Routes of Remembrance

As today marks the 2nd anniversary of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a reminder of how a British Army veteran broke the news to his passengers on the Transport for London - Elizabeth Line.

👁 👉 www.youtube.com/shorts/RvXLBI9…

Good luck to all taking part in the Ride to Horsa - a Route of Remembrance that left RAF Tarrant Rushton a couple of days ago and is going to finish at Horsa Bridge later today.

The Veterans Charity will be unveiling a brand new memorial honouring the men of the Ox and Bucks Regiment, supported by the Glider Regiment, Royal Engineers and Royal Army Medical Corps personnel who captured Horsa Bridge in the opening minutes of D-Day 80 years ago.

Ham and Jam all.

Day 3, the final leg, of our Ride To Horsa is today.

This is by far the longest stretch at 72 miles. The group will leave the historic Ste Mere Eglise and ride through Carentan, Isigny, Grandcamp Maisy, visit the US Cemetery at Omaha Beach, Port-en-Bessin, Arromanches, the British Normandy Memorial, Piper Bill Millin, Ouistreham, Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge before finishing this evening in Ranville!

For those that have supported The Veterans Charity since the first Poppies to Paddington event in 2020 with our partners at GWR, when we kept remembrance on track through the pandemic, the following services will be running this year (see below)

There are now more stations partaking thanks to GWR as we aim to keep remembrance moving once again.

We hope you will get onboard once again to support this award winning event and we welcome those who have yet to join us remembering the role of the railways in times of war and those who travelled away, some sadly never to return.

The first train to depart as always will be Penzance Railway Station at 0505hrs on Monday the 11th of November (Armistice Day).

Penzance - Penzance Community Fire Station Hayle Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Penzance Army Cadets Penzance Army Cadets (Parents) Sea Cadets - Penzance Unit 1900 West Cornwall Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets

We will work on getting a wreath to the Isles of Scilly again so that they may take part in this event as we have in previous years thanks to Isles of Scilly Travel, Penzance helicopters and the Royal Navy Merlin Force.

Redruth - Camborne & Redruth AFVBC Helston Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Helston Railway Culdrose Old Boys

Truro - Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose 6 Rifles D Coy Truro and Plymouth City of Truro Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets Truro Army Cadets RAF St Mawgan

St Austell - St Austell Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Par Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club

Bodmin Parkway - Bodmin Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum Bodmin Railway

Liskeard - Battling On

Saltash - HMS Raleigh Saltash Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club - Torpoint Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs

Plymouth - HM Naval Base Devonport 29 Commando Regiment Plymouth Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Plymouth Military Wives

Ivybridge -

Totnes -

Newton Abbot - Newton Abbot Army Cadet Force Newton Abbot Fire Station Newton Abbot Police

Exeter St Davids - Royal Marines (Lympstone) Exeter Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club

London Paddington - Final Stop

We invite organisations to join the 5th anniversary event of placing remembrance wreaths on the railways. Schools and youth groups are also invited to add a "Letter to Tommy" (the war memorial in Paddington Station is of a WW1 Tommy reading letters from home). These will be non-returnable and we will look at a prize for the most moving entry.

To find out more about previous Routes of Remembrance, click on our link below. you can use the contact details to find out more.

https://www.veteranscharity.org.uk/remembrance

Veterans in Cornwall Cornwall Scouts Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Devon & Cornwall Police British Transport Police Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Cornwall Army Cadet Force
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity Help For Heroes
Devon & Cornwall Military Vehicle Club

OTHER STATIONS WILL BE ADDED TO THIS THREAD - WE WILL ALSO EMAIL THOSE ON OUR CONTACT LIST.

ROUTES OF REMEMBRANCE | by The-Veterans-Charity Routes of Remembrance is a unique and poignant act of remembrance by The Veterans Charity, in collaboration with other organisations including our fabulous railway network operators.

As today is the International Day of Charity we thought we would share The Veterans Charity link, you will find many images of the Routes of Remembrance images.

https://www.veteranscharity.org.uk/

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The Veterans Charity | United Kingdom | Veterans Charity The Veterans Charity is the immediate needs support charity for Veterans who face hardship and distress - The Rapid Reaction Force since 2008.

