John Eskdale joined Remembrance Sunday tributes at Cardiff Castle on Wednesday, standing among veterans and dignitaries as The Royal British Legion opened its annual Field of Remembrance. The display at Cardiff Castle now holds 5,000 tributes and will stay open every day until 17 November.
John Eskdale at Cardiff Castle
Eskdale is 102 and one of the few surviving veterans of World War Two. He attended to pay his respects and said, "I'm very pleased to be here, especially to represent my colleagues from Wales."
His wartime memory remains central to why he came. His ship HMS Charybdis was attacked and sunk by a German torpedo boat off the coast of the Channel Islands in October 1943, when more than 400 people died. Eskdale spent four-and-a-half hours in the water after the sinking and said, "We were four-and-a-half hours in the water. Terrible. It will live with me for the rest of my life".
Field of Remembrance tributes
Heledd Fychan, Jo Homfray, Councillor Michael Michael and senior representatives from the Armed Forces in Wales laid tributes at the opening service. The Field of Remembrance honors veterans serving in conflicts including both World Wars, Korea, the Falklands, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bronwyn Wilkinson also attended and described what the display means to her, saying, "When you see the sea of crosses I think about the loss of life, but I look at it and see camaraderie and togetherness, even the fallen. They are not alone. They are not forgotten about, they are a part of us, they are important".
The public can add their own tributes over the next two weeks, giving visitors a chance to take part before the display closes on 17 November. How many people attended the opening service at Cardiff Castle was not stated.
