WW1 Banner to Tour Devon in Memory of Dead Relatives

The Devon 'We Will Remember' Banner has now topped 1,000 poppies donated by people in Devon for relatives who served in WW1. The banner continues to grow  having 2 new side banners added to enable more lives to be commemorated.

There are a few 'rogue' Poppies on the Banner- one in particular from a child of about seven years of age. This little boy came with his Mum and viewed the Banner looked at the memorabillia and decided he too would like to write a Poppy, with no one in his family that they knew of to dedicate the Poppy to, a long discussion ensued, eventually the little boy said in a clear and very determined voice that he wanted to donate the Poppy to Williams daddy . William had been his best friend in Nursery and Williams daddy had been killed in Afganistan 3 weeks after William was born. Needless to say the Poppy is a very important addition to the Banner.

One little girl added her tribute by covering the poppy with kisses - very appropriate and what many people would have liked to do.

A young man came to one of the church venues and wanted to add his tribute - the Poppy was written to remember Harry Patch , Harry had been to this young mans school and had obviously made a very lasting impression.

The Banner has proved incredibly popular with everybody , the idea of being able to dedicate a Poppy to someone and have the Poppy added to a public County Commemoration gives great comfort to the older generation . The younger generation are fascinated by the stories collected and have been eager to add family Poppies to the Banner.

Not everyone is able to travel to London and the 'We Will Remember' Banner is Devons answer to the Poppies in The Moat.

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A banner to help people remember family members who died in World War One is to tour Devon as part of events marking the centenary of the outbreak of war.

The 6ft high black and white artwork depicts scenes from the trenches and silk poppies will be sewn around it - each one honouring someone who died.

Artist Adrienne Howells said: "They gave their life for the country and they ought to be remembered for that."

The banner will officially be launched at Westpoint in Exeter in January.

It will then tour the county, including a number of National Trust properties and the Guild Hall in Exeter.

The banner - entitled We Will Remember - includes black and white paintings and two sides of intricate design work that has taken more than six months to complete.

Ms Howells, from Upton Pyne, near Exeter, said: "Most of the images from back then were black and white, it is a view of the period and colour makes it too exciting and I don't want it exciting.

"I want it as a memory and a memory that we don't forget."

People visiting the banner can mark one of the red silk poppies with a message about a family member who died in the 1914-1918 war, to help form a record of how the war affected the county.

Carol Arnold, from the Royal British Legion in Devon, said: "We will also have a little book by the side, and they can have their memories, of their grandparents and things that will stay there forever, and that book will be given to us to look after, to be the historians.

"Eventually we want this banner to go somewhere special and we will be talking to people about where it stays as a memory of the people of Devon."