17th September 2024

7pm - 8pm

Marazion

Arnhem 80th Memorial Event.

To honour the 2000 souls who never came home from the "Bridge too Far".

To remember the bravery of Lt Piers St Aubyn MC and his comrades from all those units involved in Op Market Garden.

Please indicate attendance

St. Michael's Mount Godolphin Hotel Marazion Beach Marazion Town Group Sea Cadets - Penzance Unit 1900 West Cornwall Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets Cornwall Army Cadet Force Penzance Army Cadets Hayle Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club Camborne & Redruth AFVBC Helston Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club

On this day in 1936 the Cunard liner the RMS Queen Mary won the prestigious Blue Riband 💙 for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic.

A skill that would help her and the RMS Queen Elizabeth to avoid enemy submarines as they crossed the ocean as troopships ferrying thousands of troops in one crossing.

A feat which helped in the buildup to D-Day only a few years later and the Liberation of Europe in 1945.

In 2022 on VE Day the Queen Mary 2 carried 100 Routes of Remembrance wreaths to New York City.

The event was supported by the Royal Air Force, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Official), Southampton veterans centre, Southampton Veterans' Trust charity no.1196088 and the United War Veterans Council, Inc. In the US among others.

This Wreaths Across the Atlantic event led to a second mission to Canada and them the first Wreaths Across the Pacific event last year.

We are working on a special Merchant Navy wreath to head to the capital for Armistice Day.

A request to schools, cadets, scouts and guides in Cornwall for red (water based paints please) painted pebbles for a special tribute to mark Arnhem 80 at St Michaels Mount on the 17th of September 2024.

We would ask that you ethically source the pebbles and use natural water based paints please.

Cornwall Army Cadet Force City of Truro Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets Sea Cadets - Penzance Unit Sea Cadets - Falmouth & Penryn Sea Cadets Royal Air Force Air Cadets 1900 West Cornwall Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets Cornwall Scouts - Leaders Girlguiding Cornwall, UK Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose RAF St Mawgan Cornwall School of Art Cape Cornwall School

On the 21st of September there is a chance to take a journey back in time on a WW1 train.

If you are in the Lincolnshire area why not track down the team from the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/08/lincolnshire-railway-to-recreate-world-war-one-battlefield-railways.html

Lincolnshire railway to recreate World War One battlefield railways At Skegness ion 21st September there will be a rare chance to see some of the trains that helped Britain and its Allies to victory in World War One.

Earlier this year as part of our D-Day 80th anniversary event.- Op The Longest Way on of our Trustees from The Veterans Charity met with WW2 Far East veteran Richard and Dick from the wonderful Taxi Charity For Military Veterans.

They shared a meal together and Richard shared many stories of his time in the Far East and in Japan after VJ Day in 1945.

Today is VJ Day.

Lest we forget the service of Richard and all his comrades and those that never came home.

Recently one of the Routes of Remembrance pathfinders, Alan Hooper celebrated a special milestone birthday.

Alan carried a number of The Veterans Charity wreaths "Down Under" as part of the Wreaths Across the Pacific event.

He helped launch the Wreaths with a send off at Hyde Park Corner the other year, supported by the Defence Attaches of both Australia and New Zealand.

We hope you had a wonderful day Alan, thank you for your service and support.

Earlier this evening as part of our Armhem 80th Routes of Remembrance event, The Veterans Charity team, supported by members of the local Parachute Regimental Association - Royal Cornwall Branch, and several local Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs handed a special Poppy Parachute wreath over in the shadow of St. Michael's Mount.

Why?

To honour Lt Piers St Aubyn MC of The Parachute Regiment in WW2 who was also a member of the St Aubyn family who live on the Mount, fought with distinction at Arnhem and earned his Military Cross there and all the nearly 2000 souls who never came home.

Tom French from the Cornwall Parachute Regiment Association will take the wreath and lay it in Arnhem, Netherlands on the 17th of September to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden.

Whilst on September the 17th The Veterans Charity will return to Marazion to hold a very special 80th memorial event involving a special finale with the support of the National Trust and St Aubyns Estate Cornwall.

