After the Michaelmas half-term holiday ends each year and the School swings back into action, one difference particular to the season, are the flashes of red and black on lapels and jumpers. These are of course poppies – paper, enamel or even knitted, ubiquitous at this time of year as a way of showing support for the armed forces and commemorating those who have sacrificed their lives in war.
On Armistice Day itself, School Yard was filled with poppies worn by attendees of the CCF Drumhead Remembrance service. School Yard always makes for a poignant location in the run-up to Remembrance Day, with its colonnade inscribed with the names of the 1157 Etonians who sacrificed their lives in both the First and Second World War, providing a sense of the sheer destruction these conflicts left behind. After prayers and reflection by Peter Taylor, the Last Post signalled the start of the two-minute silence.
Whether it’s to contemplate fallen loved ones and friends, the horrors of war or the debt we owe to our forebears’ bravery, this national pause is a uniquely universal moment for reflection and gratitude, the likes of which are few and far between in the modern age. Surrounded by boys, cadets and members of the Eton College community, a wreath was then laid at the foot of the drumhead – a makeshift memorial made of drums and colours (military flags), as is customary for an outdoor military service.
This ceremony was an important reminder of Eton’s indelible connection to the armed forces and a reaffirmation of the sentiment echoed by the crowd: we will remember them.
