On Sunday, it will be a full 80 years since the guns fell silent, marking the end of the conflict that had been labelled The War To End All Wars, writes GEORGE FREW. In four hellish years, more than two million British servicemen were wounded and 908, 371 were killed or died.

There are now only 300 survivors of First World War countrywide. And every Remembrance Sunday, those who are able still answer the call and observe a two minutes' silence as the last plaintive bugle notes drift away on the crisp autumn air and the scarlet poppy wreaths are laid.

Veterans of every conflict this country has been involved in since the First World War onwards gather with the general public to recall the sacrifices made and the debts paid on our behalf by those who will not grow old. And for two emotion-filled minutes, the nation pauses, united in remembrance.

The Royal British Legion, of course, works tirelessly throughout the year on the welfare of ex-servicemen. John Curtin in the Legion's Oxfordshire County Field Officer.

He served his country for a total of 37 years, as a Royal Marine national service conscript, a member of the Inneskillen Fusiliers and a military policeman.

"Oxfordshire is very good in observing Remembrance Sunday," he said.

"The Legion has 6,000 members here and the day is marked in the traditional way. Last year, the sales of poppies raised £240,000, which makes us very high up in the per grata league countrywide. Nearly every county district council observes the two minutes' silence now and that has heightened people's awareness. "Both young and old are mindful of what our ex-servicemen did to secure democracy and freedom and they are thankful. Last year, we were able to spend £60,000 on items such as mobility appliances and holidays for our severely disabled members and we also help with matters like debt clearances and household goods.

"But we can only provide this help because of the money raised by poppies."

Part of the Oxfordshire Remembrance Sunday commemorations will be the visit by 50 Royal Engineers to a First World War battlefield,

The Territorial Army members of 218 Field Squadron at RAF Brize Norton will travel to the German border, to Sambre-Oise Canal, where a major breakthrough in German communications hastened the signing of the armistice just a week later.

Two members of the squadron were awarded the VC and current members include many Oxfordshire people who serve part-time as back-up to the regulars. Across the country, the Royal British Legion has some six million potential dependants and according to Legion spokesman Joe Moorhouse, the campaign for the two minutes' silence has been instrumental in helping the public to realise how vital poppy day is.

Joe, who served as a naval commander on board HMS Broadsword during the Falklands War, revealed: "The sale of poppies represents 40 per cent of our income. Last year, we raised £17.3m and spent £39m.

The two minutes' silence is observed in 89 per cent of schools now and that is a good thing because children are very much more aware.

They have grandfathers who fought in the Second World War and father who served in the Falklands or the Gulf. The campaign has been very effective.

The fact that these wars were reported on television meant that once again, the cenotaph parade means a lot to them. It's been brought home to them. A huge link with youth has been established and that's good." Many of the servicemen who fought in both world wars and in the Gulf and the South Atlantic were young themselves - scarcely out of their teens, in some cases.

Buying and wearing a poppy is much, much more than tokenism - it's a symbol of courage recalled and selfless sacrifice. Which is why each year on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month a nation falls silent.

Lest we forget.

A NEW FRIEND, BUT SEARCH WILL CONTINUE

A pensioner who lost her husband during the Second World War has become close friends with one of his former colleagues - thanks to the Oxford Mail, writes STEPHEN DEAL.

Rose Clapperton, 78, of Norris Close, Abingdon, appealed for readers to help her trace Pte Charles Wing, who was best friends with her late husband, Leonard, during their time together in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Although her search for any trace of Pte Wing continues, Mrs Clapperton was thrilled to hear from another colleague of the two men who read about her search in the paper.

Ray Wigmore, of Chatham Road, Oxford, got in touch with Mrs Clapperton and the two have met on several occasions. Mrs Clapperton said: "I was ever so pleased to hear from him. He has given me a lot of help and comes frequently to see me, which is nice. He knew both my husband and Charles and said they were very close.

"He also had a lot in common with Leonard as they were both originally from Summertown."

Mrs Clapperton married Leonard Drinkwater in 1939. Although her husband served in Germany during the Second World War, he would write every day. She said: "We were very much in love."

Pte Drinkwater died, aged 29, in 1945. Soon after, his widow, who already had two of her five children at the time, received a sympathy letter from his best friend, promising to come and visit her. But she never heard anything from Pte Wing again and has no idea whether he is still alive. Mrs Clapperton re-married three years later but second husband, Cleaver (ok), died six years ago. The pensioner has visited her first husband's grave in Germany twice this year and plans another visit next April.

She said: "I feel I just have to know if Charles is still alive or not." She has also taken the names of two other colleagues of Pte Drinkwater's, whose graves lie near to his - Pte Eric Collett and Sgt EL Willingham, both of the Light Infantry.

If anyone has information, they can call Mrs Clapperton on 01235 532089.

YOUNGSTERS DO CARE

Young people are not willing to forget those who died in two World Wars and successive conflicts - if cash raised by Sixth Formers for the Royal British Legion is anything to go by, writes MICHAEL HAMBLETON. After receiving a cheque for £200 from Didcot students for the Poppy Appeal, Lt Col John Curtin of Oxfordshire British Legion, said: "I am over the moon that the young people should give up pocket money for the Legion."

Last year, British Legion chiefs had to reply to critics who questioned whether the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Day was relevant to a younger generation born since the Second World War.

But the sixth formers, at Didcot who organised fundraising with a non-uniform day and other events during a charity week, "showed youngsters do care about those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy such as democracy and freedom of speech," said Col Curtin.

The Didcot Sixth Formers were also selling poppies this week for the British Legion appeal which raised more than £300,000 in Oxfordshire last year and £17.28m nationally.

Col Curtin, who was accompanied by Fred Pittman, chairman of the Didcot and District branch of the Legion, told their young audience at Didcot Girls' School that the money from the Poppy Appeal went towards funding 60 per cent of Legion welfare services for Service and ex-service people and their dependants.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.