The Parachute canopy is made from sea shells from Mounts Bay, the waters that wrap around the Mount twice a day. A tribute to Lt Piers St Aubyn and the fact that St Michael is the Patron Saint of Paratroopers.

A number of other special elements will take place in Cornwall to remember Op Market Garden and the "Bridge too Far".

We hope you will join us to pay respects.

fans BBC Cornwall BBC News BBC Breakfast BBC Spotlight ITV News West Country ITV News Sky News CNN International Forces News Euronews English Euronews English Hits Radio Cornwall BFBS Radio The Arnhem Boys Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose 6 Rifles D Coy Truro and Plymouth RAF St Mawgan Sea Cadets - Penzance Unit Sea Cadets - Falmouth & Penryn 1900 West Cornwall Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets Cornwall Army Cadet Force NOS BVN news24

When The Veterans Charity team first met Tony, we couldn't believe his impressive encyclopedic knowledge of the railways and his impressive address book and he was also a veteran of the Royal Air Force Police, like our Trustee who started the event that became Poppies to Paddington and now the Routes of Remembrance we couldn't believe our luck!

Tony has helped grow our work to keep Remembrance on Track (through COVID) and "Moving" around the globe year on year.

He also helped organise the Sutton Wick aircrash memorial with our friends at The Memorial 'Mob'.

Rest in peace Tony, you will be much missed our friend. Rest well, duty done.

We are devastated to learn that our Railways Ambassador and RAF Veteran, Tony Peters, has sadly passed away.

Tony was a hugely passionate supporter of Routes of Remembrance and immensely proud of the support given to it by GWR who he proudly worked for for many years.

RIP dear Tony. Per Ardua ad Astra.

Thank you!

At 8.55am on the 27th of July 1942, 86 Squadron Beaufort AW288 crashed at Roscruggan Chapel near Camborne.

We will pause to remember them.

Diary Date to hold

For an afternoon and evening to mark the 80th anniversary of Arnhem with a special Routes of Remembrance by The Veterans Charity.

17th September 2024

Afternoon (wreath delivery) & Evening (service)

Marazion, Cornwall

Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose 165 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC RAF St Mawgan The Parachute Regiment Parachute Regimental Association - Royal Cornwall Branch Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum City of Truro Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadets Sea Cadets - Falmouth & Penryn Sea Cadets - Penzance Unit Cornwall Army Cadet Force 1900 West Cornwall Squadron Royal Air Force Air Cadets 6 Rifles D Coy Truro and Plymouth
BBC Cornwall BBC Spotlight Hits Radio Cornwall ITV News West Country BFBS Radio Forces News The Arnhem Boys Arnhem, Netherlands

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The team popped in to the Bodmin Railway earlier this week and took a trip on their diesel locomotive named the Sapper after the Royal Engineers.

Part of their static display was on the role of the railways in WW1 and WW2.

It is well worth a visit and why not include Bodmin Keep: Cornwall's Army Museum which is just over the road from Bodmin General Station?

When The Veterans Charity asked GWR if we could "borrow" a train to carry wreaths to London to keep remembrance on track through the pandemic in an event that became known as Poppies To Paddington, we never thought that we would hit the 5th anniversary (and so soon, where has time gone)!

To all those from across the GWR region, we hope to release details soon of dates and train times.

We hope friends old and new will get onboard in 2025.

On this day in 1919 – The Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending the state of war between Germany and the Allies of World War I. Five years to the day that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.

The initial signing took place in the Compiegne railway carriage on the 11th of November1918.. The carriage had been part of Field Marshal Fochs personal train.

In 1940 Hi**er ensured the carriage was used for the surrender of the French in WW2 before the carriage was taken to Berlin. It is believed it was destroyed by the SS as the Allies advanced on the city.

The Routes of Remembrance have travelled by Land, Sea and Air, supported by organisations like GWR East Midlands Railway London North Eastern Railway Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (official), ACL Atlantic Container Lines, Cunard, the Royal Navy, Loganair. Isles of Scilly Travel and many more.

But not yet, by by canals!

Yet.

We thought our regular followers may like to see this page from the Canal & River Trust about an often forgotten role that the canals and rivers played in times of conflict.

Lest we forget.

War on the waterways To mark Armistice Day we have been investigating the connections between war and the waterways, and the impact that war had on the people, places and heritage of our canals and rivers.

