Centenary Easter 2013: May 2015

Index

1) Remembering Ronnie at Holywell Cemetery Oxford. May 5th 201
including Peter's introductory words and Oxford Times report.

2) Remembering Ronnie at his Grave Ploegsteert Flanders. May 5th 2015
including Robin Edward's report from 'Plugstreet'

3) Remembering Pandora Crawley's Great Great Uncle Ronnie at Hyde Park Cemetery. May 15th 2015

4) Remembering Ronnie at St Helen's Church Isle of Wight .May 3rd 2015

5) Remembering Ronnie at Horestone Point. April 19th 2015
including William's Video from the Sundial, Horestone Point Garden.

6) Remembering Ronnie at Twickenham. November 7th 2014

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1) Remembering Ronnie at Holywell Cemetery Oxford. May 5th 2015

Peter Jay (Ronnie's Great Nephew) introduces Ronnie's Remembrance 'We will Remember Him' at Holywell Cemetery(The Poulton Family Grave yard), where the Cross, that originally stood on Ronnie's grave in Flanders, now stands.

Ronnie's Wooden Cross brought from Flanders to Holywell Cemetery,

The Plaque reads

THIS CROSS
NEAR HIS SISTER’S
GRAVE STOOD WHERE
RONALD RESTS IN THE
R BERKS CEMETERY
PLOEGSTEERT WOOD

BELGIUM

Ronnie's grave in Ploegsteert Wood Belgium. Photo taken May 1915

The Group of Poultons and Garnetts at Ronnie's Cross , May 5th 2015

Peter's Introduction.

The Family Readings at Ronnie's Memorial Cross(originally from Flanders) in Holywell Cemetery.

May 5th 2015

Attending the Event at Holywell were-

Peter Jay, Great nephew
Martin Jay, Great nephew
Tommy Jay, Great-great nephew
Tim Lyle, Great nephew,
Helen Pennant-Rea, Great niece
Catherine Boyd, Great niece
Louis Gergaud, Great-great nephew
Andrew Garnett, Great nephew
Perdita Gergaud, Great niece
Julian Hunt, Great nephew
Jemima Hunt, Great-great niece
Simon Hunt, Great nephew
Joanna Heseltine, Great Niece
Gwenelin Royston, Great niece
Bob Royston, Great nephew-in-law
Marigold Joy, Great-great niece
Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, Past President Vincent’s Club
Rev Bruce Kinsey, Balliol and Dragon School
Desmond Devitt, Dragon School
Gay Sturt, Dragon School archivist

Peter Jay and Tommy Jay . Holywell Cemetery

May 5th 2015

More Photos from Holywell contributed by Gwenelin Royston

2) Remembering Ronnie at his Grave Ploegsteert Flanders. May 5th 2015

Ronnie's Grave in the Royal Berkshire Cemetery, Belgium.

May 5th 2015

The modest flowers were placed by Robin- Edward Poulton.
The grand wreaths of poppies were already in place when I arrived, delivered by the RFU and Harlequins RFC

Robin- Edward Poulton (Ronnie's great nephew) writes

These photos were taken following our visit to France and Belgium - to Hyde Park Cemetery at Plugstreet - for Ronnie Poulton's centenary on May 5th.

A friend of mine was right when he remarked that "the British are very good and remembering their fallen heroes;" and this point came strongly back to us all as we sheltered from the intermittent rain showers under the Ploegsteert Memorial to the 11,457 British soldiers who have no graves : and as Michael Crawley read out loud the words of EBP and those of RWPP's dear friend and soon-to-become Archbishop Billy Temple, about why we should never forget. So "Let us remember them" - that whole lost generation - and maintain through the decades our obligation to ensure that the memory never fades.

Jaspar Crawly, Robin-Edward , Pam Spokes, Rodney Spokes, Michael Crawley.

The Rotunda across road from Ronald's grave in Royal Berkshire Cemetery.
May 5th 2015

Pam Spokes, Robin-Edward, Ann Spokes Symonds, Rodney Spokes,

By Ronnie's Grave. May 5th 2015

3) Remembering Pandora Crawley's Great Great Uncle Ronnie at Hyde Park Cemetery. May 15th 2015

A Note for the Blog from Pandora Crawley (history teacher in London)

I thought I would attach the below photo of me at Ronald's grave last Friday.

For the second year running, I took my year 9 history students to visit the Ypres Salient. Fabulous trip made very special by being at Hyde Park Corner.

4) Remembering Ronnie at St Helen's Church Isle of Wight .May 3rd 2015

The Reverend Rob Wynford-Harris,Priest-in-charge, St Helens with Seaview devoted part of his sermon to commemorating Ronnie's death at St Helen's Church .
More reports to follow.

5) Remembering Ronnie at Horestone Point. April 19th 2015

William Garnett (Great Nephew of Ronnie) planted a Tower of London Flanders Poppy and Poppy Seeds in the Rosemary/Lavender Garden at Horestone Point. The seeds were a present from the Haig Housing Trust who are an army resettlement charity who knew about Ronald. It shows the bag of seed at the beginning of the video .
Click for Video below.

6) Remembering Ronnie at Twickenham. November 7th 2014

Event held by the Rugby Football Union called Forever England to commemorate the 6 members of the 1914 England Rugby Team who died in World War 1.Members of Ronnie's family were invited.

The RFU commissioned a painting by Shane Record of the Team with darkened red roses on the shirts of those who died. The painting was unveiled at the event.

http://www.shanerecord.com/whats-happening/forever-england/

Shane Record, Oil on Linen, 270cm x 300cm (2014)

This painting depicts the last England team to play before the outbreak of the First World War. The side clinched the Grand Slam by defeating France at Stade Columbes on the 13^th of April 1914. The players are wearing their club socks.

Six of the players, identified in the painting by the darkened roses on their shirts, went on to die in the war.

The work was commissioned by the RFU to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, and is dedicated to the memory of all rugby players who served and died in the conflict.