Remembrance Day

Armistice Day silence falls overs Britain as millions honour the dead

Two-minute silence to honour those fallen in combat since the first world war provokes a mixture of respect and protest

Source: Bart Ros en Unsplash

Ninety-two years after the guns ceased firing on the Western Front, Britain today remembered its war dead, as millions observed the traditional two-minute silence to mark Armistice Day.

Crowds gathered beneath glowering skies at war memorials throughout the country to lay wreaths of Flanders red poppies, marking the end of the first world war and commemorating the fallen of conflicts past and present. In shops and offices, railway stations and airports, heads were bowed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

At the Cenotaph in Whitehall, Big Ben's chimes yielded to the lone bugle strains of the last post, heralding the silence during a service attended by the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, defence secretary Liam Fox, veterans, military associations and schoolchildren.

Wearing a beret and the medals of his great-great-uncle who lost his life in the second world war, seven-year-old Jonny Osborne, from New Southgate, north London, placed a cross with poppies at the monument which read: "Thank you, not forgetting."

Earlier, applause rang out as Victoria and George Cross holders took their place around the monument. Among them was Lance Corporal Matt Croucher, 26, of the Royal Marines Reserve, who was awarded the George Cross for bravery after escaping unhurt when he threw himself onto a bomb to smother the explosion in Afghanistan. "People in the military don't really ask for much but just to have the support of the crowds here, it means a lot more than anything else," he said.

In Trafalgar Square, those whom age would not weary were honoured in readings and music during a Royal British Legion ceremony, Silence in the Square. Prince Philip, himself a second world war veteran, stood alongside old soldiers, servicemen and family amidst the thousands of wooden crosses at the Royal British Legion Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, each one marking a life lost. Inside the abbey he placed a wreath of roses and bay leaves on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. It was a replica of one laid by George V, who as king during the "war to end all wars" decreed Armistice Day should be marked on 11 November.

When the first two-minute silence was held in London in 1919, trams "glided into stillness," motors "ceased to cough and fume," and "mighty-limbed dray horses hunched back upon their loads," reported the Manchester Guardian. Today, tube trains ran, buses chased timetables and traffic flowed. But in many and varied ways they were remembered. Even commerce bowed its head as the insurance institution Lloyds of London held a special service in the foyer of their City headquarters.

Though the scars of the second world war may have faded with time, those borne by families of the newly fallen are as raw as those felt then. In Bradford, Wendy Rayner laid a wreath at the city's war memorial. The widow of sergeant Peter Rayner, 34, killed in Afghanistan last month (one of 343 British service personnel to lose their lives since the start of the conflict in 2001), she would like a new memorial in the city to carry the names of all the fallen.

On the streets of Wiltshire's Wootton Bassett, thousands braved heavy rain as Remembrance Day coincided with a homecoming parade for 200 RAF and army personnel. They were clapped and cheered on the high street, along which so many flag-draped coffins have travelled, until they reached the town's war memorial.

Commemorative events were held throughout the world. In South Korea, where he is attending the G20 summit, the prime minister, David Cameron, laid a wreath at the site of the Battle of the Imjin River, scene of the army's bloodiest battle since the end of the first world war. Here, during the Korean War in 1951 the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, saw 59 men killed in action and 180 wounded, as well as 526 taken prisoner, of whom 34 died in captivity.

Hundreds gathered at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, under the names of the 54,389 UK and Commonwealth soldiers who fell during the first world war and whose graves are unknown.

However, in London a small group of protesters calling themselves Muslims Against Crusades burned a model of a poppy and chanted "British soldiers burn in hell." Waving banners which read "Islam will dominate" and "Our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hell", they were kept apart by police from a group of around 50 counter-protesters.

Source: The Guardian 

Vocabulary Practice:

Find the words or expressions from the above article that have the following definitions:

1. It's a kind of hat which soldiers wear and is also popular in France.
2. This word is similar to injured but it is caused by a weapon.
3. This is the main base of a company or an organization.
4. You do this to show your support or approval for something by using your voice.
5. You find these at funerals. They usually are circular in shape and contain lots of flowers.
6. This happens to memories after many years. They aren't so clear.
7. You do this to a flag when you move it from side to side.
8. This is a verb which means to grow tired of something.
9. This can be the result of a cut or as here; psycholoical damage.
10. This is what cats do to mice. It means to run after quickly.

Blue Cross charity marks animals' war contribution

The vital work carried out by animals during World War I and World II should never be forgotten, a charity has said.

The Blue Cross treated more than 300,000 animals, including horses and dogs, which assisted the troops in a variety of ways during the two wars.

Many carried soldiers on and off the battlefield and were used to pass on messages.

The charity urged people to use Armistice Day to honour the animals and soldiers who have died in war.

In a statement, Steve Goody from the charity, said: "The bravery and sacrifice of our troops will rightly never be forgotten, but neither should we overlook the vital role of the animals who made an important and selfless contribution to the war effort.

"The Blue Cross is deeply proud that the vital medical support we provided to ease the suffering of many thousands of animals in both world wars gave us our name today."

Thousands of war horses and dogs endured terrible conditions undertaking tasks such as carrying soldiers into battle, hauling ammunition and other essential supplies, and transporting vital messages between troops.

On Friday, staff at the charity's base in Victoria in London will mark the work carried out by their predecessors who tended animals made homeless in the Blitz 70 years ago.

They will attend a private remembrance service, organised by Voices for Horses, at the Animals in War Memorial in Park Lane in London.

In 1940 the staff cared for more than 150,000 dogs and cats, many of which were rescued from buildings that had been bombed.

Staff at 14 animal shelters across the capital treated the pets using candlelight or, for those whose injuries were too severe, put them humanely to sleep.

Other pets had been left behind as their owners were evacuated or called up to fight.

The charity is also taking part in the official Remembrance Sunday parade.

Originally founded as Our Dumb Friends League in 1897, the charity changed its name in 1958.

Its new name recognised the work carried out by its Blue Cross Fund which collected donations from members of the public to help war animals.

Source: BBC News