Harvest Quiz Supper…….
It's not Harvest without the Fish and Chips! Did you read Vicci’s Harvest letter sent out last week? If not, please read it now. We are going to have a Harvest Quiz Supper in a totally legal, Covid-safe way.
There will be an opportunity to:
Make a donation to the church so that when we re-open there is money in the coffers to do more fun things together and fund our growth.
There will also be a chance to donate to Whitechapel Mission.
There will be prizes! There will be socialising! There will be a lot of laughter! There will be an opportunity to volunteer to be a steward (It's okay, I made that one up!).
A Reflection: Sunday 20 September 2020 Battle of Britain Sunday
Hymn: GUIDE me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand.
Today we are commemorating Battle of Britain Sunday. 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain which took place between July and October 1940. The 15th September 1940 was officially named Battle of Britain Day as it was the day when RAF Fighter Command claimed what proved to be a decisive victory over the German Luftwaffe.
Battle of Britain Day is the name given to the large-scale aerial battle that took place on 15 September 1940, during the Battle of Britain. Battle of Britain Day is now an annual commemoration of the battle in the United Kingdom, and in Canada, the commemoration takes place on the third Sunday of September. In Sir Winston Churchill’s words: “One of the decisive battles of the war.” Churchill went on to say: “The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world… goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Britain’s fate largely rested upon the bravery, determination and skill of its fighter pilots – men who were drawn from across the British Empire as well as North America, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other Allied nations.
At the eastern end of Westminster Abbey in the Lady Chapel built by King Henry VII is the RAF Chapel dedicated to the men of the Royal Air Force who died in the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940. This chapel received damage from bombs which fell during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and a hole made in the stonework has been preserved and covered with glass. The furnishing of this chapel was completed, and a stained-glass window unveiled in 1947. Later the ashes of Trenchard (RAF Chief) and Dowding (Fighter Command Chief) were interred there. Subsequently, the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour was placed in the chapel. It contains the names of the 1,497 pilots and aircrew killed or mortally wounded during the Battle of Britain.
Originally escorted by 12 Battle of Britain veterans, today the Roll of Honour Escort comprises Battle of Britain Veterans and serving Royal Air Force Junior Officers from an extant operational Squadron that fought in the Battle of Britain. Battle of Britain veterans and their families hold their own, private service in the chapel prior to the Service of Thanksgiving and Rededication on Battle of Britain Sunday.
The annual Service on Battle of Britain Sunday is held in Westminster Abbey on the Sunday on or following Battle of Britain Day (15 September), and has taken place annually since 1943.
The first bomb fell in Windsor on 23rd October 1940 close to the barracks on the site of the Hong Kong Restaurant. V1 and V2 exploded landed in 1944 locally.
Hymn: O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home.
Sir Sydney Camm: Sidney Camm was born at 10 Alma Road, Windsor in 1893. He was a British aeronautical engineer who contributed to many Hawker aircraft designs, from the biplanes of the 1920s to jet fighters. One particularly notable aircraft he designed was the Hawker Hurricane fighter.
The Air Force Memorial: or Runnymede Memorial, in Englefield Green, is a memorial dedicated to some 20,456 men and women from air forces of the British Empire who were lost in air and other operations during World War II. Those recorded have no known grave anywhere in the world, and many were lost without trace. The name of each of these airmen and airwomen is engraved into the stone walls of the memorial, according to country and squadron.
Prayer: We come together on Battle of Britain Sunday to give thanks for the dedication and heroism of members of the Royal Air Force. Their courage marked a turning point in the war, for without their bravery it is hard to see how the Second World War could have been won. As we reflect today on their gallantry and fortitude, we remember all who have served and still serve in the Royal Air Force.
ALMIGHTY God, into your hands we commend the souls of those who laid down their lives for the cause of freedom; praying that thou wouldst grant them the joys of Thy Eternal Kingdom, and, to all who mourn them, fortitude of spirit and constant faith in the power of Thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. LORD God our Father, we pledge ourselves to serve You and all people in the cause of justice and peace, and for the relief of want and suffering. Guide us by Your Spirit; give us wisdom, courage, vision, and hope; and keep us faithful to our calling now and always, for the honour of Your name. Amen.
Hymn: O RULER of the earth and sky be with our airmen when they fly; and keep them in thy loving care amid the perils of the air. O let our cry come unto thee for those who fly o’er land and sea. (RAF Hymn)
Our thanks to Alan for his wonderful tribute to such brave men to whom we owe so much!