Giant beacon to be lit for Armistice centenary

Giant beacon to be lit for Armistice centenary

The Island’s beacon will be set alight at 7 pm from a torch that is due to begin its journey in the Royal Square as dusk descends on Armistice Day to travel through every parish, carried by motorcyclists of the Royal British Legion Riders Branch.

Having stopped off to light candles at each parish’s war memorial, the motorbike cavalcade will finish at Les Landes race course for the Beacon of Light ceremony, at which the giant beacon will be lit.

More than 6,290 Islanders, including those of French descent, fought in the Great War, 862 of whom were killed.

Another key local event will focus on the repatriation of the heart of the Guillemont Stone, which stands in the French village of the same name on the Somme, where members of the Island’s only locally formed military unit, the the Jersey Contingent of the 7th Irish Rifles fought in 1916.

A cylindrical piece of granite was removed from the stone in a ceremony in Guillemont in September and brought home to where the Jersey soldiers began their journey to the Western Front in March 1915.

The Bailiff, Sir William Bailhache, said: ‘This November, Islanders have the opportunity to remember their relatives who fought and suffered during the Great War and to reflect on the damage done by war to the communities and families.

‘I encourage all of you to attend some or all of the events that have been arranged as a mark of respect for the sacrifices made over 100 years ago and so that together we can enrich ourselves through these commemorations.’

On the evening of Tuesday 30 October the heart stone will be carried by members of the Jersey Field Squadron in a torch-lit procession from the Weighbridge to the Royal Square. In a further ceremony, on Friday 9 November, it will be unveiled by the Bailiff in its final resting place on the steps of the Royal Court building.

More than two weeks of Armistice centenary commemorations will begin at noon on Friday 26 October with the traditional opening of the Field of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, in the Parade, to mark the beginning of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Historian Ian Ronayne, whose book Ours, The Jersey Pals in the First World War was serialised in the JEP, said: ‘Over the past five years we have gone from knowing so little about this important part of our history to recognising the commitment of Jersey and its people, in all theatres of war.

‘A highlight of those years was unveiling the Jersey commemorative stone in Guillemont, which will ensure our Island’s role on the battlefields is forever recalled. Bringing the heart back will seal a bond with those that fought and died there.’

Other events include a concert at Fort Regent on Saturday 10 November and the traditional Remembrance Sunday ceremony, which will be held at the Cenotaph on 11 November.

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