The Op The Longest Way D-Day 80 wreath seen in Mounts Bay last year, which now rests on Pegasus Bridge at the Musée Mémorial Pegasus.

This year St. Michael's Mount (seen in the background) will feature in a very special Route for Remembrance, that will see a unique hand made wreath head to Arnhem for the 80th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, thanks to the local The Parachute Regiment Association.

We are also sending a wreath from Porthleven to Steenbergen to remember the 80th year of the loss of local resident Wing Commander Guy Gibson, Royal Air Force. VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar. He lived locally as a child and was schooled in nearby Penzance.

We would like to hear from any individuals or groups who may be visiting Eindhoven and Nijmegen in September to assist with delivering two more wreaths as part of the our latest 'moving' act of remembrance. Please get in touch in you can assist.

On the 21st of June 1941 Penzance Railway station and surrounding area came under air attack from an air raid, tragically one person was killed as a result of the 5 bombs dropped.

The team are working on some special elements for the 2024 Routes of Remembrance, from the 5th Poppies to Paddington event, where keeping remembrance on track started back in 2020.

Since then other Routes have been created and become award winning. We, The Veterans Charity have worked with our friends at other Train Operating Companies at East Midlands Railway, London North Eastern Railway, ScotRail, Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia, Southern Railway, West Midlands Railway, London Midland Transport for Wales Trafnidiaeth Cymru and London Underground (District Line) who we have worked with before.

As well as heritage lines and tours such as Helston Railway and The 1960 Blue Pullman (Inc the 2020 LSL HST Midland Pullman)

We welcome new partnerships to commemorate the work of the railways in times of conflict. So if you would like to keep remembrance "moving" in 2024,

CrossCountry trains Chiltern Railways Love Hull Trains Grand Central Rail South Western Railway c2c Rail Caledonian Sleeper Heathrow Express Great Northern TransPennine Express Trains Island Line (Isle Of Wight). Merseyrail South Eastern Railway Stansted Express South Eastern Railway and Heritage Railway Association.

The first of the many wreaths that led the way for our D-Day 80 event Op The Longest Way, started its act of Remembrance in 2020 as part of the first Poppies to Paddington event by The Veterans Charity and GWR.

Thecwreath created by Battling On was recovered and restored to become the wreath to tour D-Day sites across the country.

What people forget often is the work the railways played across the UK to move personnel and equipment to preparation areas.

What fewer people know is the fact trains were taken to Normandy to help with the breakout from the coast to help resupply the allis advance.

Our friends at Helston Railway are travelling back in time to the 1940s this weekend.

🚄 So if you are in Cornwall this weekend why not support their event?

The wreath that became the Op The Longest Way wreath has been very well travelled!

It started in 2020 as one of the Poppies to Paddington wreaths that left Cornwall to Paddington station and was created by Battling On.

Since then it was recovered, restored and became the launch wreath for our D-Day 80th event codenamed Op The Longest Way. A nod to the 1962 movie The Longest Day. It was also a hint the first of a select number of wreaths would be touring D-Day areas in the UK before heading to Normandy in 2024.

In June 2023 a group of Veterans went onboard HMS Blazer and sailed into Falmouth Bay. It liaised with a Merlin Helicopter in the bay, where a winchman from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose winched down to the P2000 to then carrying it back to the mainland and a waiting WW2 Jeep.

Since that wonderful start from the Royal Navy it has toured D-Day sites across the country, visited schools, veterans groups, events and military bases.

The Veterans Charity would like to thank all those who have helped keep remembrance moving!

The Centre Juno Beach / Juno Beach Centre has a number of images ofcCanafians involvement with the railways.

In the early hours of this morning The Op the Longest Way wreath dedicated to the U.S. Army troops who landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day.

A special Royal Air Force wreath that had travelled from RAF Portreath joined it to remember the RAF personnel who set up a radar unit at Omaha Beach to protect the invasion forces.

As part of the Routes of Remembrance Op The Longest Way we took in Cornwall Hill or Hill 112, southwest of Caen.

To remember the men of the DCLI and all the other units who fought hard against heavy opposition to take the high ground.