Lucea, Hanover

President of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, Theo Chambers, will initiate talks with the relevant authorities in the parish with a view to erecting a cenotaph for the Hanoverians who served in World Wars One and Two.

“I spent six years in the US Air Force in the legal department, so I have that feeling for the veterans and their cause,” Chambers told the Observer West.

The issue of the cenotaph follows on complaints by Vietnam War veteran, Balwin Samuels, a Hanoverian who survived the American War in Vietnam.

Samuels is especially peeved over the local authority’s seeming lack of interest in acknowledging the contributions of living legends like 107-year-old Stanley Stair, an infantryman in the British West India Regiment, who survived WW1.

Stair currently resides in Animal Hill, just a stone’s throw away from the offices of the Hanover Parish Council.

World Wars One and Two, regarded by history as the world’s deadliest conflicts, resulted in the deaths of over 69 million soldiers and civilians.

With the exception of Hanover, all the other parish councils have erected cenotaphs in the memory of their citizens who were killed while they fought alongside the British soldiers in both world wars.

As far as Samuels is concerned, the importance of a cenotaph in Hanover cannot be overemphasised, as it symbolises an important chapter in history.

“I really need all the help I can to get the parish of Hanover to erect a Cenotaph in the memory of Hanoverians who served in WW1 & II because there are many stories coming out of that past that it is important for us to know. Stories like how my wife’s grandfather lost both legs to frostbite due to poor treatment by the British,” he said.

The history of Jamaican WW1 soldiers is a sketchy affair since their records were destroyed in the London Rocket blitz of WWII. The WW11 records were destroyed in a fire in London.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Jamaica Legion, General Robert Neish, also supports the erection of a cenotaph in Hanover.

He noted that the parishes of Manchester and Westmoreland were the latest parishes to erect the monument. “I must say I did not know Hanover didn’t have one. Certainly we would like to have one in every parish,”the former chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force argued.

“….most of the other ones (erection of cenotaphs) happened right after the second World War, maybe even after the first World War- way, way back. I know the one in Port Maria has the names of the soldiers who died in the first world war so it was done right after the first World War,” he added.

Neish also noted that customarily the legion worked in conjunction with the custos in each parish to ensure that there is a Remembrance Day Parade on November 11, “or the nearest Sunday to that date”.

On Remembrance Day war veterans parade with police, cadets and the other uniformed branches in the parish capitals. Wreaths are then laid at cenotaphs in honour of fallen world war soldiers.

But, according to Hanover custos Enid Gonzales, come Remembrance Day, wreaths will be laid at the Lucea Anglican Church.

Meanwhile, chairman of National Poppy Appeal, Colonel Rocky Mead, explained that there are two ways of recognising veteran soldiers. “The cenotaph is a monument in honour of those who died in trying to keep us free, while the poppy money is for those still alive who need help.”