The effects of the Second World War on the North Down area were brought to life by the guest speaker at a Remembrance event organised by Bangor Rotary Club.
Michal Burns, Research Officer with the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum is responsible for collecting oral recollections of the War from all over Ulster.
So far the Museum has more than 400 personal histories of what happened during the war years.
Michael told Rotarians and their guests at the service in Bangor Golf Club that the oral history collection included Blitz experiences in Bangor, Air Raid Precautions in Helen’s Bay, a local man’s near death experience and the life of a ‘Wren’ stationed at the signals office at Orlock Point.
He said that few people realised that Belfast was bombed on four separate occasions and that the entire area was very poorly protected. The first attack on the 7th April 1941 was quite small to test defences but a week later the bombers returned and devastated the city.
Welcoming everyone to the Service the Club President, Ian Wilson, referred to the five people killed in Bangor on Easter Tuesday 1941 when the Germans dropped bombs on the town as the returned from their main raid on Belfast.
He said a Remembrance Service is not just about remembering the service personnel who died in battle but also the civilians who were killed at home.
The service began with a scripture reading by Past President Bill Aiken, who used a Bible carried by the grandfather of Past President Roy Rosbotham while fighting on the Western Front during World War 1.
The Words of Remembrance were spoken by Past President Richard Eaton and the Kohima Epitaph was recited by Past President Patrick Cregg.
Two minutes silence was observed following the sounding of the Last Post by Bugler the Rev Desmond Hanna, who brought the Service to an end with Reveille.