SUNDAY’S Remembrance Service outside St Mary’s Church was as moving as ever.

It seemed that more people than before had turned out and certainly more than last year.

At the back of the crowd was a small Polish flag fluttering in the breeze – a pertinent reminder to us all of the many nations who were affected by WWII. How appropriate then was the story told by Cannon John Harkin of the Polish slave workers who produced sabotaged (dud) ammunition. In his story they saved the lives of a Royal Air Force bomber crew.

Post-war estimates suggest that Polish slave labourers turned out, amongst other things, 5,000 defective aircraft and over 92,000 dud artillery shells. For those workers who were caught the penalty was execution.

Many an Allied soldier, sailor and airman must surely have owed their life to these brave people.

All our thanks should therefore go, not only to the armed services but also to those tens of thousands of people who in extreme circumstances made their small contribution to the Allied war effort. For a few this was indeed a life saving contribution.

David Drew, Andover