Candlelit remembrance ceremony to be held in HarrogateHarrogate’s Stonefall Cemetery to hold candlelit remembrance service

A candlelit service will be held at Harrogate’s Stonefall Cemetery next weekend to remember those who died in wars .

Members of the public can attend the Candlelit Christmas Remembrance service, which is being held by the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation.

At the event, people will be provided with battery-operated tealights to place on the graves of the fallen. This will be followed by a short service of Remembrance.

Harrogate woman Benji Walker, whose son serves in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, was inspired by images of other Commonwealth war graves cemeteries in Europe lit by candlelight.

She said:

“I feel it’s as important today as it was at the time to recognise the sacrifice of those who gave everything to serve this country.

“The Candlelit Christmas Remembrance is a chance for the local community to gather to remember the sacrifice of the hundreds of CWGC casualties buried at Stonefall, many of them thousands of miles from home.”

Members of the public can also sponsor a candle, with profits being split between The Commonwealth War Foundation and Help for Heroes.

Elizabeth Smith, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission public engagement coordinator, said:

“This wonderful candlelit event has become an annual fixture, and it allows people to connect with their history whilst remembering those who fought and died in both world wars.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which oversees the foundation, was founded by Royal Charter in 1917.

It works on behalf of the governments of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK to commemorate more than 1.5 million people who lost their lives in the two world wars.

Stonefall Cemetery is one of the largest CWGC sites in the north of England, with more than 1,000 commonwealth graves.

More than 600 of the casualties buried there served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, including two 17-year-olds, during the Second World War.

Ms Smith added:

“The plot of war graves at Stonefall is unique in Yorkshire because of its resemblance to sites in France and Belgium. At the end of the Second World War local people were encouraged to adopt the war graves from overseas and lay wreaths on behalf of their families at Christmas.

“So, because of that connection, it’s a special time of year and we warmly invite everyone to come along.

“The Candlelit Christmas Remembrance allows local people to reconnect with their history and pay their respects to the fallen.”

The service will take place on Sunday, December 17 at 3.30pm.

The meeting point is the war graves plot adjacent to Forest Lane and parking is available in the cemetery car park.

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