Winchester marks Armistice Day
Winchester put on a variety of commemorations to remember the brave people who lost their lives 100 years ago.
One of the commemorations is Box 459.
This sculpture — which measures 1100mm, by 1100mm, by 1100mm, to mark the day the Armistice was signed — has 459 bullet holes, which represent all those from Winchester and its parishes who died, in the First World War.
The 43 coloured holes represent all the parishes of Winchester. Over the past four years Box 459 has toured the district, and shows the scale of the loss experienced by this area.
There are knitted poppies hung along the fence around the cathedral. The 2018 poppies are a symbol to recall the Flanders Fields of Remembrancetide, after the war. The tributes were mostly knitted by Women’s Section of The Royal British Legion and the Winchester Women Reborn.
The statue and war memorial serve as a permanent reminder of the impact of the war, and the war memorial is where the poppy wreaths are laid on Armistice and Remembrance Day.
A local resident said of the commemorations: ‘I think this year’s commemorations have been exceptionally good and the way they made extra poppies, shows the significance of the occasion. I also find that all the generations are involved which is really nice to see.’
