BARBERTON – The foothills of the mountains surrounding the town were a blaze with colour, pomp and ceremony on
October 10. This was during the private Drum Head Service that was held at the Garden of Remembrance in Dikbas.
According to Old Bill Glenn du Preez, this year’s commemoration was an unofficial one due to the restrictions necessitated by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
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“This was a private and unofficial service that was held by volunteers of the South African Irish Association and other
associations.
“They were accompanied by a number of ex-servicemen who, in their private capacities, showed respect for those who had died in defence of their country,” he said.
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The procession started at 16:30 and was a solemn affair that celebrated the bravery of the young men sent to battle in WWII.
The Garden of Remembrance displays the coat of arms of many South African regiments, dating from the Boer War through to WWII and is a monument to fallen soldiers who died in the service of their country.
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As the proceedings continued, the stirring skirl of bagpipes and drumbeats filled the air, summoning residents from homes along the street to witness the contingent pay homage to the fallen.
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It continued with prayers and a brief history of the young boys who trained there before returning as war-hardened men, and was a fitting commemoration of the countless lives lost in the war.
