A quote from the poem 'For the Fallen' on the dedication plaque below two etched windows in St. Andrew's Church in Andreas. (
visit link)
The quote: "We will remember them" is the last line of the fourth stanza of the poem which was first published in the Times newspaper in London on 21 September 1914.
The quote appears at the foot of the inscription on the dedication plaque. The full text is shown belows follows:
'THESE WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED
BY EX-MEMBERS OF
NO.11 AIR GUNNERY SCHOOL ANDREAS
1943-1946
AND WERE DEDICATED
AT THEIR REUNION SERVICE
ON SUNDAY 8TH AUGUST 1993
-----------------------
WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM
Two internal etched-windows at the back of St. Andrew Church in Andreas were installed by ex-members of No. 11 Air Gunnery School Andreas. To mark those who were posted to the School between 1943 and 1946.
At the Gunnery School gunners underwent an intensive 10-week course before being passed on to operational training units in RAF Bomber Command.
In September 1946 the Gunnery School transferred to RAF Jurby but just over a year later in October 1947 the School was finally disbanded.
One of the Windows has a circular engraving with crossed guns at its centre and the words 'No. 11 Air Gunnery School' above and R.A.F Andreas below to the left and the right are the years '1943' & '1946'.
The other Window feature the heraldic badge of the RAF:
"In front of a circle inscribed with the motto 'Per Ardua Ad Astra' and ensigned by the Imperial Crown an eagle volant and affrontly head lowered and to the sinister.'
Below the windows is brass plaque inscribed as follows:
'THESE WINDOWS WERE INSTALLED
BY EX-MEMBERS OF
NO.11 AIR GUNNERY SCHOOL ANDREAS
1943-1946
AND WERE DECICATED
AT THEIR REUNION SERVICE
ON SUNDAY 8TH AUGUST 1993
----------------------------
WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM
The windows are dedicated to the air gunners trained at the Gunnery School who were lost on bombing misssions.
source: (
visit link)
source: (
visit link)
source: (
visit link)
source: A Gazetteer of the Isle of Man by Leslie Quiliam RBV (ISBN: 0-9514539-1-2)