Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is funding and organising, in association with Aberdare Comrades Association, a parade and service for the 100th Anniversary of Aberdare Cenotaph to be held on Sunday 25th June.
The event, which starts at 10am, will feature a parade through Aberdare, followed by a service which begins at 10.30am at Aberdare Cenotaph, with guest speaker Roy Noble.
After the service, performances from Tylorstown Band, Dare to Sing, Cwmbach Male Voice Choir and Cwmdare Voices will take place from 12.30pm at Library Square (Green Street).
Councillor Webber, Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion, said:
“It’s wonderful that Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Aberdare Comrades Association have come together to organise this event.
Aberdare Cenotaph is an iconic monument with an incredible story. It is a focal point for all in the community to come together to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
I encourage everyone to come along to this event, which will be both poignant and celebratory, remembering those who have fallen and expressing our gratitude to them.
I’d like to thank Council staff for their work in organising this event, facilitating road closures and providing the infrastructure for the community to be able to come together.
The Cenotaph has stood for 100 years, and in that time, it has grown to remember those that we have lost in conflicts since the First World War and beyond. We will forever be grateful to each and every person named.
We will remember them.”
Aberdare Cenotaph was built in dedication to approximately 700 servicemen from the district who fought and died during the First World War (1914-1918).
Aberdare cenotaph was unveiled in March 1923, and it was reported 20,000 people were in attendance, including 200 ex-servicemen. The Union Jack flag was removed to unveil the cenotaph by Sir David Llewellyn and assisted by an orphaned boy, Scout Wiltshire, who wearing his fallen father’s medals.
Although originally dedicated to those who fell during The First World War, the cenotaph has later been used to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in The Second World War and subsequent conflicts.
Posted on 21/06/2023