2017 Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance

On this Remembrance weekend,

we call to mind all those who have

fought in conflict and the immense

sacrifices they have made.

And here at the Royal Albert Hall

tonight, we pause to reflect

in the company of

Her Majesty the Queen,

members of the Armed Forces,

and a host of stars,

at the Royal British Legion

Festival of Remembrance 2017.

ROYAL FANFARE

MUSIC: "I Vow to Thee, My Country"

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

Your Majesty, your Royal

Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen.

This is a year of

notable anniversaries.

We gather for this year's festival

on Armistice Day,

the 11th day of the 11th month,

when people come together

in a spirit of remembrance

and in a spirit of solidarity

with all those who serve today

and have served in the past.

We will remember our shared history

and hear the voices

of both those who fought in

and those who have been

affected by conflict.

In 2017, we are marking

a century of service

by women in the

British Armed Forces.

To celebrate 100 years

of their remarkable contributions

to protect our nation,

we spoke to three generations

of women from each of the services

about their experiences.

I joined the Wrens because my father

and grandfather were in the Navy

and my three brothers

were in the Navy.

I was the first female in my family,

but it didn't seem odd

because everybody was joining up

to do something.

My first taste of the Army

was at university Officer

Training Corps at Exeter.

And I liked the challenge,

I like to be pushed a little bit

physically and mentally.

I first wanted to join the RAF

when I saw the Red Arrows.

But not the Red Arrows flying,

actually,

it was the Red Arrows engineers.

And I saw them also

performing as a team,

and that's just something

I wanted to be part of.

I became a cipher officer,

decoding secret messages.

I think the men were

rather nervous of us, really,

because they weren't used

to having females around.

But they were all very helpful

and very polite and kind.

In 2015 I became the first

female college commander

at the Royal Military

Academy Sandhurst

and had the opportunity

to influence nearly 2000 people

coming through the

commissioning courses.

It's fantastic,

it's such an opportunity to work

with really talented individuals.

My current job is the senior

engineering officer

on a Typhoon squadron,

so I lead the team of engineers

responsible for the serviceability

of the aircraft,

so making sure they're ready

for the flying programme.

Typhoon are really important

because they're really

our first line of defence.

I feel proud of my achievements.

I've been to Afghanistan twice,

and earlier this year I came back

from my Typhoon squadron supporting

Middle Eastern operations.

One has great pride

in having been a Wren,

and also in the part that women

have played in the First World War,

which was the beginning of it,

and the many wars that they have

been involved in since then.

# When I am down and,

oh, my soul, so weary

# When troubles come

and my heart burdened be

# Then I am still and wait

here in the silence

# For you come and sit

a while with me

# You raise me up,

so I can stand on mountains

# You raise me up to

walk on stormy seas

# I am strong when

I am on your shoulders

# You raise me up to

more than I can be... #

Please acknowledge

the Torch of Remembrance,

carried by Squadron Leader

Gemma Lonsdale,

with Lieutenant Colonel

Lucy Giles,

and our citation reader,

Joan Picton,

accompanied by 100 women,

past and present,

of Her Majesty's Armed Forces.

# You raise me up,

so I can stand on mountains

# You raise me up

to walk on stormy seas

# I am strong when

I am on your shoulders

# You raise me up

to more than I can be

And

# You raise me up,

so I can stand on mountains

is

# You raise me up

to walk on stormy seas

# I am strong when I

am on your shoulders

# You raise me up

to more than I can be

# You raise me up,

so I can stand on mountains

# You raise me up to

walk on stormy seas

# I am strong when I

am on your shoulders

# You raise me up

to more than I can be

# You raise me up to

more than I can be. #

Chap in the micro

APPLAUSE

At this festival, we remember

those who have died or

suffered physical and mental injury

in defence of our freedoms.

We respect their sacrifice

by committing to

protect those freedoms and

to care for those who suffer.

We stand in unity with those

who come from all parts

of our diverse nation to serve

our country today

in locations far from

their families and home.

We celebrate the opportunities

of the 100 years

since women were fully enrolled

in the Armed Forces,

pioneers of a path now trodden

by thousands of servicewomen.

In honour of all who serve

and have served,

this Torch of Remembrance burns

ever higher, brighter and stronger.

is ladies and gentlemen, can be

underline our thanks to the 100

servicewomen?

Our thanks to Melanie C,

and to our citation reader,

And Wren Joan Picton,

who's 97 years old.

