Oxford Remembrance Day march up St Giles

As Oxford celebrates the 80th anniversary of D-Day, are the yearly celebrations becoming less commemorated?

Oxford fell silent for two minutes as 11am hit on Remembrance Day this year, marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the nation recalls the tragic losses.  

On the second Sunday in November, military units, organisations and community groups gathered at the War Memorial on St Giles in Oxford to march in remembrance of those fallen in wars. During the march, cadets and veterans sung the national anthem to the crowd that stretched down St Giles.  

Messages of Remembrance were spoken by Oxford’s faith leaders as well as the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Mike Rowley, who told the Oxford Mail “we are here to share thoughts and prayers with those who continue to inspire us”. 

Gordon Roper, who served in Cyprus during 1958 stated that he comes down to the march every year, talking to the Oxford Mail he said: “it is getting less and less of the older element which is a shame but the youngsters have got to really keep things going because these are worrying times”. 

Some people reflected that Remembrance Day was becoming less celebrated with the newer generations due to them not having experienced or known anyone who experienced the horrors of significant wars such as the world wars.