Devon Unit Remember
Devon Scout Remember
On the run up
to remembrance day preparations are being made all over the county to honour
and respect those of have fought to protect us, in the past, the now and in the
future. We remember them on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the
eleventh month in a minute silence to remember and then them for all they have
done.
This summer
Devon Explorers remembered those who fought in World War Two, After the World
Scout Jamboree in Sweden , the Devon Unit spent time in Holland enjoying some
Home Hospitality from the Dutch Scouts. One of our days we visited the Airborne
Museum in Arnhem.
In September
1944 the British dropped behind German lines and they had an ambitious mission, to capture the bridge at Arnhem and hold it
until ground forces arrived from the south. Then they would push through to
Germany and bring the war to a swift end before Christmas. The morale of the
British and Polish soldiers was sky-high. But
the German artillery was to powerful for the allied troops, Operation
Market Garden the largest airborne
landing operation ever and was a failure that cost thousands of lives, More
than 12,000 men were dropped near Ede, but only 2,200 made it back home
After
learning about the events of Market Garden the Devon Unit where shocked by what
they had learnt and to reinforce the overwhelming tragedy , we took a short
walk down the streets where the fighting took place to the Oosterbeek War
Cemetery where British, Canadian, Australian,
New Zealand, Polish and Dutch soldiers graves lay. In a pin droopingly
quite cemetery the Explorers saw rows on rows of graves stones dedicated to
those who lost their lives in the operation to free Europe from Hitler. Prior
research had found a solider called Richard George Giles a scout from Somerset
who fought in Arnhem and lost his live at the age of eighteen, Finding this
grave stone brought the Explorers to an emotional speechless standstill and got
them thinking they he was a similar age to them and he lost his life at such a
young age defending his country.
The Devon Jamboree
Unit lay a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of all the Devon scouts with a personal message,
"We noticed that the soldiers who
gave their lives are almost our age,We take off our hats to you,we won't forget "
We will remember all those who gave
their lives to protect us, our thoughts go out to them and their families, we
are in debt to your sacrifice's
