 11th November 1921. The sculpture appeared overnight at Syston War Memorial in the week leading up to Remembrance Day in November 2021.The maker prefers to remain anonymous.
Wear your poppy with pride in remembrance of all those who died fighting for our country in WW1 and WW2.