12 Nov 1927:
By Lantern Light
Moving Night Scene at Village Shrine
Snow was falling heavily when Hutton Rudby’s ex-Servicemen, proceeding in three sections through the village, converged on the war memorial at 8 o’clock last night.
They formed in a crescent in front of the memorial and behind them took their stands a number of inhabitants who had been attracted by the storm lanterns carried by the ex-Servicemen as they came through the village.
The ceremony which followed was brief and simple. Major Williams, the senior officer on parade, called the names. Those present and then those of the 29 men whose names are inscribed on the war memorial.
Silence followed. This was broken by the Vicar (the Rev. Arthur L Leeper), who, facing the memorial, recited the following lines from the Toc H ceremony.
With proud thanksgiving let us remember our comrades.
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
To this the men on parade responded “We will remember them.”
A brief prayer by the Vicar that Light perpetual might shine upon the fallen ones, and then the ex-Servicemen faded silently away.
It was an impressive ceremony and some of those standing round the memorial were visibly affected.
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