APPLAUSE

In this year of anniversaries,

it was 75 years ago in 1942,

at the midpoint

of the Second World War,

that the Royal Air Force Regiment

was officially formed.

This evening, to celebrate

this milestone anniversary,

the Queen's Colour Squadron,

a unit manned exclusively

by the officers and airmen

of the Royal Air Force Regiment,

bring their remarkable drill

to the Royal Albert Hall,

supported by the musicians

of the Central Band

of the Royal Air Force.

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE

The battle of El Alamein

took place 75 years ago.

When the Germans drove us out

of Dunkirk and the Japanese

drove us out of Singapore,

we were the only people

available to fight.

That was in the deserts of Africa.

I was 18 in 1936, when I joined

the Royal Corps of Signals,

and I was posted to Cairo.

I'd never been abroad at all.

I was just a country boy.

El Alamein was just

a railway station in Egypt.

But we had been there for four

months building up so

that we outnumbered the enemy.

Four or five times.

One night, about a thousand

of our guns opened up at

once, shelling the Germans

on the other side of the line.

War is a nasty thing to explain.

Seeing charred bodies

of your pals laying

over tanks is not a nice subject.

El Alamein was the

first battle that we

actually won hands down.

To me, it seemed as

though it might be the

beginning of the end of the war.

And from then on,

of course, the Germans

kept on retreating,

they never advanced once more.

This is not the end.

It is not even the

beginning of the end.

But it is, perhaps,

the end of the beginning.

I was away from my

parents for seven years.

I was at around 100 battles in 15

different countries.

We signed on to do a job

and we did it to the best

of our ability.

That's the way I feel about it all.

After the war, Sir Winston Churchill

would say of the North

Africa campaign, "Before Alamein,

we never had a victory."

"After Alamein,

we never had a defeat."

It was a decisive victory

in a year that had also

seen tragic losses.

The fall of Singapore

was another definitive

episode in the Second World War

that took place in 1942.

75 years on, we remember

those landmark battles,

and we recognise the courage

and the sacrifice of so many.

At this year's festival,

we are privileged to be joined by

two veterans of those campaigns,

99-year-old Len Burritt,

and Dr William Frankland,

who's 105 years old.

Kerry acknowledged their

contribution please? APPLAUSE

-- can we acknowledge their

contribution?

APPLAUSE

The festival's warmest greetings to

you both, gentlemen.

Many from that remarkable generation

of men and women are cared for

by the Royal Hospital Chelsea,

so let's please give

our traditional welcome

to the In-Pensioners

joining us at the festival.

Leading the pensioners at the

festival once again is pierced

loudly of the Irish Guards. --

Pierce Lally. The youngest in this

group is 67-year-old Hugh Craig who

served in the Army for 22 years.

This year the Royal Hospital Chelsea

admitting their first veterans of

the Gulf War. There are 14 female in

pensioners at the Royal Hospital. We

have two with us tonight.

Marjorie Cole.

Who is 73, she's been an

In-Pensioner since 2009.

APPLAUSE

We have another exceptional

milestone to mark tonight. Dame Vera

Lynn celebrated her 100th birthday

earlier this year and for many, Dame

Vera's iconic music kept the nation

's smiling and warmed the hearts of

so many through the Second World

War. Please give a very warm welcome

to Alfie Boe accompanied by Danza

Natalie Lowe and ensemble for their

tribute to the original forces

sweetheart.

MUSIC: "When The Lights

Go On Again"

# When the lights go

on again all over the world

# And the boys are home

again all over the world

# And rain or snow is all that may

fall from the skies above

# A kiss won't mean

goodbye but hello to love

# When the lights go

on again all over the world

# And the ships will sail

again all over the world

# Then we'll have time

for things like wedding rings

# And free hearts will sing

# When the lights go on again

all over the world.#

MUSIC: "The White Cliffs Of Dover"

# There'll be bluebirds over

the white cliffs of Dover

# Tomorrow, just you wait and see

# There'll be love and laughter

# And peace ever after

# Tomorrow, when the world is free

# The shepherd will tend his sheep

the valley will bloom again

# And Jimmy will go to sleep

in his own little room again

# There'll be bluebirds over

the white cliffs of Dover

# Tomorrow, just you wait and see

MUSIC: "We'll Meet Again"

# We'll meet again

# Don't know where

# Don't know when

# But I know we'll meet

again some sunny day

# Keep smiling through,

Just like you always do

# Till the blue skies drive

the dark clouds far away

# So will you please say hello

to the folks that I know

# Tell them I won't be long

# They'll be happy to know

# That as you saw me go

I was singing this song

# We'll meet again

# Don't know where

# Don't know when

# But I know we'll meet again some

sunny day sunny day. #

APPLAUSE

In the year of

Dame Vera's birth, 1917,

British and Commonwealth forces

were taking part

in one of the most costly and

traumatic battles of the Great War,

the Battle of Passchendaele.

