Click here to read Canon Gerry Conroy's Veterans Day homily. Click here to see pictures of the Veterans Day celebrations.MP John McFall and Colonel Bobby Steele leading the Veterans Day parade.
People travelled from Vale of Leven, Clydebank and Helensburgh to parade to St Augustine’s Scottish Episcopal Church in Dumbarton High Street, which was filled to capacity.
The rain stayed away as the colourful parade, led by MP John McFall and Colonel Bobby Steele, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire, marched behind pipers Colin Lawrie and Iain McPhee from Dumbarton Quay along Riverside Lane and through the High Street.
Two Provosts were present – Denis Agnew, of West Dunbartonshire, and Billy Petrie, of Argyll and Bute - along with Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie and a raft of West Dunbartonshire councillors.
Clergy, including the Rev Robert Watt, of Riverside Parish Church, the Rev Roddy Hamilton, of Abbotsford Church, Clydebank, Canon Gerry Conroy, of St Patrick’s Church, Canon George Bradburn, of St Michael’s, the Rev Norma Moore, of Jamestown Parish Church, the Rev Daniel Cheyne, of the EU Congregational Church, and the Rev Archie Ferguson, of St Andrew’s, Bellsmyre, were welcomed to the church by the Rev Kenny Macaulay, the Rector of St Augustine’s, who also welcomed the VIPs and veterans.
The Rector received the colours, including the Queen’s colour, which was paraded down the aisle to the imposing St Augustine’s altar by members of the Royal British Legion (Scotland). Members of the cadet forces of the Army and Royal Air Force were ushers and marshalls for the big day and soldiers from the TAVR marched behind pipers. The Clyde Naval Base at Faslane was also represented.
Veteran William Brock from Dumbarton receiving his badge from John McFall and Colonel Steele.
Veterans Badges and certificates were presented by MP John McFall and Colonel Steele to a number of young and old veterans, including Eugene Austin, Derek Barnes, Agnes Braidwood, Gordon Brown, William Brock, Murdoch Cameron MBE, Margaret Livingstone, Robert McWhinnie, Joyce Steele and Tom Wilson.
During the service, at which Derek Clark played the organ and hymns were sung with dignified vigour, Canon Conroy preached the homily and John McFall explained what Veterans Day was about – giving recognition to the many ex-Service personnel in West Dunbartonshire and the surroundings areas.
At a reception later in Riverside Halls, where a large gathering of veterans and their families were entertained by accordionist Andrew Mortimer, MP John McFall said: “Churches are not often packed to capacity these days, but St Augustine’s was overflowing. It shows how much this event was appreciated.
“I want to thank everyone who came along and also all those who organised and generously sponsored our very first Veterans Day. It was an experiment which proved very popular and immensely successful and it is my intention to repeat it annually, taking it to Clydebank and the Vale of Leven in years to come.”
Sponsors of the event included Chivas Brothers, of Dumbarton, Co-operative Funeralcare, Dumbarton, and Clydebank Co-op. The Veterans Agency and SSAFA, the soldiers’, sailors and RAF charity, provided an advice centre to help veterans with pensions, compensation and welfare benefits inquiries. They can be contacted on 0141 241 4550.