Job 19.23–27, Psalm 17.1–9, Luke 20.27–38
Remembrance Sunday, 8 November 2026, Austwick, Clapham, Keasden
Today among those we remember let us honour Signaller Henry Rice, who took part in the Normandy Landings of June 1944, and who died last month aged 100. His funeral will be held on Friday this week.
Let us honour Henry Rice by paying attention to his words. For Henry’s dying wish was for the world to finally learn the lessons of history.
Henry longed for peace but died troubled that history was repeating itself as Britain steps up defence preparations amid growing security concerns.
On the eve of this year’s Remembrance Day Henry’s son Stuart said: “Dad went to [the Remembrance] services not because he felt obliged, he went with a strong sense of duty. Remembering was not just about the events of history. It was about individual servicemen across the Armed Forces who did not return home to their loved ones. Even the ones who did return, injured, or tormented, the impact of war affected them in unimaginable ways.” [1]
Henry served as a signaller aboard the landing ship HMS Eastway which arrived off Juno Beach on D-Day in 1944. His job was to ferry soldiers and supplies to blood-soaked beaches.
The great grandfather-of-five from Cranleigh, Surrey, was awarded the Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of military merit, for his service, but rejected being labelled a hero. Last year he was among a handful of Second World War veterans who led the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
Stuart said: “In June when we were in Normandy for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day a teenager asked Dad whether he hates the Germans. His answer was an emphatic ‘no’. He thought of all the wasted lives and of the many Germans who didn’t want to be there. He thought of their families. I’m sure each Remembrance Sunday he shared them in his thoughts.
“He always hoped and prayed that by remembering the horrors of two world wars it may never happen again. Sadly, parts of history are repeating themselves and he worried for young people around the world. Dad hoped Remembrance Day reminded people to never forget the sacrifices made in all conflicts, past and present. He simply longed for a world of peace.”
Henry travelled to France each year alongside pals from the Spirit of Normandy Trust to pay his respects to those who never returned home. The Trust’s Chairman Richard Palusinski said: “Names on gravestones and memorials are not just names to these veterans. They grieve for the loss of their friends and still ask the question: ‘Why them and not me?’
“We must continue to honour their contribution,” he said, speaking also of those lost to war who “were never afforded the pleasures of careers, family life, or owning a home – things we readily take for granted. Every casualty was somebody’s son, husband, family member, so the loss is widespread.”
Palusinski continued, saying, “We need to remind ourselves of the futile nature of war. Many veterans have said to me that there are no winners in war, only those who lose less. All efforts need to be directed towards peaceful solutions if at all possible.”
It is always possible to direct our efforts towards peaceful solutions. There are those who say that war is a crime against humanity, who are therefore determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war. [2]
There are those who see that all wars, including wars of so-called ‘liberation’ and ‘humanitarian intervention’ are used to serve some power, political or economic interest which will harm the Henry Rices – the ordinary people – of the world. There are those who know that all war leads to suffering, destruction, and new structures of domination. [3] There are those who understand that peace is not a passive state of inactivity, but an active life of nonviolence.
Peacemaking is something which each of us can do every day, with discipline to reject those urges within us to treat others differently than we would ourselves be treated; respecting others by refusing to accept that some people must suffer for the sake of our well-being.
Peacemaking involves us in refusing to be swayed by those voices which spread division and encourage hatred, and to have the courage to challenge and oppose them at every opportunity. There is no hope in hatred, nor in passively believing in the inevitability of war.
We grow as peacemakers by having the integrity to pay attention to the voices of those who suffer in conflict, and sharing with them in their struggles. We spread peace simply when we give our time and loyalty to neighbourly activities. We build peace when we selflessly commit ourselves to generous acts of kindness. We know peace when we practice loving our enemies, and our neighbours as ourselves. [4]
Let us honour Henry Rice by attending to his dying wish for the world to finally learn the lessons of history. Let us honour him and all who we remember – whilst also honouring God – by doing all we can to turn our hearts and minds and hands and voices towards making and keeping peace.
Notes
[1] Giles Sheldrick, My war hero Dad’s dying wish was peace – he could see history repeating itself. Express, 1 November 2026
[2] Peace Pledge Union, About Us. “War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for the removal of all causes of war.” – the peace pledge, signed by all members of the Peace Pledge Union.
[3] War Resisters’ International, About War Resisters’ International.
[4] The six values of the British Army – courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity, loyalty, and selfless commitment – are values which active peacemakers and nonviolent resisters also share: see for instance, Martin Luther King, Jr State Commission, Principles of Nonviolence.