It is difficult for us to imagine

the immense suffering of these men

but in the interviews that follow,

conversations recorded decades ago,

the voices drawn from hundreds of

thousands of British and

Commonwealth forces powerfully

convey the reality of that time.

Passchendaele was

the infantryman's graveyard,

we called it the slaughterhouse.

Even the most seasoned

veteran felt he'd be lucky

if he got there and came back.

On that morning,

the 31st of July,

we were told we were

going over the top.

The terrain was very,

very difficult.

Shell holes, some of them

you could drop a house in.

When a shell arrived,

the noise would grow

into a great crescendo.

And at a certain point

your nerve would break

and you'd throw yourself down

in the mud

and cringe in the mud

until it passed.

As you lay down on the ground,

you could literally feel your

heart pounding against the ground,

and in a continuous bombardment,

which lasted sometimes for hours,

the emotional strain

was absolutely terrific.

We heard one of their

big ones coming over.

I was too damn tired

even to fall down.

I stood there.

Next I found myself

face downwards in the mud.

I thought to myself,

"Well, if this is death,

it's not so bad."

When it came to the point

when we went into action,

really, I was scared stiff.

I shall never forget

the three I lost behind me.

That upsets me more than anything.

The worst thing for me

was Passchendaele.

That's where we were really

right in the thick of it and...

It was just horrible.

The mud and the shocking

waste of life.

Passchendaele.

There was no chance

of getting wounded

and getting to Blighty

at Passchendaele.

You'd either get through or die.

I would say that people came out

of Passchendaele simply numb.

Numb.

Mentally and physically.

It was a terrible place,

a sea of mud everywhere.

If it got off the duck boards,

you got no chance whatsoever,

you just fell in the mud

and you were drowned.

I was tired of seeing infantry

sinking back in that morass

never to come out alive again.

You never wanted to go

to that sector again.

The horrors of Passchendaele.

CHOIR SINGS

The grief of the people in losing

a generation of young men

led to the desire to create

and install fitting memorials

to those who never returned.

In 1917, a century ago,

the Commonwealth War Graves

Commission came into being.

Today, in 23,000 locations

around the world,

the commission looks after

the graves and memorials

of 1.7 million British and

Commonwealth servicemen and women

who died in two world wars.

No distinction is made on

the basis of rank, race or creed.

They simply ensure that,

in Kipling's words,

"Their name liveth for evermore."

With proud thanksgiving,

a mother for her children,

England mourns for her

dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were,

spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free

Solemn the drums thrill,

Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into

immortal spheres,

There is music in the

midst of desolation

And a glory that

shines upon our tears.

They went with songs

to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true

of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end

against odds uncounted,

They fell with

their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of

the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their

laughing comrades again,

They sit no more at

familiar tables of home,

They have no lot in our

labour of the day-time,

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are

and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring

that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart

of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night,

As the stars that shall be bright

when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon

the heavenly plain,

As the stars that are starry

in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

APPLAUSE

This tradition of remembrance,

the solemn and formal

reminder of millions of lives lost,

is just as important today

as it was a hundred years ago.

It involves a necessary

coming together,

and it provides some comfort

for those relatives

and friends who've suffered loss.

Royal Marine Corporal Seth Stephens

was killed in southern Afghanistan

on 1st July 2010.

His family wanted

to pay this tribute.

I never expected to hear the news

that my husband

had been killed in action.

Never in a million years

had I dreamed

that that was going to

happen to me.

And when you get given that news,

the first thing that comes to mind

is that you have

these two vulnerable children

that you've got to

take care of and protect.

My dad was always

really adventurous,

he never really took life

too seriously.

We were his girls,

and he protected us always.

I was 15,

so I was at secondary school.

I think I definitely

grew up quite quickly.

Dad had always asked me to look

after Mum when he went away,

being, I suppose, the oldest -

not that I was physically old.

