Donkey joins parade on Remembrance Day

The centenary of the Great War will be commemorated in Southwick with a special addition to the annual parade.

Albert the donkey, courtesy of David Cross from Mile Oak Farm, will be joining the Southwick Green branch of the Royal British Legion this year.

Thousands of donkeys and mules served in the First World War and were widely used to transport supplies to the front and help rescue wounded soldiers.

Branch secretary Patricia Downes said: “We thought, as it is the centenary of the Great War, having a donkey would be rather apt, as they also played quite a significant role during the conflict.”

The procession will leave Southwick Square car park at 10.30am and make its way to Southwick Green for the 11am service, which will be conducted by the Rev Jonathan French from St Michaels and All Angels, Southwick.

In Shoreham, the Remembrance service will be held at 10am in St Mary de Haura Church and led by the Rev Ann Waizeneker and the Rev Gerald Kirsch.

The Shoreham-by-Sea branch of the Royal British Legion will march from the Shoreham Centre in Pond Road at 9.40am, via Western Road and Brunswick Road, to the church.

The service will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at 11am at the War Memorial in East Street.

In Steyning, there will be a Remembrance service at St Andrew and St Cuthman Church at 10.30am, where standards will be paraded.

A short wreath-laying service at the Steyning Memorial Garden will follow on Tuesday, November 11, at 10.45am, when standards will again be paraded.

There will be the usual Remembrance evening at Shoreham Fort at 5.30pm on Sunday. The fort, on Shoreham Beach, will be illuminated with tea-lights after the non-denominational service.

Around 100 bikers will be gathering at the Shoreham Airport Community Memorial at midday on Sunday for their annual wreath-laying ceremony, remembering bikers who have served their country.

There will also be a RAFA Shoreham-by-Sea Remembrance Day service at the memorial on Tuesday at 10.45am.