Military Funeral Readings, Hymns and Poems for UK Services

The Two Readings That Are Non-Negotiable

Two readings are so deeply embedded in British military funeral tradition that omitting them would feel conspicuously wrong to anyone who has attended a service funeral before.

The Exhortation, from Laurence Binyon's 1914 poem For the Fallen, is recited immediately after the Last Post:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

The congregation responds in unison: "We will remember them." This call-and-response is the single moment during the committal where every mourner participates together.

The Kohima Epitaph, inscribed on the memorial at Kohima War Cemetery in India, follows Reveille or the Rouse:

When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

These two readings bookend the silence. They are recited by a designated speaker — often a senior veteran, a family member, or the officiating clergy.

Regimental Collects

Many services incorporate the official collect of the deceased's regiment or branch. These are short formal prayers specific to each unit. For example:

• The Royal Navy Collect asks for protection for those who serve at sea
• The Royal Welsh Collect invokes the regiment's history and traditions
• The RAF Collect references the particular courage of those who serve in the air

Your funeral director or the regimental association can provide the correct text. Using the deceased's own regiment's collect adds a personal military dimension that generic prayers cannot match.

Traditional Hymns

The most commonly chosen hymns for UK military funerals include:

• "I Vow to Thee, My Country" — Gustav Holst's melody set to Cecil Spring Rice's words about duty and sacrifice; perhaps the single most requested hymn at military services
• "Abide with Me" — a staple of both military and civilian funerals, chosen for its meditation on mortality and faith
• "Jerusalem" — William Blake's words set to Parry's music; powerfully associated with English identity
• "The Lord Is My Shepherd" (Crimond) — familiar to nearly all congregations, making it accessible even when not everyone present is religious
• "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" (Cwm Rhondda) — particularly popular at Welsh regiment funerals

The processional and recessional music often features the quick or slow march of the deceased's unit, played as recorded music or by a piper if one is available.

Poems Beyond the Exhortation

Families sometimes include additional poetry in the order of service. Common choices for military funerals include:

• "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye — widely used across both civilian and military services for its consoling tone
• "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee Jr — especially associated with RAF funerals, written by a pilot who was killed in a mid-air collision in 1941
• "Soldier, Rest! Thy Warfare O'er" by Sir Walter Scott — older in style but still chosen for its directness

For secular or humanist services, the poetry selection is the primary vehicle for emotional expression, carrying even more weight when hymns are not included.

Choosing What Fits

The Exhortation, the Kohima Epitaph, and one regimental collect form the ceremonial core. Beyond that, the choice of hymns and additional readings is the family's. Two hymns and one poem is a comfortable fit for a standard crematorium time slot; a church service allows more flexibility.

Our Military Funeral — UK guide includes the full order-of-service template with suggested readings for each service branch and guidance on timing each element within the ceremony.