But I think I kind of

took that role as,

"I need to step up

and fill some shoes."

I was 11 when dad died.

At first, I just thought

it couldn't be true,

and I didn't for quite a while.

Even at the funeral,

I was in denial.

It took about a year or more,

really, to properly let it sink in.

I pretended to myself, really,

that he's still away,

and possibly until quite recently.

I continued with that,

and that was my coping

mechanism, really.

"He's always been away,

he'll come back."

Life's been very different and...

for a while, it felt really empty.

But I know that I've got

two amazing family members left,

and we're still really close.

I couldn't be more proud

of the children.

I think the way

they have managed themselves

over the last seven years

is incredible.

The endurance that they've shown,

the resilience that they've shown.

They have been remarkable.

I know he saved many other lives,

and I know that

I wouldn't want anyone else to go

through what

I went through as a child,

to be missing out on a father,

so I feel really proud, and I would

definitely say he's a hero.

CHOIR SINGS

And as ever, a dignified and

supportive welcome for the bereaved

families here at the Festival of

Remembrance at the Royal Albert

Hall.

Heather and Molly Stephens are

leading the families into the

festival tonight. Just behind them,

we have William and Caroline Foster,

whose son, Private victor. Of the

Ulster Defence Regiment, was killed

in a bomb attack in 1986. -- private

Victor Foster.

APPLAUSE

We also have Sarah Adams, whose son,

James Prosser, lost his life in

Afghanistan.

Sarah O'Connor lost her husband in

Iraq in 2005. Among them too, Rachel

Prosser, who lost her partner in

Afghanistan in 2012. The parents of

non-score Britain James Fullarton,

killed in Afghanistan. The families

being acknowledged by political

leaders and members of the row

family and everyone in the Royal

Albert Hall. -- members of the Royal

Family.

APPLAUSE

Forces Friends aims to support older

veterans who are suffering from

loneliness, to help them overcome

the problems that come with that.

The British Legion actually

provided the original funding

for the pilot project and the

friendships are mutually beneficial.

Tom's 98 and, you know,

he's a great, great guy.

I volunteer for

Forces Friends because

the thought of somebody

who was a veteran

sitting on their own,

you know,

having nobody to talk to,

was just too much...

I definitely wanted

to go and do that.

I did 22 years in the Army.

And when I left the Army in 1962,

it was quite a lot

different in Civvy Street.

Sometimes I get a bit lonely.

I've missed the comradeship

of all your friends and that.

Hi, how are you?

Meeting up with Tom

does combat my loneliness.

My husband's away a lot in the Air

Force, so I enjoy and look forward

to meeting up with them,

and because I'm a military wife,

I definitely know exactly how

he feels if he is lonely.

She comes round, brings cakes.

Makes the tea.

And I'll tell her about

all my experiences in the Army.

Tom is part of the special

generation

because they've gone

through this experience

that we'll never realise

in our lifetime any more.

And they're heroes,

really, aren't they?

She keeps me company

for a couple of hours, you know,

because sometimes I don't see

anybody else for a week to talk to.

I just get a feeling of well-being

of giving something back.

I don't know whether

I enhance his life,

but he definitely enhances mine.

MUSIC: "True Colours" by Tom Odell

# You with the sad eyes

# Don't be discouraged

# Oh I realise

# It's hard to take courage

in a world full of people

# You can lose sight of it all

# The darkness inside you

# Can make you feel so small

# But I see your true

colours shining through

# I see your true colours

# That's why I love you

# So don't be afraid

to let them show

# Your true colours

# True colours are beautiful

# Ooh

# Show me a smile then

# Don't be unhappy

# Can't remember when I

last saw you laughing

# If this world makes you crazy

# And you've taken all you can bear

you call me up

# Cos I will always be there

# And I see your true colours

# Shining through

# I see your true colours

# And that's why I love you

# So don't be afraid

to let them show

# Your true colours

# True colours are beautiful. #

APPLAUSE

Our thanks to Tom Odell

for that beautiful

performance of True Colours.

In the past 12 months,

UK military personnel have provided

vital humanitarian aid

and supplies to those Caribbean

islands devastated by

Hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria.

The deployment included over 200

Royal Marines who were returned to

the UK just last month after the

clear up operation. With their

tribute to the work of the Royal

Navy, please welcome the band of Her

Majesty 's Royal Marines Portsmouth.

