The Royal British Legion opened its annual Field of Remembrance at Cardiff Castle on Wednesday, drawing veterans and members of the public to pay tribute to those who died in military service across multiple conflicts spanning more than a century.
According to BBC News, the event brought together survivors of World War Two, Korea, the Falkland Islands, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan to remember their fallen comrades. The castle grounds now display 5,000 tributes, with visitors invited to plant their own over the next two weeks.
A survivor's enduring memory
At 102 years old, John Eskdale represents a dwindling group of World War Two survivors. In October 1943, his vessel HMS Charybdis was struck and sunk by a German torpedo boat in waters off the Channel Islands. According to the Royal Navy, the ship carried 533 crew members, of whom only 107 were rescued after the attack.
Eskdale and his fellow sailors endured hours submerged in freezing water, their uniforms saturated with oil as they waited for rescue. The trauma of that night remains vivid decades later.
"We were four-and-a-half hours in the water. Terrible. It will live with me for the rest of my life,"he said, his voice breaking as he recounted the ordeal.
Despite the horrors he witnessed and the loss of so many friends, Eskdale expressed pride in his service with the Royal Marines.
"I'm very pleased to be here, especially to represent my colleagues from Wales."He described the Marines as
"my family."His military career extended beyond the initial sinking; he later served in Normandy and the Far East, including operations in Hong Kong.
The sinking of HMS Charybdis remains commemorated in the Channel Islands. Guernsey has held an annual memorial service for those lost when HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne sank since 1947, honouring more than 500 men who died in the two sinkings.
Supporting those who served in recent conflicts
Bronwyn Wilkinson from Neath brought a different perspective to the ceremony, representing a generation of service personnel who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. She served as a medic in the Royal Air Force for a decade before being medically discharged. She now lives with anxiety and depression, conditions that emerged from her operational experience.
Wilkinson has found support through the Royal British Legion's Battle Back Centre, which works with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans using sport to rebuild confidence and motivation. She is also accompanied by Prince, her nine-year-old chocolate Labrador service dog, who provides daily assistance.
Standing before the field of crosses, Wilkinson reflected on what the memorial represents.
"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,"she said.
The ceremony and wider commemoration
The opening service on Wednesday included tributes laid by Heledd Fychan MS, Vice Lord Lieutenant for South Glamorgan Jo Homfray, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff Councillor Michael Michael, and senior representatives from the Armed Forces in Wales. The Field of Remembrance honours service personnel from conflicts spanning both World Wars through to contemporary operations, ensuring that sacrifice across generations is acknowledged and remembered.
What happens next
The Cardiff Field of Remembrance will remain open at the castle every day until Tuesday, 17 November 2026, allowing the public continued opportunity to plant tributes and pay their respects to the fallen.
