Salute the Red Army heroes

by New Worker correspondent

NCP leader Andy Brooks and NCP London organiser Theo Russell joined Italian comrades over the remembrance weekend to pay tribute to the Soviet people who fought and died to defeat the Nazis in the Second World War. Called by the supporters of the Communist Front of Italy in Britain, comrades laid flowers during the small ceremony at the Soviet War Memorial in the shadow of the Imperial War Museum in Southwark on Saturday.
    In the past Russian diplomats and those from other former Soviet republics would have joined local dignitaries, members of the Russian community in London and representatives of the Armed Forces and veterans’ associations in honouring the fallen at an annual Remembrance Day ceremony organised by the Soviet War Memorial Trust. This has now all ended because of the Ukraine war.
    Soon after the fighting began Sir Simon Hughes, the former constituency Liberal-Democrat MP who was once a frequent attender at these events, said that the Victory Day event at the Soviet War Memorial should not include Russia and Belarus unless Russian troops withdrew from Ukraine by 1st May. To avoid the memorial becoming a focus for protests and possible vandalism, the Trust has now sadly suspended all commemorations at the monument. But individuals and small groups continue to pay their respects at the Soviet war memorial.
    Fresh red carnations were already lying the foot of the sombre bronze statue when the London and Italian comrades arrived. They weren’t the first. They certainly won’t be the last…

We will remember them

by New Worker correspondent

Andy Brooks and Peter Hendy honour the fallen

A New Communist Party (NCP) delegation paid tribute to the sacrifice of millions of working people in the First World War on the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. The guns fell silent on the Western Front on 11^th November 1918, and last Sunday comrades joined diplomats and local dignitaries at the Soviet War Memorial in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park to honour the millions who died in that senseless struggle.

NCP leader Andy Brooks, along with national chair Alex Kempshall and Peter Hendy from the Central Committee, took part in the ceremony opened by Philip Matthews, the veteran chair of the Soviet Memorial Trust Fund, and Southwark mayor Catherine Rose in the park by the Imperial War Museum.

Wreaths were laid by the ruling Southwark Labour group on the council, as well as the Southwark Liberal Democrat opposition, along with diplomats from the Russian embassy and services associations. Other floral tributes were laid by representatives of the NCP, the Marx Memorial Library, the Stalin Society, the Soviet Front Red Army re-enactors group and representatives from the Russian community in London.

The ceremony ended, as usual, with the exhortation spoken by Ernie Davies of the Russian Convoy Club, followed by two minutes silence and the reveille.

Remembering the Soviet victory against the Nazis

 by New Worker 

 correspondent

Andy Brooks with  James Taylor and Dermot Hudson

 MILLIONS of Russians took to the streets last week to celebrate Victory Day and the surrender of Nazi Germany on 9^th May 1945. A massive military parade through Red Square in Moscow paid tribute to the millions of Soviet soldiers and citizens who died in the struggle to defeat the Nazis in the Second World War while other commemorations took place throughout the Russian Federation and much of the former Soviet Union.

            In London communists began the day by joining veterans, diplomats and local dignitaries at the ceremony that’s held every year at the Soviet War Memorial in the shadow of the Imperial War Museum in south London. Many then went on to Trafalgar square to join the “Immortal Regiment” parade called by the Russian community in Britain to honour those that fell in the fight against fascism.

            Hundreds of people, including many from London’s Russian community, gathered around the Memorial in the Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in Southwark on Wednesday 9th May to mark the 73^rd anniversary of the Red Army’s victory over the Nazi hordes in 1945.

            Banners flying high, British and Soviet war veterans marched to the monument to start the ceremony that was opened by Charlie Smith, the Mayor of Southwark, and addressed by Philip Matthews from the Soviet Memorial Trust Fund and Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko.

This was followed by the laying of floral tributes by Southwark councillors, diplomats from the countries of the former Soviet Union, British and Soviet veterans and friendship associations. Officials from the Marx Memorial Library and communist movements that included a New Communist Party delegation led by NCP general secretary, Andy Brooks, placed their wreaths and flowers at the memorial which was unveiled on 9^th May 1999.

The Soviet War Memorial is a bronze statue of a semi-abstract figure holding a bell that will forever remain silent. The memorial stone that commemorates the 27 million Soviet citizens and servicemen and women who died in the Second World War is inscribed with the words “We Shall Remember Them” in English and Russian. These words were solemnly repeated by all at the close of the ceremony that ended with the {Last Post} and two minutes silence to remember those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom during the Second World War.

Finally the event ended with the traditional invitation from the Russian ambassador to join him in a toast to victory at the nearby marquees where vodka, wine and Russian food awaited them.

They will never be forgotten

NCP delegation honours the fallen

by New Worker correspondent

A New Communist Party delegation paid tribute to the sacrifice of millions of working people to defeat fascism during the Second World War at the annual remembrance day ceremony at the Soviet War Memorial in Southwark on Sunday.

NCP leader Andy Brooks along with national chair Alex Kempshall and Dermot Hudson from the Metropolitan Cell joined diplomats, trade unionists and local dignitaries at the Soviet War Memorial in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park to honour the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany.

There were brief speeches from Philip Matthews, the chair of the Soviet Memorial Trust Fund and Southwark mayor Charlie Smith before the wreath laying at the monument in the shadow of the Imperial War Museum began. Wreaths were laid by Neil Coyle the local Labour MP as well as Simon Hughes, the former MP who now leads the Southwark Liberal Democrats, along with diplomats from the Russian and Belarus embassies. Other floral tributes were laid by representatives of the NCP, the Marx Memorial Library, the Soviet Front Red Army re-enactors group and representatives from the Russian community in London.

The ceremony ended, as usual, with the exhortation spoken by Russian Convoy Club veteran Stanley Ballard, followed by two minutes silence and the reveille.