Volunteers pay tribute to war heroes in Armistice Day Remembrance service at Temple Memorial Park

A short Remembrance service was held by volunteers from the Friends of Temple Memorial Park group on Monday, November 11, who shared a minute’s silence to honour the fallen.

The service, which was led by Father John Miller, was held at the commemorative plaque which is located at the King George Road and John Reid Road pedestrian entrance to the park.

It was the second annual service organised by the group, which formed last year and meets once a month to continue their campaign to have the site recognised nationally as a war memorial, with a new plaque installed to pay tribute to the war efforts of people in South Shields

At 175 acres, Temple Park is believed to be the largest war memorial in the country, however the current plaque only states that it was named in memory of William Temple Archbishop of Canterbury when the land was gifted to the people of South Tyneside by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

“It was important to us hold a short service to commemorate the war dead, as everyone is at this time of year, in Temple Memorial Park,” said chair of the group, Margaret Watson.

“It’s about recognising that this is our war memorial. We have found since the formation of the group the general public don’t realise that the park belongs to the people of South Shields.”