NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009 23
Picture courtesy Driftwood Images
The future of remembrance
LYING on the altar of the
centre for remembrance”. songs, imagery), citizenship
Armed Forces Memorial
A key objective of the (what makes the British
is a wreath with a uniquely
appeal is to provide better British) and even sciences
facilities – particularly – the Arboretum encourages
poignant history.
under cover – for the use of its attractive riverside
Not simply a universal symbol 300,000 people who visit the grounds for wildlife studies.
of remembrance, this wreath Arboretum each year.
Meanwhile the core
was the one borne by Harry
But the NMA is also business of remembrance
Patch at last year’s Armistice
looking at the nuts and bolts
gathers pace.
Day ceremony in London.
of remembrance, calling in
websites on 24 hours a day, with
“It’s just phenomenal here
– we have had two applications for
Harry, the last Tommy to have
academics and experts who meet
positive and negative comments.
memorials today alone,” said Cdr
served in the trenches of World
regularly to examine the issues.
“There is also the role of the
Bagot Jewitt.
War 1, died at the age of 111 in
Two themes have been studied
media in colouring our perception
“We have got about 160
July – just a week after RN veteran
recently, said Cdr Bagot Jewitt –
of history – for example, In Which
substantial stone memorials here,
Henry Allingham, aged 113.
overseas perspectives and the role
We Serve, The Cruel Sea and such
then there are the dedicated trees
And with the passing of those
of the media.
like have done more to colour our
two veterans a chapter is all but
“First, the foreign perspective.
and so on.
ideas of war at sea since World
closed – the last known Briton to
We looked at remembrance in
“It is probably about 80/20
War 2 than anything else.
have served in the Great War is
the United States, Germany and
between military and civilian
“The power of story and the
now former Naval rating Claude
Rwanda – the latter which brings
– most people who want to
power of film can be as important
Choules (108), who moved to
it up to date – and how people
commemorate are military, but
in commemoration in the national
Australia in 1926.
handle it,” he said.
there are others, for firefighters,
psyche as the memories of
Harry’s wreath is a tangible
“One of the problems is that in
police, the RNLI and so on.
Granddad, who has gone, so you
reminder of the old soldier, and
the UK since World War 2 we have
“If a national organisation has a
cannot talk to him any more.”
neatly represents the handing on of
had a really common view with
reason for commemorating, then
So the other main objective of
responsibility for remembrance.
regards national memory, which
they can do it here.”
the appeal is to fulfil the NMA’s
But as the generations come
makes it easier.
Cheques made payable to the marina
remit to educate and interpret for
and go the nature of remembrance
“There is one accepted general
National Memorial Arboretum
future generations.
itself must change.
version of events, though there are
can be sent to: Cdr Charles Bagot
“We are looking at a very exciting
Retired Naval officer Cdr
obviously variations in the details.
Jewitt, NMA Future Foundations
development,” said Cdr Bagot
Charlie Bagot Jewitt, Chief
“If you have conflicts which
Appeal, Appeal Office, 1 Fitzgerald
Jewitt, citing the new interpretation
Executive Officer at the National
do not enjoy widespread national
Road, London SW14 8HA.
centre at the site of the Battle of
www.thenma.org.uk
Memorial Arboretum (NMA), and
support you can understand the
marina
Culloden in Scotland as an example
his team are putting a great deal of whole business of remembrance
of what can be achieved.
can get difficult, particularly in
● Clockwise from top: a wreath
effort into understanding this shift
He said the focus would still be
is laid at the Armed Forces
– remembrance is, after all, the the cases of the individual and
on conflict and commemoration
Memorial; Cdr Charlie Bagot
raison d’être of the Arboretum, at the family.
since World War 2, with the aim of
Jewitt (Retd), Chief Executive
Alrewas in Staffordshire. “That is a lesson for the future.
bringing it alive and creating that
Offi cer of the National Memorial
Those inquiries underpin the “The second theme was all
bridge between generations.
Arboretum; the proposed new
£8 million appeal which was about the media and remembrance,
The NMA offers a wide range
entrance to the Arboretum; dawn
launched by Prince William in including being faced with what’s
of educational possibilities; besides
at the Armed Forces Memorial;
April with the aim of making going up on the web on sites such as
the historical aspects there are
thousands of bikers attend this
the Arboretum into a “world-class MySpace and Facebook, dedicated
the wider humanities (war poetry,
year’s Ride to the Wall, raising
money for the Arboretum as well
Picture courtesy Red Devil Photography
as paying tribute to the fallen; an
aerial view of the Memorial
Picture courtesy Nick Mott
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