11/11/11 Remembrance Service

11/11/11 In Grateful Remembrance – a service to dedicate a plaque and honour the Everton players who fell in the two world wars.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of each year all of the fallen are remembered but on this day, in the year of 2011 a special remembrance service was held at Goodison Park to remember those with affiliations for the club and for those of our sister club in Chile.

On what can only be described as a dusky day in Liverpool, members from every aspect of the Everton community and members of all the armed forces, attended a service held at the Park end of  Goodison to remember the fallen soldiers with special reverence to those that had association with  Everton Football club and Everton Chile.

After a brief introduction from the Reverend Harry Ross, the chair of the EFC Shareholders Association Anne Asquith welcomed everyone to the service and the Rev Harry Ross proceeded with an explanation of the service, he then introduced Dr John Rowlands who gave us a brief history of the men who are named on the plaque that was donated by Dr David France and his good wife Elizabeth.

I will also give a brief explanation; taken from the service sheet that I was given.

Brian Patrick Atkins was born in Liverpool and attended St Sylvester’s school. He joined  Everton when aged 16 years and was about to make his first team debut when he was posted abroad. Brian died of wounds whilst serving with the Royal Air Force regiment in Italy in 1944.

Frank Everard Boundy was born near Truro and moved as a child to Chile. In 1914 he returned to England and became an officer in the Kings Regiment(Liverpool). Decorated for bravery Frank was killed in the battle of the Somme and is buried in Guillemont road cemetery. He was founder of Everton FC in Valparaiso 1909 and later became club president.

Malcolm Goulding Fraser was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Chile. He was at university in the UK in 1914 and was commissioned in the Cameronians(Scottish Rifles). Malcolm lost his life on the first day of the battle of the Somme. His name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial.A talented footballer Malcolm was also a founder member of Everton FC in Chile.

Thomas Gracie was born in Glasgow. He was at Goodison Park as a reserve for Scotland against England and after the game he signed for Everton FC. Thomas made thirteen appearances at centre forward before joining Liverpool FC. In 1914 he enlisted with his Hearts team mates in the Royal Scots. The next year he became ill and struggled on bravely before dying of leukaemia.

Leigh Richmond Roose was born in Holt ans as an amateur made twenty four appearances for Everton. One of football’s greatest characters Leigh was capped by Wales and revolutionised the role of the goalkeeper. He was awarded the Military Medal before he was killed in 1917. Leigh is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

William Sumner lived at Bickerstaffe and attended Ormskirk grammar school. A skilful winger he played a handful of games for Everton  in wartime matches. William qualified as s a pilot in the Royal Air Force but was killed in a flying accident in India. He lies in Madras cemetery.

Wilfred Toman was born in Bishop Auckland and made twenty nine appearances for Everton in two spells. Although small in stature he was a goal scoring centre forward. Wilfred enlisted into the Kings Regiment (Liverpool) at Southampton, He was killed in France in 1917

After this dedication to the fallen men the service progressed with readings from the old and new testaments, followed by the dedication of the Plaque by Rev Harry Ross who ended the dedication with a prayer. At the end of a prayer a bugler sounded out the last post which was followed by a an ode to the fallen “They shall not grow old as we grow old.Age shall not weary hem nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them”. to which the response was ” We will remember them” this led straight into the impeccably kept two minutes silence that ended with the bugler sounding out Reveille.

Once the bugler had finished there was a laying of Poppy wreaths and some pushed commemorative crosses into turf, the final prayers and blessing followed and as the service ended the Piper played Flowers of the forest to bring it to the conclusion.

And as they lay their wreaths, we remembered.

And as the piper played, we remembered.

and as the wind blew cold,we remembered

and as we always will, we remembered.