Emotions high at Bognor's Remembrance parade

Andy will be parading the new standard for the town’s branch of the Royal British Legion which he bought in memory of his father.

He was be present at the informal Armistice Day remembrance at the war memorial as well as today’s civic Remembrance Sunday service.

Andy paid almost £1,000 for the doubled-lined cloth flag in yellow and blue cloth which acts as a symbol of the charity for former service personnel.

“The standard is the public face of the Legion,” he said. “It is probably the most obvious thing about it that people see.

“It’s an honour and a duty to be the standard bearer for the branch. It shows respect both for the fallen and those that are still serving for their country.

“I’m usually concentrating very hard when I’m on parade. But, every so often, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I realise people are really looking at the standard and what it represents.”

Andy, 46, of Highfield Road, has been the branch’s standard bearer for the past two years. But this today will be his first Remembrance Sunday parade.

His movements with the standard are highly regulated and followed at all such services.

He bought the standard, which fixes on to an 8ft long pole, to pay tribute to his father after the branch’s previous standard became worn out after 15 years.

His dad, Bob Hill, died in 2009 aged 67.

He had been a member of Bognor’s Legion branch for about five years and acted as its recruiting officer. He also ran the annual Poppy Appeal in Barnham.

HIs working life had seen him in charge of emergency power supplies at US air bases in this country as well as British military bases.

Andy has been a Legion member for about eight years. The past three of them have been with Bognor. He spent five years as a military policeman in the Territorial Army where he was a lance corporal in the Queen’s Regiment.

He is training as a computer engineer.

The new standard was dedicated by Father Andrew Wadsworth at a recent service at St Wilfrid’s Church.