11th November - Jack writes: We must never forget the sacrifices of Ipswich’s heroes

On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, the Armistice was signed, ending the First World War.

Every year we come together on Armistice Day to commemorate the brave service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces in that terrible conflict, and all conflicts since.

Together, we honour the heroes who have kept our country and our allies safe throughout the years, including the endlessly brave men and women from Ipswich.

Over 10,000 Ipswich men fought in the First World War, with 1,481 paying the ultimate sacrifice.

In World War Two, over 600 people from Ipswich lost their lives. We also remember the brave service personnel from Ipswich who have died in the years following.

We remember Aaron James McClure, who died in Northern Helmand Province in August 2007, aged just 19. He attended Springfield Primary and Westbourne High. He loved sports and joined the cadets aged 14.

We remember Kenneth Walter Banyard, who died in Nicosia, Cyprus, in November 1956, aged 25.

We remember Brian Swinbanks, who died aged 23 of wounds sustained in the Battle of Imjin River, in Seoul, Korea, in April 1951.

This Sunday, I will be paying my respects at the Cenotaph in Christchurch Park for the annual Remembrance Sunday service, and, on Armistice Day itself, I will join children from local schools at the Fields of Honour in the Old Cemetery to commemorate the service of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

As we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we must also honour their legacy through our actions today, ensuring those who serve and have served are treated with the dignity, fairness, respect, and support they deserve.

That is why our Government is determined to strengthen support and renew our nation’s contract with our veterans and our Armed Forces Community.

On Monday, our Government launched the Defence Housing Strategy.

The £9 billion plan marks the biggest renewal of Armed Forces family housing in over half a century, delivering homes fit for our forces and getting Britain building on surplus Defence land.

Defence housing is in a shameful mess. In 2023, satisfaction with Service Family Accommodation hit the lowest level on record, and less than one in five service personnel were satisfied with repairs and maintenance on their homes.

Military morale fell to record lows, with satisfaction with service life falling from 60% in 2010 to 40% in 2024.

This plan will put an end to the scandal of unfit forces housing, giving our forces families – who make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe everyday – homes they can be proud of.

Nine in ten military homes - over 40,000 in total and nearly 5,000 in the East of England - will be modernised or upgraded to new, higher standards, with 14,000 homes rebuilt or substantially refurbished.

Our Government is taking a ‘Forces First’ approach, underpinned by a new, dedicated Defence Housing Service to better manage military homes while keeping them in public hands, putting the voices of forces families at the forefront and delivering new homeownership opportunities for military personnel and veterans.

We are also embarking on a historic programme of housebuilding on surplus Defence land, with the potential for over 100,000 new homes for civilian and military families.

In parallel, our Government’s VALOUR programme, announced earlier this year, will improve the coordination of services at a national, regional, and local level to ensure that veterans receive the support they need.

This Remembrance Sunday, we honour and pay tribute to those who make such sacrifices for our country, but we must deliver the support that our armed forces and their families need and deserve all year round.