Tuesday | 11 November | Clark House and the First World War Memorial
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.”
Today, the Maritzburg College community, staff, boys, Old Collegians, and invited guests, gathered in front of Clark House and the First World War Memorial for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony.
This time-honoured tradition calls us to pause and reflect, as we honour the 262 Old Collegians and three staff members who have fallen in battles and wars since 1873. It is also a moment to pay tribute to all who have lost their lives in conflict and to contemplate enduring values of service, duty, loyalty, and courage.
The ceremony included the solemn laying of wreaths and the lowering of flags at the First World War Memorial. Held each year at 11h00, as close as possible to the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” the event underscores the deep significance of this day in global and school history.
A poignant addition this year was the presentation of Maritzburg College Colours by Drum Major Denzil Bazley (OC 1975), accompanied by the haunting strains of “When the Battle’s Over” played by Pipe Major Ian Turnbull (OC 1982).
The theme for 2025, “The War in the Desert,” honoured the 40 Old Collegians who lost their lives during World War II in the harsh landscapes of Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, collectively known as the Western Desert – as well as in the skies and seas nearby.
Headmaster Mr Alan Redfern delivered an address reflecting on the significance of Remembrance Day, while Deputy Headmaster Mr Ryan Kyle read the Roll of Honour for those who served “Up North” in the desert campaigns.
Following the speeches and wreath-laying, guests gathered at the Wall of Remembrance for the unveiling of 11 new plaques, joining families and friends in paying tribute to these members of the College community whose lives we commemorate.
In the words of Old Collegian Alan Paton:
“Old walls that echoed to our cries,
Our oaths and prayers and laughter,
And echo now to cries of those
Who follow after.
When earth has taken back to earth
Our unremembered bones,
Preserve the echo of our names
About your stones.”
Pro Aris et Focis
(For Hearth and Home)