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The 60th
anniversary of D Day was commemorated in Maybole last Sunday, June
6, with a church parade led by Maybole Pipe Band. The event was
organised by the local branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland,
the oldest in the country, in conjunction with South Ayrshire
Council and Maybole Community Council. Before the parade began
Major George Hay TD, Scottish Yeomanry, Ayrshire, was invited to
inspect the standard bearers by David Hunter, chairman of the
Maybole branch RBLS, who was Parade Marshall.
Then the parade made its way to the Old Church via
School Vennel and High Street. Major Hay is a deputy Lord Lieutenant
of Ayrshire and he was accompanied by Lieutenant Commander John
Lorimer DSO who is also a deputy Lord Lieutenant. Other dignitaries
included Councillor Andy Hill, leader of South Ayrshire Council,
Councillor Alan Murray, and Chief Executive Tom Cairns; Chief
Superintendent John Corrigan and Superintendent Bruce Kennedy,
Strathclyde Police; Flying Officer Alex Lobban, RAF cadets; Alistair
Kennedy, Vice Chair Ayrshire Area RBLS; several members of Maybole
Community Council and Rev Dave Whiteman.
In his sermon Rev Whiteman said, “We are here today
to remember those who fought and died on that day in June 1944; to
give thanks for that supreme sacrifice; to thank God for the freedom
we enjoy, and to celebrate our deliverance from the evil that
gripped Europe in those dark days.”
After the church service the parade marched from
Barns Terrace and made its way via Redbrae and Cassillis Road for
the march past with the salute taken by Major Hay and then High
Street to the Town Hall for a civic reception courtesy of South
Ayrshire Council. At the Town Hall Councillor Hill welcomed everyone
and said he believed very strongly that “It is important that those
people who were injured or sacrificed their lives defending their
beliefs and their country are never forgotten.” “It is also
important,” he added, “that young people today, and generations to
come, never forget those who have served their country in the armed
forces.”
In reply, Alistair Kennedy comprehensively thanked
everyone who had played a part in making the day such a success. “I
always take pleasure now,” he continued, “at Area meetings that
Maybole is the No 1 branch. We may be the smallest area in RBLS life
but let me assure you we hold our own. “To see everyone on parade
today was wonderful, there was a lot of service, pride, and memories
for all of us.” He then recited what has become known as the Kohima
Prayer:
“When you go home, tell them of us and say,
‘For your tomorrow we gave our today.’”
The words are attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds
(1875 -1958), an English Classicist, who had put them together among
a collection of 12 epitaphs for World War One, in 1916. |
