Some churches are continuing to commemorate WW1 throughout the
centenary period 2014-18. What could you do?
You could . . .
- Wander into a nearby church and spend a time of quiet reflection, or simply to contemplate the names on the church memorials. The majority of Suffolk churches are open and you are free to wander in at a time that suits you
- Think about how your own community might continue to commemorate WW1. You can download a ‘Guide to Engaging Local Communities’ here.
Learn more . . .
- In total, 23 Battalions of The Suffolk Regiment were raised during the Great War. You can read more at the Long, Long Trail.
- For a whole library of information about WW1, the BBC website is a good place to start and you can even find stories about your area at World War 1 at Home
- A global perspective is offered by the Imperial War Museum where you can also find out what’s happening.
- Thousands of people responded to the appeal of the official cultural programme, entitled 14-18 NOW, inviting them to send a personal message to an ‘unknown’ WW1 soldier. By the end of the second week, nearly 10,000 people had written to the soldier including schoolchildren, pensioners, students, nurses, serving members of the forces and even the Prime Minister. 14-18 NOW has pledged that every letter the soldier receives will be published on the website and made available for everyone to read. You can start reading now. Eventually all of the letters will be archived in the British Library where they are to remain permanently accessible online.
Churches across Suffolk held candlelit vigils to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War on Monday 4 August 2014 and marked Remembrance Sunday on 9 November
and Armistice Day on Tuesday 11 November 2014 when the two minutes’ silence to honoured those who gave their lives in wartimes for our peace and freedom.