Remembrance Day

As Remembrance Day comes to the fore, families are reminded of the loved ones they lost many years ago, and the sacrifice those individuals made for the country's freedom.

In 1918, after four years of continuous and bitter fighting, the guns finally fell silent across Europe at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Armistice Day, as it was known until 1945 when it was changed to Remembrance Day, commemorates the end of the fighting in the First and Second World Wars. It also marks the day when servicemen and women lost their lives. Services across the country and the Commonwealth take place on the Sunday in November which falls nearest to the 11th day and this year, for the first time, the Home Guard will be placing a wreath at the Cenotaph in London.

The two minutes silence was introduced by King George V in 1919 although it was originally suggested by an Australian journalist. The proclamation read:

"All locomotion should cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead"

It cannot be denied that today there are fewer World War veterans in our midst than ever before, and some may feel that Remembrance Day has become less significant, but we need to be reminded that we must not take our peace for granted because it is far too fragile. New threats appear all the time and our troops are still involved in wars or peacekeeping activities in other countries. Some of these regions are so far away that the realities of war - fighting, death, homelessness and starvation - are so far removed from our everyday lives that we do not appreciate their significance. Remembrance Day should make us all stop and think.

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Friday, 25 July, 2008

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