Air Cadets from Bury St Edmunds have given their weekend to support the Royal British Legion and remember the fallen men and women of the armed forces.
The weekend started on Friday night when eight cadets attended the Apex venue in the ARC shopping centre to support the Festival of Remembrance. They were assigned tasks including selling programs and Poppy’s and recording the results of the auction.
Cadet Corporal Elliot Potter (16) was given an extremely special privilege of carrying the Royal British Legion’s Standard. He said; “it was an honour standing with the Nations veterans whilst carrying the symbol of the Legion”.
When the show started and the public were all seated, some cadets got the opportunity to watch the memorable performance by the Royal Air Force Honington Voluntary Band in partnership with the Military Wives Choir. There was a somber atmosphere in the venue as the cadets and guests reflected on the service given by the nation’s service personnel.
The commitment to the Poppy Appeal continued despite the wet and miserable weather on Saturday. A large team of cadets joined forces with the local Army Cadet Force and Sea Cadet Corps to walk around town raising money by selling the red poppy to the Bury market goers.
The support the general public gave was fantastic with one cadet reporting “someone put in a £10 note and said they already had a poppy and to keep up the good work”.
Every year the cadet forces support the Poppy Appeal with great pride and it is a fantastic opportunity for them to feel part of the wider community and show their respect to those that have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Finally, on the Sunday after last minute alterations to their finest uniforms the cadets marched out of the Abbey Gates and on to Angel Hill to join the town in the 2 minute silence. Cadet Edward Sacree-Hall (15) after the sounding of the ‘Last Post’ and fly-past of the Apache helicopter stepped forward with the local leaders to lay a wreath on behalf of everyone at the Squadron. Edward was selected for this important task after he won the Drill and Deportment award at the annual award ceremony and for his tremendous commitment to the cadets and wider community.
The weekend was rounded off with an annual friendly football match against 863 (Thurston) Squadron who always provide a challenging opponent. However, this year Bury managed to defeat their friendly rivals 4 goals to nil. The cadets, from both teams, really enjoyed the game as it is a good opportunity to relax after a long weekend of parades and ceremonies. Thurston will no doubt return next year, after the Battle of Britain parade, with another strong team.