QUEEN’S College (QC) hosted its annual Remembrance Day Service on Monday when students of the Georgetown institution in an atmosphere of solemnity, remembered and acknowledged the supreme sacrifice paid by gallant men and women during World Wars I and II.

Among those who fell in the two wars were old boys and masters, whose names were read and in whose memory two wreaths were laid by the youngest students, Rebecca Persaud and Daniel Baldeo Thorne.
The ceremony began at 11:00 hrs, on the lawns of the school compound where, students, staff and others, despite the inclement weather, stood up proudly and nobly for the cause.
Flags were posted at half mast by students after which came the lusty singing of the universal hymn ‘O God Our help in Ages Past’ by all assembled.
This paved the way for prayers and a patriotic song, followed by the short addresses of the Principal, Mrs. Jackie Benn-Ralph and Deputy Principal, Ms. Nadia Hollingsworth.
They, both, outlined the history leading up to the two wars and the way in which lives were lost, for what cause and the signing of the Armistice or truce which ended the battles.
Introducing the programme, Hollingsworth said: “We are assembled here, at this time, to remember all those who fought and died for their country in the two World Wars. The first during the years 1914-1918 and the second during the years 1935 to 1945.”

One cause
Noting that old and young men lost their lives in the wars, the she made clear that, regardless, they all fought and died for one cause, their country and peace.
The truce was signed between the Allies and the Germans at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in the year 1918, effectively bringing and end to fighting.
“So, today we remember those who were killed in that war, and also the second World War, and we pray that, never again, will our country or any other find itself at war with any other nation,” the Deputy Principal said.
The gathering then went into the school auditorium, led by drumming Police ranks, where there was awed reverence, as the names of the QC Old Boys and Masters were read:
Those who fell in the First World War of 1914 -1918 were F.H Abrahim, F.R. Jones, H. A. Butt, F.C. Kelly, C.V. Bynoe, W.S.L. Payne, W.A. Carruthers, W.W. Rainer, W.H. Coombs, W.T.R. Rickford, G.L.F. Forshaw, E.G. Swain, T. W. Hunte, H.P. Weber and C.B. Wrong.
The victims of the 1935 to 1945 war were C.A.E. Birthles, C.E. Rainer, H.N. Edmonds, B.S. Sam, R.J. Greathead, W.A. Smellie, L.O.H. Harding, D.I. Westmaas, W.W. Merriman and a master, F.T. Weston.

The fallen
To honour the fallen, wreaths were hung in the auditorium by Persaud and Baldeo Thorne.
This was followed by the Police sounding of the Last Post; the observance of two minutes silence and the hair-raising sound of the Reveille, culminating with the school song, then the National Anthem.
Ms. Gem Rohlehr-Vogt, retired Deputy Principal noted that QC is almost 170 years old and, because of its history, it has been fitting in with certain historical occasions in society, two such being the two World Wars.
“This was, initially, a Boys’ School in those days and, since it was males going to war, many of the masters of the school and some of the students went to both wars and lost their lives,” she lamented.
For this reason, QC is the only school commemorating those incidents.
Meanwhile other schools invited to witness the ceremony were Marian Academy, Bishops’ High School and Christ Church Secondary. Other invitees included Mr. James Rajroop, representing the Old Students’ Board, who was also a graduate of QC Cadets.

(By Shirley Thomas)