Dear Friends,

We wish you all a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

We think it will be a busy New Year too; there is a lot in planning in Remembrance of our Fallen. Last year was certainly busy, and one good piece of news was that after much negotiation and discussion between The Dover War Memorial Project and Dover Town Council it was agreed that a new plaque, commemorating more of our Fallen, will be placed on the Town Memorial this year. There are still many of our Fallen to be remembered, and we will continue to honour all our Fallen here on Dover's Virtual Memorial, as well as looking into other ways of commemorating them - especially those who at the moment are commemorated nowhere at all.

Young people have a marvellous opportunity to learn more of their local heroes and heroines, thanks to the magnificent support from Astor College for the Arts. With over 1,000 students on their roll each year, they will now be caring for the Unknown Warrior stained-glass window. This was created in honour of the 90th anniversary of the Homecoming of the Warrior to Dover in 2010, along with an exhibition and educational resources, and was presented on 16 November 2012 in a ceremony at the College where it was unveiled by one of our gracious Patrons, Admiral the Lord Boyce.

That we should never forget is underlined by the very sad losses we suffered in our area last year, owing to service in Afghanistan. Our servicepeople continue to place their lives on the line, just as they did when our country was under the greatest of threats in throughout the 20th century. Very sadly, those who served during those days are slowly leaving us, and it is even more essential that our young people should have the opportunity to learn of their forebears and their current counterparts, and to learn of respect, honour, duty, and sacrifice. We hope to continue our educational programmes this year, and, at the same time, to ensure that many others too have the opportunity to meet and learn about those who lost their lives on service, through our programme of talks, exhibitions, and displays.Remembrance is every day, not just for November.  

We could do none of it without you! We thank very sincerely all the wonderful friends who support the work of The Dover War Memorial Project in so very many different ways. We simply could not have carried on without the wonderful support we have had in fund-raising and donations last year, and equally we owe a huge debt to all those who beaver away behind the scenes, supporting through research, grave-visiting, transcription, photography - you name it, and someone has helped to do it! Thank you so much to you all.

So off we go, into the adventure of a New Year. Already there's much to do in memory of our Fallen, and as always, of course, we shall continue answering the many queries we receive (at the rate of three or four a day) and visiting the families and friends of our Fallen - those who truly know and live each and every day the meaning of sacrifice and duty. We will never forget those people who gave all they possibly could, for us, the future in which they believed but could never know.

For them, whose days were so short, let's live as best we can, a Happy and Thankful New Year.

With all best wishes,

Maggie
(Marilyn Stephenson-Knight)

January 2013