13 Cadets and Staff from 165 (Castle Bromwich) Squadron, Air Training Corps, were honoured to be able to assist the Birmingham Air-Raid's Remembrance Association (BARRA) at their Annual Service of Remembrance held at St Martin 's Church in the Bull Ring in Birmingham City Centre.

The event, which took place on Saturday 26 th September, was very well attended by members of the public as well as a many Dignitaries including The Lord Mayor of Birmingham , Councillor Michael Wilkes, and The Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands , Mr Paul Saberpathy CBE as well as Professor Carl Chinn MBE, President of BARRA.

The roles undertaken by the Cadets included forming a Guard of Honour for the arrival of the Lord Mayor and Lord Lieutenant, providing an escort to the BARRA Standard as well as conducting the collection during the second hymn.

Following the service inside the Bull Rings own church the Cadets then acted as Wreath Bearer's for the eight Wreaths to be laid at the Memorial in the Bull Ring Market place itself.

Many people praised the Cadets for the standard of their turn-out and also for the laying of one Wreath by Sergeant Gemma Yates following the very last minute and unavoidable non-attendance by one of the original Wreath layers.

Special mention must be made of Warrant Officer Gerry Elston who found himself the Standard's Marshall with three minutes notice. WO Elston organised the Standard Bearers with great skill and diplomacy as many of them are ‘old soldiers' themselves.

The Memorial acts as a reminder to all passer's-by of the suffering and sacrifice made by the people of Birmingham during the prolonged ‘Blitz' endured by the City of Birmingham between 9 th August 1940, when the first Luftwaffe raid took place until the final German bombs were dropped on 23 rd April 1943. A total of 2241 ‘Brummies' lost their lives during these raids and countless thousands suffered injury and anguish.

For anyone wanting further information on BARRA, please go to www.birminghamairraids.co.uk