Thetford Town Council will host the town’s annual Remembrance Parade and Service on Sunday 9th November, to honour those who have served and sacrificed in conflicts past and present.
As in previous years, the service will take place on Thetford Market Place and will be attended by representatives from the armed forces, local organisations, councillors and other dignitaries.
The parade will assemble at Riverside Walk from 10.25am, marching to the Market Place where Rev Peter Herbert will conduct the Service of Remembrance. The service will begin at 10.45am, including the Last Post, a two-minute silence, the Reveille and the reading of the Exhortation at 11am.
This year’s parade will also include a special tribute to Ronald Butcher, a long-standing resident of Thetford and the town’s last surviving D-Day veteran, who passed away in September aged 98. Mr Butcher served in the Merchant Navy from the age of 15 and supported the war effort from as young as 12, helping his father in the Local Defence Volunteers, later known as the Home Guard. As part of a Town Council project commemorating the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day, Ronald shared his story in an interview. During its preparation, he recited both the Exhortation and the Kohima Epitaph, recordings that will now be played during Sunday’s service as a special tribute to his life and service.
The Mayor of Thetford, along with local veterans, will also take part in a short wreath-laying ceremony at the Thetford War Memorial at 11am on Tuesday 11th November. Members of the public are welcome to attend; please note this is a brief ceremony with wreath laying and a two-minute silence, in line with national commemorations.
Find a full order of service on the Town Council’s website
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