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE

There were two hurricanes.

They were both category

five, which is the

most severe category of hurricane.

The damage for some of the islands

has been absolutely catastrophic.

HMS Ocean is in the Caribbean,

she is part of a large task group of

almost 2000 people drawn

from all three services.

It is the largest UK military

deployment anywhere in the

world and we are here supporting

the British Overseas Territories and

Commonwealth countries.

The hurricane was one like no other.

It has devastated the island.

When I drove around

I felt like I was in despair.

I cried, I wept like a baby.

It's terrible.

The only time any of us

have ever seen anything

similar is in the movies, in a film.

If you see that 90%

of an island has been

demolished or flattened,

of an island has been

you just can't fathom what

that actually means

until you're actually

on the island.

The British military is really

welcome, and actually, they

are life-savers.

In some instances they came

and brought us key

commodities and food and stuff.

You're out on the ground

helping with the clear up.

Whatever was necessary.

That might be distributing

aid, helping people

clear, you know,

debris and the likes,

and help the community get

on its feet.

I know when I came here today

looking at the classrooms,

it's heartbreaking.

It's nice, though, that we are here

doing something good.

It's what I joined the Navy to do.

I think it's what everyone

joined the Navy to do.

That we could do some good and help

people that needed help.

I truly want to give

God thanks for the

British military.

They came to our rescue.

At a time of very need.

You know, we needed it here.

In my 21 years of

military service, having

served in Afghanistan, Bosnia,

Northern Ireland, the likes, this

has been a very different

environment to work in, but

nevertheless very rewarding.

I'm privileged to be part of it.

MUSIC: "Goin' Home"

# Going home, going home

# I'm jus' going home

# Quiet like, some still day

# I'm jus' going home

# It's not far, just close by

# Through an open door

# Work all done, care laid by

# Going to fear no more

# Mother's there expecting me

# Father's waiting, too

# Lots of folk gathered there

# All the friends I knew

# All the friends I knew

# Home

# Home

# I'm going

# Home

# Morning star lights the way

# Restless dream all done

# Shadows gone, break of day

# Real life just begun

# There's no break, there's no end

# Jus' a livin' on

# Wide awake with a smile

# Going on and on

# Ah

# Mmmm

# Going home, going home

# I'm jus' going home

# It's not far, just close by

# Through an open door

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE

So the drums have been

laid in preparation

for our Service of Remembrance,

which can begin once the men

and women of our Armed Forces

have joined us in the hall.

We start the muster

with the Royal Navy.

so we have 110 representatives in

all for the Royal Navy, the ship and

the shore establishments, the air

stations and the submarines of the

Royal Navy, and those establishments

include HMS Collingwood, because

these are the new recruits in

training. Colly -- Collingwood is

the largest Royal Navy training

establishment, the largest naval

training organisation in Western

Europe. Many other shore

establishments and other

organisations represented here today

as part of the Royal Navy presence.

We are joint too by Queen

Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing

Service. Kirsty Leslie joined last

year. They provide front-line

assistance and rehabilitation care.

The music telling us the Royal

Marines are here from 40 Commando,

led by Nicholas Foster, who recently

returned home after a month-long

visit to the Caribbean for the

hurricane clean-up operations. The

Royal Naval Reserve, led by Chris

Simpson Jones, made up of around

300... 3000 men and women, many of

whom have previously served in the

navy. Four from the City of London

unit of the Royal Marines Reserve.

Also joining us, the Royal Fleet

Auxiliary, four of them, led by

first Officer Jonathan Church, a

civilian fleet delivering worldwide

support for the Royal Navy.

The Army. And we have 110

representatives again for the Army,

the music telling us very firmly

that we have the Grenadier Guards

joining us, 30 representatives from

the Nijmegen Company, led by Second

Lieutenant Thomas Holmes from

Leicestershire. The Grenadier

Guards, the most senior of the five

regiments of the Guards, formed in

1656 by King Charles II. Ten

representatives from the Royal Tank

Regiment, the oldest tank unit in

the world, formed in the First World

War. The Army Air Corps, celebrating

the 60th anniversary, the Prince of

Wales is their Colonel-in-Chief. The

Brigade of Gurkhas, led by the two

orderly officers nominated for the

festival this year. Queen

Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing

Corps, ten of them, led by Major

Patrick Wilson, among them Carin

Koch, whose great-grandfather served

in the First World War and whose two

grandfathers served in the Second

World War. And a very big contingent

from the Army Reserve joining us at

the festival, the Royal Yeomanry,

Westminster Tribune Squadron, we

have 135 Geographic Squadron Royal

Engineers, we have 71 Signal

Regiment, and we have 144 Parachute

Medical Squadron, the only reserve

medical unit with parachute

capabilities.

