Memorial to soldiers from afar who never went home

On Remembrance Sunday, the church was packed with worshippers for a special Remembrance Commemorative Service in honour of the Commonwealth soldiers who lie in Seaford Cemetery.

A host of dignitaries were present including the Mayor of Lambeth, His Excellency Emmanuel Cotter (the High Commissioner for St Lucia), Rear-Admiral Peter Wilkinson of the Ministry of Defence and the Canadian Military Attach.

The church has witnessed many great events in world history; William Wilberforce, the great anti-slavery campaigner, worshipped here as did Zachary MacAulay who founded the African country Sierra Leone as a home for freed slaves. The service, however, was to commemorate the many Canadian and West Indian graves in Seaford.

After the service the congregation went to the nearby home of the British West Indian Ex-Servicemen and Women's Association. (WIESA) My wife and I were honoured to have been invited as guests to these events.

Major Glen Lindsay of the Royal Artillery welcomed everyone to the association and thanked WIESA for their work in ensuring that the graves at Seaford were not forgotten. The president of the association, Mr Neil Flanigan, in turn thanked Seaford Town Council, the Seaford branch of the Royal British Legion and in particular, Pat Berry for their help and support.

Rear-Admiral Wilkinson, the Defence Services Secretary, said there were records of black sailors in Nelson's navy and that black sailors, soldiers and airmen and women had a distinguished history in Britain's armed services. During the First World War the British imposed a Conscription Act throughout the Commonwealth but it was found that it was not necessary in the West Indies because there were so many volunteers. It is amazing to note that these recruits were so keen to join up that they actually paid for their own passage to Europe.

Emmanuel Cotter, the High Commissioner for the Caribbean island of St Lucia, then introduced the Fevrier family, the relatives of two of the West Indian soldiers buried at Seaford.

They had been traced by WIESA and had travelled more than 4,000 miles to be in England for Remembrance Sunday and to attend Seaford to see the graves of their loved ones.

The Mayor of Lambeth, Cllr Elizabeth Atkinson, then unveiled a striking memorial in black slate on which is inscribed the name of every Commonwealth soldier, Canadian and West Indian, who lie at Seaford Cemetery.

After the ceremonies there was plenty of tasty West Indian food and a chance to talk to some of the old soldiers of WIESA and their supporters as well as members of the Fevrier family.

Two days later, WIESA hired a coach to bring members, supporters and the family to Seaford where the graves of Nelson and Dennis Fevrier, who both died in January 1916, now lay.

Father John Lloyd James conducted a brief but poignant service, undeterred by the driving rain.

Having travelled for such a long distance this was a moving event for the Fevrier family and I was touched when they later told me how pleased they were that Seaford was so welcoming to them.

It will be a challenge, but it would be fantastic to find other families whose relations lie at Seaford Cemetery to invite them to attend similar ceremonies in the future.

KEVIN GORDON