Remembrance Day

     At 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918, the guns fell silent across Europe. Today, two minutes of silence is observed throughout Britain and the Commonwealth at the 11:00 hour in memory of those who gave their lives in World War I and in other past military conflicts. 

Across the Commonwealth, poppies are worn to commemorate soldiers who have died in war.

     It is a day known as Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Originally Armistice Day on both sides of the Atlantic, it initially commemorated the moment when the armistice between Germany and the Central Powers and the Allied nations (Britain, America, Canada, etc.) took effect, which ended the fighting in World War I. In the United States, November 11^th is now known as Veterans Day, although the more equivalent holiday is probably Memorial Day in May, since it commemorates those who died in service while Veterans Day commemorates the service of all military veterans.

     In the United Kingdom, the actual day of observance is held on Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November which is closest to November 11^th, and the first day of observance was commemorated by King George V in 1919.

The Cenotaph in Whitehall

     Yesterday, national remembrance was observed at the Cenotaph on Whitehall Street in London in a solemn ceremony that has changed little since 1919. In attendance were the Queen and other members of the royal family, along with Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and Opposition Leader Ed Miliband, as well as all living past Prime Ministers – Sir John Major, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown. There were 40 high commissioners representing Commonwealth nations and several political and state dignitaries, as well as over 10,000 military veterans representing conflicts from World War II to recent engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. In addition, this year's ceremony marked the inclusion, for the first time, of 41 members of the British Resistance Movement (a.k.a., Churchill's Secret Army), who were tasked with going underground and continuing to fight in the event of a Nazi invasion of Britain.

Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, 2007

     The Remembrance Sunday ceremony was led by the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres and began with a two-minute moment of silence at 11:00, which ended with a shot from a cannon in St. James’s Park and a bugler playing Last Post. Following this, wreaths of red poppy flowers were laid at the Cenotaph by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, and other leading dignitaries. Poppies have become a prime symbol of Remembrance Day because of the trench warfare that was fought in the poppy fields of Flanders in Belgium which were made famous in Canadian John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields. In the lead-up to Remembrance Day, the Royal British Legion and other organizations across the Commonwealth sell paper and/or plastic poppies to help fund their work in providing support to current and former members of their respective Armed Forces and their dependents. After the conclusion of yesterday's service, members of the armed forces – past and present – marched down Whitehall in a parade.

The Canadian Scottish (Princess Mary's) Regiment marching in a Remembrance Day parade in 2010.

     Other Remembrance Sunday services were held throughout Britain, including large gatherings in Birmingham, York, Bristol, and Portsmouth. In Scotland, First Minister Alex Salmond and Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael laid wreaths at St, Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh; Welsh remembrance was held at the Welsh National War Memorial in Cardiff. In Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny laid a wreath at the war memorial in Enniskillen, while Northern Irish First Minister Peter Robinson with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers and the Irish Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore attended a ceremony in Belfast. 

     Overseas, other members of royal family took part in additional events and ceremonies.

     Prince Andrew, along with Secretary of State for Defense Philip Hammond laid wreaths during a service at Camp Bastion at Helmand Province in Afghanistan which honored the 446 armed forces personnel that have been killed in the Afghan conflict. In India, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall – who are on a nine day tour of the largest Commonwealth country – marked Remembrance Sunday by attending a church service in Mumbai and meeting some of India’s last surviving veteran of the Second World War, including Madahukar Dongre, the last living holder of the Burma Star in India. 

     Remembrance Day is very significant for the Queen and the royal family, for the Queen is Head of the Armed Forces. The British Armed Forces have counted many members of the family among their ranks, including Prince Philip (Royal Navy), Prince Charles (Navy), Prince Andrew (Navy), Prince William (Royal Air Force), and Prince Harry (British Army). Elizabeth II herself served as an automobile driver and mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the closing months of World War II. 

Princess Elizabeth as a 2nd Subaltern in the ATS.
Image Source: Imperial War Museum

     As Head of the Armed Forces, the Queen pays tribute to all of the people who have died in her name, as well as in the names of her predecessors. On a personal level, she also probably honors the memory of the uncle she never met – Fergus Bowes-Lyon, an elder brother of her mother, who was killed in action during the First World War, as well as another uncle – Prince George, Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash over Scotland during World War II as an RAF pilot in 1942. 

     Indeed, all of us ought to be remembering those who have served in the armed forces on both sides of the Atlantic and died in past and present conflicts. The work of such people usually goes on without much fanfare and is rather under-appreciated in our everyday lives. A day like this one gives people a chance to reflect on the sacrifices made to ensure that we have “everyday lives” and to be thankful for their heroism, especially when some of them have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of liberty and freedom.

     May God bless the United States, United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth, and may the bonds between our nations be forever strong and enduring.

Uncle Sam and Britannia

Photo Credit: S Pakhrin via Flickr cc, S Pakhrin via Flickr cc, Brian Burger via Flickr cc, hobvias sudoneighm via Wikimedia Commons cc