The Royal Air Force.

Formed towards the end of the First

World War, the 1st of April 1918,

the Royal Air Force, the oldest

independent air force in the world,

110 representatives here too, led by

Squadron Leader Graham Ford. We have

representatives drawn from 33 of the

Royal Air Force stations and joint

service units, civilian

establishments, not just around the

UK, but around the world, Brize

Norton, RAF Leuchars, Northolt, the

Royal Air Force Regiment, the

Queen's Colour Squadron, the

representatives at high-profile

events such as data visits, but also

fully capable combat units as well.

-- such as state visits. Princess

Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing

Service joining us, led by Flight

Lieutenant Anna Gilmour, providing

all sorts of health care for defence

personnel. The Royal Air Force

Police, the world's oldest air force

police service, formed in 1918.

Joining us too, the Royal Auxiliary

Air Force, the Royal Air Force

Volunteer Reserve, consisting of

personnel who served on a first-time

basis, many experts among them, and

we have a representative from the

University Air Squadron, 15 of them

situated around the United Kingdom.

APPLAUSE

The Merchant Navy.

30 representatives in all, 20 from

the Merchant Navy Association, ten

from the Merchant Navy Welfare

Board, including five serving

cadets. During the Second World War,

some 5000 British merchant vessels

were sunk, 20,000 merchant seamen

lost their lives. The five cadets,

by the way, all currently training

at the maritime academy, which is in

Southampton.

The Royal British Legion and the

civilians services. Solid

representation of the British

Legion, of course the people

involved in the Poppy Appeal, and

others at the Poppy factory, but

also many from the civilians

services, St John and villains, St

Andrew's first aid, two

representatives of the London air

and billing scum are among those

sent out to the Grenfell Tower. --

the London air ambulance, among them

those sent out to the Grenfell Tower

disaster.

There's definitely a mantra

within the Army that says

you're never off duty, really -

you need to run

into chaotic situations and just

try and act as best you can.

We heard a load

of screaming and shouting

and people running away

and realised there was

a terrorist attack going on.

I was one of the lucky ones

that night at London Bridge.

My luck, I suppose, started

with the fact that

the first person to stumble

across me had battle training.

As soon as we come up onto

the bridge, you could see

the sort of trail of casualties

that the vehicle had left.

The van crashed about six feet

away from me,

and then I had one

of the terrorists,

uh...straight into my face.

I was the first person that

that...particular guy stabbed.

Being off duty didn't

influence my reaction in any way,

and I ran in towards the Globe pub,

which was where I found Richard

lying on the floor with

a huge stab wound to his back.

I don't know where he came from.

He just suddenly...

I felt that there was somebody

standing next to me saying,

"Everything's going to be fine."

And he stayed with me as shots

were being fired and bouncing

all around the Borough Market.

While he was just about clinging

onto consciousness,

got him back to where we knew

the ambulances would be waiting.

And I ran back into the inner cordon

to help the next casualties.

We were able to apply first aid

and compressions and stem bleeding.

At least if you hit

the basic casualty drills

that are ingrained in us,

you're going to do some good.

Pete and I crossed paths

while providing CPR to a woman.

We didn't realise that each other

were in the military at all,

we just kind of got on with

trying to check her airways.

I carried on giving her CPR

for about half an hour

until, unfortunately,

she was pronounced dead, um...

And then...

Sorry.

When I look back at the night,

I feel it was a horrible event,

but everyone was wanting

to lend a hand.

It was great to see everybody

working so well, be them in uniform

or be those people who were just out

with their friends that night.

There were lots of people that

contributed to my well-being,

not least Lieutenant Bambridge.

Me and my family are

eternally grateful to him.

# You've got the words

to change a nation

# But you're biting your tongue

# You've spent a life

time stuck in silence

# Afraid you'll say something wrong

# If no-one ever hears it how

we are going to learn your song?

