A Century on, Thame Remembers

ONE hundred years ago to the day, World War One was declared and dozens of Thame’s young men left home, many of them leaving from Thame railway station, to join the fighting, some never to return from a war that killed millions.

Thame’s Town Crier, Anthony Church, doffs his hat to fallen of Thame

Yesterday, August 3, a century on, the town celebrated the lives of its lost sons in a collective act of remembrance, and witnessed the launch of the Thame Remembers Project, beginning the ambitious challenge to deliver a special, Thame Remembers cross to the grave or memorial of each and every person named on a War Memorial in Thame, where ever in the world that may be.

The programme began with a service at St Mary’s church, packed with local people of all ages and many dignitaries, who heard Churchwarden, Helena Fickling read Wilfred Owen’s moving poem, 1914, which begins with the heart-searing words: “War broke: and now the Winter of the world, With perishing great darkness closes in.”

Pastor Paddy Harris, of Thame’s Cornerstone Church, read the Reflection and Cllr Nick Carter read W W Gibson’s poem, The Messages, which contains the devastating chorus of: “I cannot quite remember…..There were five dropped dead beside me in the trench – and three whispered their dying messages to me….”

Afterwards, the congration filed out of the church processing behind a lone piper who lead them through the church yard, passing several grave stones marked with a fluttering, scarlet ribbon. The ribbons marked a war casualty whose memorial would soon receive a special ‘Thame Remembers’ cross to start the long, world-wide journey towards achieving the aims of the challenge.

Rifleman Tom Bowen, who lives in Thame, with a WW1 machine gun

What looked like a tented encampment from across Church Meadow, included an exhibition of military weaponry, uniforms and artifacts, an exhibition about the various tunnels and trenches that are still being explored today by ex army major and military historian, Ian Jones of Thame, and colleagues; a refreshments tent, and exhibition and videos about the project. Tom Bowen, a serving soldier who lives in Thame, was just one of many uniformed, Thame representatives of the modern fighting forces, most of whom themselves, like Tom and Ian, have lost good friends fighting in more modern battles around the world.

Then came the most significant part of the evening. As a bugler played Reveille, one-by-one, the names of 31 of Thame’s fallen, when and where they were killed and are buried or remembered, was read out. As each name was recalled, a Thame person – sometimes a relative, accompanied by a young person, often a Scout or Guide, processed to that particular graveside where they spoke a few words of recognition of his great sacrifice, before laying a small Thame Remembers cross infront of the headstone. Once all the crosses had been delivered to their respective graves, the evocative sound of the bugle call of Last Post was the signal for all the cross layers to wend their way back through the gravestones and return to the gathering. (See video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thamenews/14651913469/in/photostream

As most of those who had gone to share in commemorating their fellow townsmen began their journey homeward, some remained to join a vigil in the church, to remember those who never did make it home, and one, Pte William Honour, of the Army Service Corps, who did make it back to Thame, but died of his wounds on Thursday, April 13, 1916, aged 42, in Thame Cottage Hospital.

You can find out more about the ‘Thame Remembers’ project, including a list of casualties and how to get involved in the challenge by visiting the Thame Remembers website.