Those who fought 83 years ago in the Battle of Britain, were remembered in a service held at Ripon War Memorial on Sunday morning.
The battle, which started in July 1940 and ended on October 31 of that year, was at its height in mid September and is recognised as the first major defeat inflicted on Germany in World War II.
For Karen Harrison, who attends Spa Gardens each year to pay her respects to all who took part in the conflict, there was an added poignancy, as her late father Leslie John Tweed almost lost his life at the hands of the Luftwaffe, but lived to tell the tale.
His story was recounted by Mike Chambers, chair of Ripon and District Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association (pictured above with Canon Matthew Pollard, who led Sunday’s service)
The retired squadron leader told how 19-year-old flight sergeant Tweed, flying a Hurricane fighter aircraft, became engaged in an aerial battle at 20,000 feet over Kenley near Croydon on September 6 1940.
After attacking a German Junkers JU88 aircraft, the young pilot’s plane was hit by return fire and he prepared to abandon it, but after removing his helmet and goggles he passed out.
Regaining consciousness at 1,200 feet he found the canopy splattered with his own blood and baled out, landing in a tree, suspended by his parachute over the wreckage of his aircraft.
Following hospital treatment flight sergeant Tweed returned to duty on December 12, 1940 and went on to serve in the RAF until 1972 when he retired as a flight lieutenant.
Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke laid a wreath on behalf of the city council.
Ms Harrison, who is secretary of the Ripon and District Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association laid a wreath in memory of her father and all members of the RAF who, like him, played their part in the Battle of Britain.
The civic party at the war memorial
Others to lay Wreaths included Group Captain Gareth Prendergast, Station Commander at RAF Leeming and Squadron Leader Anthony Beasant of Menwith Hill, along with a member of the 886 (City of Ripon) Air Cadets, who were in attendance.
The Air Cadets stood to attention for the arrival of the RAF guard of honour
Ripon City Band, whose director, Mark Sidwell (pictured left) played the Last Post.
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Thousands pay their respects as Ripon remembers the fallen
Thousands of people gathered at Spa Gardens and on nearby streets, as Ripon remembered the dead of two world wars and other conflicts this morning.
Services were held at the war memorial and in Ripon Cathedral, with both attended by the Bishop of Ripon the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below) and clergy from the cathedral.
Spa Gardens, which like all other parts of the city has been decorated with thousands of red hand-knitted poppies created by the Ripon Community Poppy Project, provided a fitting backdrop for the ceremony at the memorial.
It was here that Andrew Cowie, president of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion, read out almost 400 names that appear on memorials at the gardens and in the cathedral.
Following a two-minute silence, wreaths were laid, including one on behalf of Ripon City Council, put in place by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke (pictured below).
Wreaths were also laid by other dignitaries and representatives of all branches of the armed forces and the emergency services.
The service included hymns accompanied by Ripon City Band and the Last Post and Reveille played by Linda Graham, while lone piper Peter Spencer, of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Pipe Band played the lament Flowers of the Forest. which preceded the two-minute silence.
Royal Engineers from Claro Barracks, were present, alongside retired service men and women and members of the Ripon Branch of the Royal British Legion.
Following the service in Spa Gardens 60 soldiers based at Claro Barracks led a march to the cathedral, passing Ripon Town Hall, where the mayor took the salute.
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Firefighters put up poppies as Ripon prepares for services of Remembrance
Key locations in Ripon are being decked with thousands of knitted poppies ready for this year’s remembrance events.
Over the weekend, members of Ripon Community Poppy Project were given a helping hand from city firefighters as displays were put in place at the town hall.
Hazel Barker, who founded the project in 2018 with former mayor Cllr Stuart Martin, told the Stray Ferret:
“We have knitted thousands of new poppies to replace some of the ones that have been used in previous years.”
She added:
“We are grateful, as ever, to the fire brigade for the tremendous help they have given us in putting up the town hall display.”
To support the work of the Community Poppy Project, a Concert of Remembrance featuring Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and the Duchy Belles, will be held at Ripon Cathedral on November 10, starting at 7.15pm.
Tickets are £12 and available from Stuff 4 Offices on Fishergate and the Wakeman’s House Cafe on Market place.
Hazel Barker and Councillor Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project, are pictured with the crew Ripon’s Red Watch, from the left: Firefighters Turner, Harvey and Foster and crew managers Fagg and Thwaites.
Meanwhile, the Ripon Branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) has confirmed details of services to be held on November 5 and 13.
On Saturday November 5, the Garden of Remembrance created by the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion in 2018, following donations from the public, authorities and the business community, will be blessed by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson.
The blessing ceremony, followed by a two-minute silence at 11am, will be attended by the Mayor of Ripon Cllr Sid Hawke, serving officers, members of the RBL and standard bearers.
Guests and other attendees will have the opportunity to place a poppy cross in remembrance of the fallen who died, not only in the first world war, but all war and conflicts since.
Remembrance Sunday Service
Ripon’s Remembrance Sunday service will be held on November 13 at the war memorial in Spa Gardens, where there will be a two-minute silence before wreaths are laid in honour of the fallen, by civic dignitaries, members of the armed forces, the RBL and representatives of other organisations. Those planning to attend are asked to arrive by 10.30am.
On completion of the service at the war memorial, the civic party will proceed to the town hall where there will be a march past and salute.
The march past, including members of the Royal Engineers, standard bearers, veterans, Ripon City Band, cadets, scouts and guides and representatives of other organisations, will head down Kirkgate to the cathedral, where a service will be held.
Jeet Bahadur Sahi, chair of the RBL Ripon Branch, said:
“We remember those who lost their lives on active service in all conflicts, from the beginning of the First World War right up to the present day. We also remember all those who have served and their families.
“Remembrance events encourage communities to come together to honour those who served and remember their sacrifices.
“We unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from Britain and the Commonwealth.”
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Royal Engineers to remember the Falklands dead at Ripon ceremony
Veterans of the Royal Engineers, some of whom served in the Falklands War, will be in Ripon this weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
They are former members of 11 Field Squadron, which used to be part of the 38 Engineers Regiment based in the city.
On Sunday, between 10.45am and 11.15am a short wreath laying ceremony will take place at the War Memorial in Ripon Spa Gardens.
No Ripon-based Royal Engineers died in the war, but the event, open to anyone wishing to attend, will give the chance to reflect and remember Royal Engineers from other parts of the UK who lost their lives fighting Argentinian land sea and air forces.
Before then, an informal reunion will be held tomorrow between 2pm and 7pm at Ripon Bowling Club on Bondgate Green.
Those wishing to attend the reunion at the bowling club are asked to contact Stan Darbyshire for further details and to register their attendance. He can be contacted on email at duffbudgie11@outlook.com or by phone on 07878 980630.
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The Royal Engineers have had a long and distinguished presence in Ripon, recognised by the fact that the Regiment was awarded the Freedom of the City in 1949.
This gives them the right to hold an annual Freedom Parade through Ripon.
Last year’s parade was held in September, when more than 200 soldiers took part in the march with a band playing and bayonets fixed, before a service in their honour was held at the cathedral.
Medals parade at Claro barracks
Mayor Sid Hawke meets the medal recipients.
Over 150 individuals from 21 Engineer regiment were issued HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals for serving for over five years.
The medals were presented by Councillor Sid Hawke, the Mayor of Ripon with Major Daryl Murphy, the regimental second-in-command and Major Neil Chalmers, quartermaster, also handing out medals.
With most of the regiment deployed overseas in Poland and Cyprus, it was a greatly reduced medals parade. Those deployed had already received theirs last week.
