Remembrance Day: Barking and Dagenham pays respects at remembrance services

Veterans gathered at Dagenham's Royal British Legion branch (Image: Archant)

In Dagenham, veterans marched with the Dagenham Girl Pipers, air cadets, councillors and members of the public from the Royal British Legion branch in Rectory Road to the nearby Parish Church for a packed service.

All those attending were given a replica of an Active Service John’s Gospel, which were handed out to front-line soldiers throughout the First World War,

Rev Kieran Bush, who led the service, quoted from the same gospel.

“Greater love has no one than this,” he said. “To lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas with air cadets from Dagenham squadron 203. (Image: Archant)

A number of wreaths were laid to mark the sacrifices made by the borough’s servicemen and women in all conflicts throughout the past 100 years, before the last post was sounded and a two-minute silence observed.

Nurse Jane Stephens, 58, of Ivyhouse Road, remembered her grandfather, who fought at the Battle of the Somme, and her parents who both served during the Second World War.

She said: “It’s important that people pay their respects for those that gave their lives for our freedom, but it’s also important that we remember the soldiers that came back.

“There’s a danger that the guys who have come back from Afghanistan will be forgotten about in a little while which is terrible, because we owe them all such a huge debt.”

After the service, crowds lined the streets as the procession marched back to the Royal British Legion.

Dagenham MP Jon Cruddas said: “I just want to put on record a big thanks for everything the Royal British Legion does, not just today but throughout the whole year.

“Not only do they look after veterans and their families but they do a lot of work with young people so they know how the freedoms that we all have today are the products of sacrifices of those that went before us.”