# So come on, come on

# Come on, come on

# You've got a heart

as loud as lightning

# So why let your voice be tamed?

# Maybe we're a little different

# There's no need to be ashamed

# You've got the light

to fight the shadows

# So stop hiding it away

# Come on, come on

# I want to sing, I want to shout

# I want to scream

till the words dry out

# So put it in all of the papers,

I'm not afraid

# They can read all about it

# Read all about it, oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

We welcome Captain Pete Bryan,

Lieutenant Jared Bambridge

and Richard Livett,

accompanied by members

of our emergency services

who attended the scenes of

the London and Manchester attacks.

APPLAUSE

# At night we're waking

up the neighbours

# While we sing away the blues

# Making sure that

we're remembered, yeah

# Cos we all matter too

# If the truth has been forbidden

# Then we're breaking all the rules

# So come on, come on

# Come on, come on

# Let's get the TV and the radio

# To play our tune again

# It's about time we got some

airplay of our version of events

# There's no need to be afraid

# I will sing with you my friend

# Come on, come on

# I want to sing I want to shout

# I want to scream

till the words dry out

# So put it in all of the papers,

I'm not afraid

# They can read all about it

# Read all about it, oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Yeah, we're all wonderful,

wonderful people

# So when did we all get so fearful?

# Now we're finally

finding our voices

# So take a chance,

come help me sing this

# I want to sing, I want to shout

# I want to scream

till the words dry out

# So put it in all of the papers,

I'm not afraid

# They can read all about it

# Read all about it, oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# Oh oh oh

# I want to sing, I want to shout

# I want to scream

till the words dry out

# So put it in all of the papers,

# I'm not afraid

# They can read all about it

# Read all about it, oh.#

APPLAUSE

The festival organist

this year is Peter Crompton,

the organist emeritus

at the Royal Hospital School.

It's his 21st year at the festival.

MUSIC: "O God,

Our Help In Ages Past"

# O God, our help in ages past

# Our hope for years to come

# Our shelter from the stormy blast

# And our eternal home

# Beneath the shadow of thy throne

# From everlasting thou art God

# To endless years the same

# A thousand ages in thy sight

# Are like an evening gone

# Be thou our guard

while troubles last

# And our eternal home.#

The national chaplain to the Royal

British Legion is

The national chaplain

to the Royal British

The Right Reverend James Newcome,

We are here in the presence of God,

to remember with thanksgiving

and sorrow those whose lives,

in world wars and conflicts past

and present, have been given

and taken away in the cause

of justice and freedom,

to pray for all who in bereavement,

disability and pain,

continue to suffer the consequences

of fighting and terror,

and for the Royal British Legion

in its ministry of care

and support for them,

and to commit ourselves,

young and old, to work

in penitence and

faith for reconciliation

between the nations

of our troubled world.

That, under God, people of every

race and creed may be at peace.

These thoughts and prayers we offer

in the words that Jesus taught.

# Our Father, who art in heaven

# Hallowed be Thy name

# Thy kingdom come

# Thy will be done

# On earth as it is in Heaven

# Give us this day our daily bread

# And forgive us our trespasses

# As we forgive those

# Who trespass against us

# And lead us not into temptation

# But deliver us from evil

# Amen. #

God Almighty, creator of all,

we thank you for our sovereign lady,

Queen Elizabeth, patron

of the Royal British Legion.

We pray for her and for those

of every belief, religion

and race who serve together

in her Armed Forces

and in her Government,

as we pray also for all those

who bear responsibilities

for the well-being of our nation,

the Commonwealth, and the world.

Please grant us a renewed spirit

of respect and reconciliation

and unite us all in love

of you and our neighbours.

Enable us to build harmony

in our families, our communities,

our nation, and our world.

So guide our paths and lead us

in the ways of righteousness

that our lives may speak

of your justice and mercy,

now and forever.

Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

And again I say, rejoice.

Let your moderation be

known unto all men.

The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing, but in every

thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests

be made known unto God.

And the peace of God,

which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds

through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good

report, if there be any virtue,

and if there be any praise,

think on these things.

its time for the second

Congregational him as we approach

the act of remembrance and the

moment when the poppies for. --

# Be still, my soul

# The Lord is on your side

# Bear patiently the

cross of grief or pain

# Leave to thy God

to order and provide

# In every change he

faithful will remain

# Be still, my soul

# Your best, your heavenly

friend through thorny ways

# Leads to a joyful end

# Be still, my soul

# The hour is hastening on

# When we shall be

for ever with the Lord

# When disappointment,

grief, and fear are gone

# Sorrow forgotten,

love's pure joys restored

# Be still, my soul

# When change and tears are past

# All safe and blessed

we shall meet at last. #

Teach us good Lord to serve Thee

as Thou deservest,

to give and not to count the cost,

to fight and not to heed the wounds,

to toil and not to seek

for rest, to labour

and not to ask for any reward,

save that of knowing we do Thy will,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

They shall grow not old,

as we that are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning,

we will remember them.

