Devon MP honours fallen service members

A Devon MP has honoured fallen service members by placing a poppy cross in Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance. 

Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon, laid the cross to commemorate local men and women who lost their lives in military service.

Ms Smith’s involvement in remembrance activities reflects her previous role with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), where she worked as the Public Engagement Coordinator for the South West Region. 

The CWGC preserves graves, memorials, and archives for 1.7 million Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, with sites in over 150 countries.

In her role, Ms Smith connected local communities with the stories of South West service members who died in the line of duty.

The South West region has a strong military presence, including RM Bickleigh, the base of 42 Commando Royal Marines.

It also includes the Plymouth Naval Memorial, a prominent CWGC site that commemorates 23,000 naval personnel who were lost at sea during the World Wars.

In a statement, Ms Smith said: “It was a privilege to plant a poppy cross on behalf of South West Devon in Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance.

“Remembrance is an integral part of British society, something I feel particularly strongly about, having worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for more than 6 years. I will never forget the stories of young men and women I had the privilege of sharing across the Southwest for more than six years.

“In South West Devon we have a proud military community which includes RM Bickleigh, home of 42 Commando Royal Marines. We must never forget those that paid the ultimate price for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today.”

Ms Smith also participated  in several Remembrance events across Devon. 

These included a wreath-laying ceremony at Burrow Hill in Plympton , a service on Plymouth Hoe on with veterans, and a wreath-laying on Great Western Railway’s ‘Poppy Train’ at Ivybridge Train Station in the early hours of November 11. 

Speaking on her trip to Ivybridge, she said: "As Armistice Day dawned this morning, I was on the platform at Ivybridge Station waiting for the Great Western Railway Poppy Train to Paddington Station.

"It was lovely to join the Chair of South Hams District Council, Cllr Bernard Taylor, Ivybridge Town Council Mayor, Cllr Alan Spencer and veterans from RBL's Ivybridge branch as we handed over wreaths to be laid on Platform 1 at Paddington Station."