ON Monday, Britain will stop to remember the 100th anniversary of the summer day in August 1914 when the lights went out across Europe and the nation entered a war which would costs the lives of almost a million of its men.

Events will be held across West Oxfordshire to mark the centenary of the start of the conflict.

There will be services at war memorials and vigils in churches, while the Royal British Legion is asking the public to join the nationwide Lights Out Initiative, using only a single candle or light to light their homes for an hour from 10pm on Monday.

We urge you to take part in one of these events to mark such a crucial anniversary and remember those soldiers who left their homes in West Oxfordshire, as well as other parts of the country, and never came home, or returned with life-changing injuries or minds damaged by what they went through.

Among them were 28 members of Witney’s Boys’ Brigade who marched together to the town’s Army recruitment office to volunteer their services.

They first saw action in 1916, during the Battle of the Somme, where some of their number were killed.

But this ‘Band of Brothers’ also helped save each other’s lives.

Harry Baston was rescued by a friend who saw his helmet sticking through the earth when he was buried alive by debris from a shell blast.

He returned home to marry and have children, living until 1977.

Not everyone was so fortunate and we should make sure they are suitably remembered.