ALL: We will remember them.

LAST POST

REVEILLE

When you go home,

tell them of us and say,

"For your tomorrow

we gave our today."

Sharing their thoughts

on remembrance

are six members of

the centenary intern programme

at the Commonwealth War

Graves Commission.

Coming from a military family,

I have always known the

importance of remembrance.

However,

I never truly understood

the enormity of the sacrifice

until I worked

in a Commonwealth War Graves

Commission cemetery.

Throughout my life,

I therefore pledge to spread

the word about their sacrifice,

because we must not forget.

Remembrance for me is my ancestor

Captain Alfred Charles Bratt,

who died in the mud

of Passchendaele.

Remembrance is also

our family friend

Marine James Robert Wright,

who fell in Afghanistan.

Two men, nearly 100 years apart -

how different were they really?

Remembrance is not about

the battles or the parades,

it is about the people.

Remembrance is not something

that can or should be forced -

rather it grows through

greater awareness

of the sacrifices made for us.

As young people,

we should remember our war dead

by encouraging everyone

to understand that they too

had dreams, ambitions and futures.

In our work as interns,

we strive to remember every story,

from the heroism of

our own ancestors,

such as my great-great-grandfather,

to the sacrifice made by those

who lost their lives in war

so that today

we may live in peace.

It is our duty to carry the torch

of remembrance for future

generations, to ensure that its fire

is never extinguished.

In doing so, it reminds us

of the horrors of war and ensures

that the sacrifice a generation

gave for our tomorrow

will never be forgotten.

We see the names,

we see the white headstones,

and we see spectacular monuments.

But we should not forget the life,

the love,

the laughs and the loss behind them.

To remember is to learn

from their sacrifice

and to strive for a better world.

# Their names liveth

# For evermore. #

The final hymn is one selected by

Queen Victoria for her Diamond

Jubilee.

# The day thou gavest,

Lord, is ended

# The darkness falls at thy behest

# To thee our morning hymns ascended

# Thy praise shall sanctify our rest

# The sun that bids us rest

# Is waking our brethren

'neath the western sky

# And hour by hour

fresh lips are making

# Thy wondrous doings

heard on high

# So be it, Lord,

thy throne shall never

# Like earth's proud

empires, pass away

# Thy kingdom stands,

and grows for ever

# Till all thy creatures

own thy sway. #

# Sunset in the western sky

# Darkness falls o'er land and sea

# Praise, Lord we raise to you

# This night and for ever more

# We think of loved ones

near and far

# And those who fought

the fight before

# Keep safe your people, Lord

# This night and for evermore

# Keep safe your people, Lord

# This night and for ever more

# This night and for ever more. #

God grant to the living grace,

to the departed rest,

to the Church, the Queen,

the Commonwealth,

and all people peace and concord,

and to us and all His servants

life everlasting.

And the blessing

of God Almighty, the Father,

the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain

with you always.

Amen.

Amen.

# God save our gracious Queen

# Long live our noble Queen

# God save the Queen

# Send her victorious

# Happy and glorious

# Long to reign over us

# God save the Queen. #

The parade will remove head-dress.

Remove...head-dress!

Three cheers for

Her Majesty the Queen.

Hip, hip...

ALL: Hooray!

Hip, hip...

ALL: Hooray!

Hip, hip...

ALL: Hooray!

Parade will replace headdress.

Replace...headdress!

APPLAUSE

HUW: Bringing the festival

to a close

is Garrison Sergeant Major

Andrew Stokes,

the man in charge of all

of tonight's military arrangements

here at the Royal Albert Hall.

And that brings the Festival

of Remembrance of 2017 to an end,

but the events

of this Remembrance weekend

will culminate tomorrow,

when the Queen

and members of the Royal Family

will gather in Whitehall

at the Cenotaph.

Our coverage begins at 10:20am

on BBC One with David Dimbleby.

But for now,

from all of the BBC team

at the Royal Albert Hall,

good night.