The cold and snowy weather did not stop St. Thomas and area residents young and old from gathering at Veterans Memorial Garden in St. Thomas for this morning’s Remembrance Day ceremony. The ceremony began with the marching in of the colours, a blessing and the playing of the last post which was followed by a moment of silence.
Parade Marshall and Royal Canadian Electrical Engineer for close to 50 years Steve Brickenden says that serving in the forces creates a connection with all those who have served before you
Brickenden says that the attendance at the ceremony reassures him that the community does remember.
Two veterans were honoured during the ceremony as selected by the Veterans Memorial Garden Committee. The first was Private Clarence Earl Collins who enlisted for service in 1915 in St. Thomas. Private Collins passed away on October 5th 1916 while serving with the 2nd Battalion and is buried in the Second Canadian Cemetery in Somme France.
Company Sergeant-Major Edward Higginbottom was also honoured. Sergent-Major Higginbottom served in the 2nd Canadian Parachute company from 1920-1986 and served in the First Special Service Force a Canadian/American Unit.
Sergent-Major Higginbottom was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 26 from flying shrapnel during an assault to free Rome, Italy. Sergent-Major Higginbottom was posthumously honoured and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of Honour from the United States Congress in 2015.
