Southampton Legion Branch 155 President John Willetts spoke to members of the press of upcoming events that will occur this Remembrance Day.
Hub Staff
As November 11, 2018 will mark 100 years since the signing of the Armistice, which brought an end World War One (WW1), four years of brutal battles on land, sea and air, the Southampton Legion Branch 155 has a few things up their sleeve this Remembrance Day to highlight the sacrifices made by the men who fought in WW1 as well as Canadians who have served their country since.
President of the Southampton Branch 155 John Willetts addressed media in early October and spoke highly of upcoming events in Southampton to honour those lost to war, in particular WW1 with it being an anniversary year. “It’s the war that we lost over 50 of our local boys, the young members of the commonwealth," said Willets.
"They signed up as young as 14, they lied about their age, they falsified information and got out into the war.”
Willetts noted the November 9 Saugeen Shores Winterhawk’s Game will be sponsored by the Legion and on Saturday, November 10, there will be an event at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre as well as an event at the Southampton Town Hall. "A concert band, 45 strong, will be doing music melodies and marches form the 1900s," he said of the Town Hall evening.
The clock in the Southampton Town Hall was dedicated to Southampton soldiers that fought in WW1 and Willetts recalled a photo of 37 soldiers in front of the Town Hall before they went off to battle. Willetts, with the help of the Canadian Military from the Meaford’s Land Force Central Area Training Centre, hopes to recreate the particular photo featuring soldiers in current uniform and some in period uniforms.
On Remembrance Day, November 11, the annual ceremony will commence at the Southampton Cenotaph on High Street. Then, before sunset, the Wiarton Pipe and Drum band will lead people down to the Cenotaph with what Willetts says could be 100 soldiers from the Canadian Armed Forces where they will “face left as the sun goes down," he said.
"We will be having a one hundred bells ceremony where we’ve asked the churches and the Town Hall bells to ring 100 times at sunset," said the Legion President, adding that at the conclusion of the 100 bell rings, the Wiarton Pipe and Drum Band will play Amazing Grace.
Members of the Canadian Military will then perform a 21 gun salute. As the sun sets the artillery piece, the Howitzer Gun, will go off at dusk over the water. “If you've ever seen a field gun go off at night, it’s really quite spectacular,” said Willetts.
