Burma Star Association Memorial - Christ Church, Folkestone, UK
N 51° 04.664 E 001° 10.412
31U E 372056 N 5660055
A Burma Star Association memorial plaque on Christ Church in Folkestone.
Waymark Code: WMCWAQ
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/18/2011
Views: 13
To the west of Folkestone town centre is the tower of a church that is all that remains after being bombed in the Second World War. The Church is called Christ Church. Various plaques are fixed to the tower of which this is one. It reads:
"'When you go home / tell them of us and say / for your to-morrow / we gave our to-day' //
Kohima Epitaph //
Erected by members of the / Folkestone Branch / Burma Star Association / in memory of comrades who / fell during the Burma Campaign / 1941 - 1945".
Above the plaque is a six pointed star with the words "Burma Star Assoc" beneath it. There are four other carvings at each corner of the plaque. The web link, see below, shows a picture of the plaque in 2006 when the paint looks fresh and detail more clear.
No names are on display.
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By Councillor Miss Susan Carey:
Today, Sunday 15 August, I am in Folkestone for a service of Remembrance of VJ Day arranged by the Folkestone and District Branch of the Burma Star Association. VJ stands for Victory in Japan and it is 65 years since VJ Day was declared when the Japanese government agreed to an unconditional surrender and brought World War II to a close. Among those attending are veterans from World War II as well as those of more recent service and some serving personnel.
The venue is the Garden of Remembrance next to the tower of Christ Church which is all that remains of the church after an air raid on Sunday 17 May 1942 by the Germans. Just three people were in the church at the time of the attack (two died and one survived the attack) but had it been just half an hour later it would have been full of soldiers. A stone plaque marks the date.
The Garden of Remembrance has a memorial stone with a bronze plaque showing the Burma Star and the words ‘In remembrance of All Comrades 1939 – 1945' followed by the Kohima Epitaph. We congregate around this for the short service. The town mayor of Folkestone, Cllr Tom McNeice lays a wreath, as do I on behalf of Shepway and several others, including 2 (South East) Brigade which has its headquarters locally in Shorncliffe.
My mother recalls VJ Day vividly. She was a newspaper delivery girl of the evening papers and the newsagent told her to make sure she knocked on every door when she delivered the paper with the good news about VJ Day and the end of the war. At every house she was given a small sum of money for bringing such good news.
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