South Shields marks Armistice Day with tribute to nation's war heroes at Mill Dam
The service, held at Mill Dam, near The Customs House, saw crowds pay their respects to the nation's war heroes.
People gathered at South Shields’ Merchant Navy Memorial Statue to mark Armistice Day and pay tribute to the nation’s war heroes by singing hymns, laying wreaths of poppies and two minutes silence.
A well-attended service held at Mill Dam, near The Customs House, on Wednesday, November 11, at 10:45am, saw crowds of people pay their respects next to the bronze statue commemorating merchant seamen who sailed from the port and lost their lives during World War II.
Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day, is traditionally observed with a two-minute silence at 11am on November 11 to mark the end of World War I.
The armistice signed between the Allied forces and Germany in Compiègne, France, which took effect at 11am on November 11, 1918, the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”.
While Armistice Day was originally centred on World War I, people honour all members of the armed forces who have died in any conflict since 1914.
Chairman of the South Shields branch of Mission to Seafarers, Martin Stokes, welcomed everybody who gathered at the Merchant Navy Memorial Statue before Regional Chaplain Shane Moore led an opening prayer.
The Mission to Seafarers is a non-profit organisation that aims to support those working at sea through practical means such as transport to local amenities and WiFi, but also with a network of ordained Port Chaplains.
The Mission to Seafarers has grown to become one of the largest sea port-based welfare operators in the world.
Those in attendance at the service included members of the public, South Shields sea cadets and mini police, children who are chosen to represent their school and take part in an interactive volunteer engagement and citizenship program with Northumbria Police.
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The crowd joined in with the singing of hymns such as the Seafarers Hymn in addition to prayers and the national anthem.
Before wreaths of poppies were laid, Vice Chair of the South Shields branch of Mission to Seafarers, Ian Smith, gave the Kohima Epitaph.
It is a famous war memorial inscription located at the Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland, North-East India, on the Memorial of the 2nd British Division.
Ian Smith read: “When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
Councillor Paul Mackings, Leader of South Tyneside Council, was among those who laid a wreath at the foot of the memorial statue.
Afterwards he stood facing the statue and paid his respects.
Others who laid wreaths of poppies included the Chairman of Mission to Seafarers, a Merchant Navy retired seafarer, members representing organisations and members of the general public.
Reverend Pat Bealing, Hon Chaplain at Mission to Seafarers, led the crowd in the act of commitment and gave The Blessing before the national anthem was sang.
Fay Cunningham from the Mission to Seafarers finished the service by thanking everybody.
She said: “I think it is so fitting that in a maritime town like ours, like South Tyneside, that we come on the eleventh of the eleventh every year and honour the 3000 merchant seamen who sailed out of this river never to come back.”