Eastbourne College remembers
Together as one, the Eastbourne College community gather on Remembrance Day and Armistice Day in a series of events that remember those who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today.
Lest we forget, the school community pays tribute to those who fought and died in the world wars, more than 12,000 British servicemen and women killed or injured since, and the communities convulsed by conflict and war across the world today.
Close to our hearts, the school also commemorates those pupils who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom:
- 12 in the Boer War
- 174 in the First World War
- 165 in the Second World War
- and six in other conflicts.
Remembrance Day this year was marked with our traditional Remembrance Day service in College Chapel. The chapel was full to the brim with over 300 in the congregation. Eastbournians experienced and took part in a number of moving hymns, prayers and readings orated by cadets, and Deputy Head Co-Curricular, Colonel Anthony Lamb MBE DL, delivered a sobering address. His address pointed out that this was not the time to move on or to do something different, that keeping the memory alive was everything, ‘Every single loss of life during conflict is a personal tragedy and the memorials in each village, town and school remain as poignant reminders of the scars; we must never forget that.’
The service was followed by a contingent parade with over 300 taking part in an Act of Remembrance on College Field, including governors, pupils, staff and military personnel; pausing to mark the 11th hour. Captain (retired) Mark Harris (OE) laid a wreath on behalf of the Eastbournian Society and a group of pupils also marched through Eastbourne as part of the town’s commemoration event.
This year, the College were also proud to welcome St Catherine’s College CCF. Eastbourne College partnered with St Catherine’s 18 months ago and have been mentoring and supporting the creation of their first CCF section. In June, St Catherine’s pupils were invited to join the College CCF’s annual summer camp.
Armistice Day was marked by two whole-school events, an Act of Remembrance at the commemorative Memorial Arch, and a Remembrance concert and reflection in the evening, at All Saints’ Church.
In 2018, the College celebrated its 150th anniversary with a world-first 3D Video Mapping Show. The show dedicated significant time to honouring the pupils who fell in the world wars and other conflicts since.
Click on the thumbnails below to view hi-resolution images of the Armistice and Remembrance Day events. The majority of the photos are courtesy of Liz Helmin (Yr 13).
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- A Union Jack flag flies on a flagpole next to an old stone bell tower with a cross on top at Eastbourne College, set against a blue sky with scattered clouds.
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- A wire sculpture of a soldier stands on grass, surrounded by poppy wreaths and wooden crosses, in front of Eastbourne College’s historic stone building, symbolising remembrance.
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- Cadets in military uniforms stand in formation holding flags on a grassy field at Eastbourne College, with buildings and trees in the background. In the foreground, a silhouette memorial and a ring of red poppy wreaths are displayed.
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- A uniformed officer holding a ceremonial sword stands on a grassy field at Eastbourne College, facing a formation of cadets and flag bearers. Trees and buildings are visible in the background under a cloudy sky.
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- A group of uniformed military personnel stand in formation on a grassy field at Eastbourne College, some holding flags. In the foreground, a memorial statue and a box with red flowers are present, with houses and trees in the background.
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- Three men dressed formally stand outside a brick building at Eastbourne College on a sunny day. They are smiling and each wears a red poppy pin on their lapel, signifying remembrance.
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- A church service at Eastbourne College with a congregation seated, choir members in robes, and clergy at the altar. British flags and military banners are displayed, drums stacked at the front, and stained glass windows in the background.
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- A large group of people gathered on a wide green lawn in front of Eastbourne College, a historic red-brick building with multiple chimneys and a central tower, beneath a partly cloudy sky.
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- A group of military and uniformed personnel march in formation on a lawn outside the large brick building of Eastbourne College, watched by a crowd standing along the side.
