A Petersfield group of bell ringers were involved in the Remembrance and Armistice Day services.

Following tradition, St Peter’s Church band of bell ringers had the honour of ringing on half-muffled bells on Remembrance Sunday, before the service in The Square, for the fallen of both World Wars and subsequent conflicts. 

In commemoration, a quarter peal of Plain Bob Triples was also rung before Sunday Evensong.   

A reminder of one of the fallen is the Rev Victor Wardle, whose photograph is displayed in the ringing room at St Peter’s Church. The Rev Wardle came to Petersfield in 1931 as an Assistant Priest from 1931 to 1934 and was also a bell ringer.

During this time he met his future wife Betty Luker, whose father owned the local brewery. In 1934, he left town to become a Chaplain to the Mission to seaman in Singapore.

In 1942, he was captured in Singapore by the Japanese and was interred during World War II. The Rev Wardle died in captivity on Banka Island whilst in a prison camp there in 1945.   

As the Tower has more than 30 ringers, the remaining band rang their tribute to the fallen at the Monday evening practice which was Armistice Day, on half-muffled bells. 

A wreath was placed by Fiona Harvey, a Petersfield bell ringer, at the Cenotaph in the High Street - from the St Peter’s Church Bell Ringers with the ribbon of “Lest We Forget” attached.