THE sacrifice of those who gave their lives in war was commemorated by students and staff at a special Remembrance Day service at The Armidale School (TAS) today. An international observation commemorating the sacrifice of all who have died in wars, Remembrance Day at TAS particularly paid tribute to the 103 Old Boys and staff who have given their lives in various conflicts, from 1901 in the Boer War to Afghanistan in 2008. Commemorations commenced in the War Memorial Assembly Hall with a presentation about the Western Front by senior students who toured there last month prior to attending an international Round Square conference in Switzerland. Students then moved outside to the school’s flagpoles for the official ceremony, which was attended by all students and staff. The cadet unit guard provided a catafalque party; Junior School student Flynn Broadfoot read the Ode of Remembrance and Senior Prefect Treenie Osborne laid a wreath at the World War One Honour Board in the main foyer at TAS. “We remember all of them, and their sacrifice, here today. Lest we forget,” said Senior Prefect Jim Orr, who also read a poem Requiescant Armidaliensis written by Old Boy ‘R.B.’ – possibly Lieutenant RV Blomfield – and published in the school magazine The Armidalian in December 1918: “Those men who from this school of ours have gone
Are not they all the very living fount
Where those of us whose lives have just begun
May learn the sacrifice of love? We count
Them sleeping – Nay! Not sleeping e’en,
While memory shows the present what hath been.” The school was also represented at the Armidale city service, with Saxon Hughes and Olivia Fenwicke laying wreaths at a memorial to Afghanistan, one of several new plaques dedicated at the service. TAS Old Boy Lt Michael Fussell was killed in Afghanistan serving his country in November 2008.
For more information on this release contact Tim Hughes on 0409 662 420.
Photos:
TAS Transition students wore red poppies at the school’s Remembrance Day service
Senior cadet Sam Thatcher leads out members of the catafalque party
Senior Prefect Treenie Osborne lays a wreath at the school’s World War One Honour Roll, which includes the name of her relative A.T. Osborne
Olivia Fenwicke and Saxon Hughes laid a wreath at the new Afghanistan memorial in Armidale’s Central Park
