Small Acts of Remembrance

Small acts, like relocating a war memorial, are essential to remember the sacrifices made by men and women in times of war.

Every Remembrance Day, people across Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations come together to remember those citizens who gave the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts around the globe. Images from the Cenotaph, Westminster Abbey and the war cemeteries of Flanders are broadcast on news channels around the world and everyone pauses at 11am in recognition of those who have fallen.

By comparison, the act of relocating a Royal Mail war memorial to Maidstone Delivery Office in memory of 8 fallen colleagues might not sound like much, but small acts like these are essential in ensuring we continue to remember the sacrifices made by men and women in times of war. And this doesn’t have to be restricted to just one day of the year.

The Maidstone Memorial, relocated in 2016

For Royal Mail and the Post Office, huge numbers of their workforce were caught up in conflicts throughout the 20th Century. From sending employees, including the postal service’s own battalion, to fight on front lines to delivering mail to troops across the world and keeping lines of communication open at home and abroad, it has been a vital lifeline for a nation at war.

Field Post Office, Holkham Camp, 1914 (2011-0502/09)

It is perhaps no surprise therefore that Royal Mail and Post Office are responsible for the second highest number of war memorials in the UK after the Church. The Maidstone memorial is just one of more than 300 maintained by Royal Mail and Post Office up and down the country to provide a lasting reminder of the sacrifices of war.

The relocated Maidstone war memorial, re-sited in the callers’ office will be rededicated on 1 December 2016 at 11am. The office will close for approx. 15 minutes for a remembrance ceremony attended by the head of Royal Mail Estates and invited dignitaries.

Many of Royal Mail and Post Office’s war memorials have been recorded for posterity by The Postal Museum and are searchable on our online catalogue.