Kranji Service 2023

On Sunday, 12th November, pupils, families, and staff from MCM gathered at the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore for the traditional Remembrance Day service. This year commemorated the 105th anniversary of the end of the First World War, signified by the armistice that took effect at 11 o’clock on the morning of the 11th of November, 1918.

The service proved to be profoundly moving, with the British High Commissioner to Singapore, Kara Owen (CMG), delivering a speech that was both stirring and thought-provoking. She reflected upon the soldiers who had served in past conflicts, emphasising that they had never had the chance to witness the peace and freedom they so valiantly fought for. Importantly, she stressed the significance of remembering those who preceded us, particularly as the world enters an unprecedented era, where no surviving soldiers from wars across the Commonwealth will be alive to share their tales of bravery.

The service included moments of prayer, a solemn silence to honour the fallen, and the placement of wreaths by representatives from each Commonwealth country and various military regiments. The Master, Mr Burbury, laid a wreath on behalf of Marlborough College Malaysia.

During the service, Meredith, a sixth-form student addressed the audience and read the poem Flanders Fields by John McCrae. Throughout the service, a combined choir consisting of pupils from Marlborough College, Dulwich College, Dover Court and Tanglin Trust School performed three solemn hymns as a mark of respect and remembrance.