REMEMBRANCE
For over twenty five years Piers Storie-Pugh has specialised is getting widows, veterans and relatives to war cemeteries worldwide. He has spoken in many countries about Remembrance and The Sacrifice in Two World Wars: he is a recognised specialist on war cemeteries and memorials worldwide. Piers Storie Pugh has often been described as ‘Mr Remembrance’.
Piers has kept in touch with many veterans. One particular example was Dr William Frankland who died in April 2020, aged 108 and with whom he kept in touch on a regular basis. As a consequence Piers wrote a tribute which appeared in the Java FEPOW newsletter and also on The Not Forgotten website.
Piers at the Kohima Memorial, India - “For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today”
The Great War was the first conflict in which the whole nation was involved and in which everyone was expected to play their part, no matter the dreadful cost incurred.
Every evening in the market town of Ypres, in Belgium, The Last Post is sounded at 20:00 hrs. This ceremony has continued since the 1920s with only a break 1940-44. In The Great War, 907,000 men from Great Britain and the Commonwealth died; of that number half are still missing.
Every evening in the market town of Ypres, in Belgium, The Last Post is sounded at 20:00 hrs. This ceremony has continued since the 1920s with only a break between 1940 and 1944. In The Great War, 907,000 men from Great Britain and the Commonwealth died; of that number half are still missing.
The Thiepval Project
The Thiepval Memorial on The Somme in France: sometimes known as Lutyens's Masterpiece it commemorates almost 73,000 soldiers from Great Britain and South Africa who are still missing; or - to quote the famous words:
''To Whom The Fortune of War Denied a Known and Honoured Burial.''
In 1998, Sir Frank Sanderson and Colonel Piers Storie-Pugh concluded that a centre was needed to explain the history of the Battles of the Somme and the Great War to the increasing number of visitors to the battlefields in Picardy. This culminated in the creation of a Franco-British project, jointly administered by the Department of the Somme and a team of British volunteers.
Monsieur Alain Petitjean, Deputy Chief Executive of the Conseil- Général of the Somme, sought public funding while Frank Sanderson, leading the British side, launched an appeal for donations, a great deal of which came from the magnificent support of Charitable Trusts, Regiments, Corps and Local Authorities. Important initial grants from BP Amoco and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office led to generous support from many other sources including, among 1500 individual donations, a gift of £72,000. This matched the number of soldiers whose names are inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial. The EU Interreg III Fund also contributed generously.
Madame Potié, Mayor of Thiepval, and her husband made possible the acquisition of the land upon which the new centre has been built, in the very shadow of Lutyens's Thiepval Memorial, and have both been constant and enthusiastic supporters of the project.
The Great War on the Western Front and Remembrance Today
An appreciation for a fundraising talk given at Royal British Legion, Mitcham Branch on 25 October, 2024
The evening was a notable gathering attended by distinguished guests, including the Deputy Mayor of Merton, Siobhain McDonagh MP, other dignitaries, and members of the Royal British Legion (RBL) Mitcham, as well as representatives from the wider Merton Borough.
The event highlighted the collective respect and commitment to remembrance shared by local leaders, officials, and community members. The presence of prominent figures underscored the importance of remembering those who served in the Great War and honoring the tradition of reflection and commemoration within the community.
Piers Storie-Pugh, a seasoned historian and prominent figure in remembrance circles, recently gave a talk at the Royal British Legion (RBL) Mitcham Presentation focused on “The Great War on the Western Front and Remembrance Today.”
His talk delved into the harrowing experiences of soldiers during World War I, exploring the enduring impact of the Western Front on both individual and collective memory.
Piers Storie-Pugh shared insights into the significance of remembrance in modern society, reflecting on how commemorations like Armistice Day and ceremonies at memorials preserve the legacy of those who served. His expertise in veterans’ affairs and historical preservation brought unique depth to the discussion, connecting the sacrifices of the past to the responsibilities of the present in honoring their memory.
This presentation emphasized the importance of remembrance as a way to foster reflection on the cost of conflict and the value of peace.
They shall grow not 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.
Laurence Binyon
