One of the many poignant exhibits that will be displayed during Armed Forces Day National Event weekend in Aldershot and Farnborough on 27 and 28 June will be a large poppy-shaped memorial, called the Poppy of Honour.
The special memorial was created as a unique record of all the allied servicemen and servicewomen lost in the First World War. The Royal British Legion issued the necessary user licence that allows its incorporation into The Poppy of Honour memorial.
The memorial will be on display during Armed Forces Day National Event weekend, which will honour the history and current service of the Armed Forces. The prestigious event is a unique opportunity for everyone to enjoy a weekend of spectacular events and celebrations, bringing the community and Armed Forces together.
FREE tickets are available for both Saturday 27 June and Sunday 28 June. Visit our Armed Forces Day National Event pages.
Saturday 27 June is a formal day featuring a military parade along Queens Avenue, a flypast, arena displays, including parachutists, marching bands, sporting events, live music and entertainment, cultural, heritage and community activities and a fun fair.
Sunday 28 June will be a more relaxed, community-focused day, featuring entertainment, stalls, food, and a funfair, a Drumhead service - a special religious service traditionally held in the field, sports taster sessions as part of Active in Rushmoor, choirs/performances, heritage talks and community activities.
Deputy Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council Councillor Sophie Porter, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Poppy of Honour to Armed Forces Day National Event in Aldershot and Farnborough. This poignant and beautiful memorial perfectly embodies the sacrifice and service of our Armed Forces personnel, and why they should be honoured and celebrated for their service.”
The Poppy of Honour is a metal sided enclosed structure, which is 2.6m tall with a clear glass display either side, each fashioned in the outline shape of the remembrance poppy. It holds 1,117,635 individual red poppies for every member of the British and Commonwealth Armed forces lost during the conflict. Each poppy has the handwritten name and rank of the individual it commemorates.
It was the idea of Regular Army veteran Terry Williams from Henstridge in Somerset. Terry, who served with the Light Infantry and Reserves during the 1970s and 1980s, spent five weeks in France and Belgium in 2014 where he carried the Union Standard at a number of re-dedication ceremonies for soldiers killed in the Great War. He was greatly moved by this experience and became aware that there was no all-inclusive WW1 memorial anywhere in the UK.
In 2023, the War Memorial Trust granted the Poppy of Honour official War Memorial Status subject to its being permanently installed at a fixed location. Plans were drawn up to house the memorial within Maidenbrook Country Park in Somerset, but fundraising continues to construct a pavilion to house the memorial.
Councillor Carol Cronshaw, of West Monkton Parish Council, which is fundraising to build a permanent home for the Poppy of Honour in Somerset, said: “We hope, with public support, to meet our target to provide a permanent home for the beautiful Poppy of Honour. My husband and I will be working at the event and look forward to meeting as many people as possible.”
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