One of the top British army chiefs attended a church service and wreath ceremony in the Western Isles in memory of the war dead today (Sun).
General Sir Nick Parker, Commander-
Later he laid a wreath on behalf of the army at an event attended by nearly 300 islanders at the Lewis War Memorial, the only main war monument in the country which marks the end of WW1 as 1919 after over 200 returning service men drowned when the admiralty yacht the Iolaire hit rocks at the entrance to Stornoway harbour.
Gen Parker who has served in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Iraq, said such ceremonies to remember the war dead were very significant in the modern world.
He said: “They are very important on two counts. First, as a serving soldier it is my duty and my desire to reflect on all the people I have served with and who are serving today who scarified their lives and on those people who many years ago gave us freedom through the First and Second World Wars.
“On the second count, I think it is incredibly important to connect with the communities we come from.
“All across the country people have been remembering. It’s ordinary people who have been doing it. As a serving soldier I think its important to be a part of that.”
He said he was marking the event in the Western Isles as, “most people go to the
main cities -
“When I was a general officer in Edinburgh, I had been asked to come here but I failed to do so. So my conscience was pricked and I was absolutely delighted to come.”
Gen Parker said the island remembrance service was “incredibly poignant. The Outer Hebrides gave a lot in both world wars. The percentages of sacrifice here is probably higher than anywhere in the Commonwealth, including the UK.
“So, there is a poignancy about the ceremony here which I found very moving.”
Top army chief at Lewis Remembrance Sunday ceremony 13/11/11
Commander-