Remembrance Day

[MIKA27]

Remembrance Day

Why is this day special to Australians?

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

On the first anniversary of the armistice in 1919 two minutes' silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London. The silence was proposed by Australian journalist Edward Honey, who was working in Fleet Street. At about the same time, a South African statesman made a similar proposal to the British Cabinet, which endorsed it. King George V personally requested all the people of the British Empire to suspend normal activities for two minutes on the hour of the armistice "which stayed the worldwide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom". The two minutes' silence was popularly adopted and it became a central feature of commemorations on Armistice Day.

On the second anniversary of the armistice in 1920 the commemoration was given added significance when it became a funeral, with the return of the remains of an unknown soldier from the battlefields of the Western Front. Unknown soldiers were interred with full military honours in Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de Triumph in Paris. The entombment in London attracted over one million people within a week to pay their respects at the unknown soldier's tomb. Most other allied nations adopted the tradition of entombing unknown soldiers over the following decade.

After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. Armistice Day was no longer an appropriate title for a day which would commemorate all war dead.

In Australia on the 75th anniversary of the armistice in 1993 Remembrance Day ceremonies again became the focus of national attention. The remains of an unknown Australian soldier, exhumed from a First World War military cemetery in France, were ceremonially entombed in the Memorial's Hall of Memory. Remembrance Day ceremonies were conducted simultaneously in towns and cities all over the country, culminating at the moment of burial at 11 am and coinciding with the traditional two minutes' silence. This ceremony, which touched a chord across the Australian nation, re-established Remembrance Day as a significant day of commemoration.

Four years later, in 1997, Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.

Lest we forget

[stogieluver]

Thank you for posting. We all owe so much to all of our past and present service men and women. To those, I say "Thank you for your service".

[sharks]

Lest we forget!

[Baldy]

From a guy who lived and survived the killing fields of Cambodia, no I have not forgotten.

[Ken Gargett]

grandfather, who i just remember (died when i was very young), lied about his age to get there - as did so many. nearly four years in the mud and crap in the trenches in france. earned a military cross (i think - if not that then something similar and yes, embarrassing that i don't know and i will rectify that) and bar.

i know he got one of the medals for attacking an entrenched german machine gun nest that was killing a lot of allied soldiers. somehow got near it by himself, charged into it and killed the occupants. he would have been 18 to 20. hell of thing to have in your head for the rest of your life.

he was one of four brothers who all went. one died, he and another brother injured and gassed but lived on and the one who landed day two at gallipolli - four years without a scratch. as he and his mates were in the landing craft headed to shore, under fire, one of them had a pack of cards. they decided that they would deal them out among them all and the bloke who got the joker would be first to die. my great uncle got the joker first up! and then four years no scratch.

[Pedro2486]

To my great grandfather in the First World War, my Grandfather in Asia and Africa in the second and my father in Vietnam, I love and am thinking of you all.

Lest we forget

[NJP]

To my grandfather I thank you, to all those who served I thank you and to those that have returned with PTSD my thoughts are with you and your families.

[CdnLimitada]

My grandfather just passed this September. He was one of the veterans of the Korean war in the artillery division. That is a war most forget about. I won't.

[TheFullMontecristo]

[Squarehead]

Thanks for posting this.My father was killed in action on Dec.23/1944 6 weeks before I was born. He was fighting for Germany for something he believed in, right or wrong but nevertheless he ended up being killed in action.Both sides suffered heavy casuallties and that should never be forgotten.I myself was part of an Honourguard back in 1965 while serving in the German Army.

[Ken Gargett]

Thanks for posting this.My father was killed in action on Dec.23/1944 6 weeks before I was born. He was fighting for Germany for something right or wrong but nevertheless he ended up being killed in action.Both sides suffered heavy casuallties and that should never be forgotten.I myself was part of an Honourguard back in 1965 while serving in the German Army.

tragic times on both sides.

when i wrote the bit above about my grandfather, i was thinking how now we have a forum where every chance people on either side of that war, and no doubt others.

[leftimatic]

Lest we forget.

[martymonty]

There's a big push in Canada to make it a national holiday , which it should be! I for one, always remember there sacrifices, but being 100 years from the anniversary of WW1 I think we need instill a remembrance of there sacrifices to the younger generations! Lest we forget!

[JoeyGunz]

Went and visited the Tower Of London to pay my respects last night.

A humbling experience, to visualise the number of lives lost. Lest we forget.

[Perla]

Went and visited the Tower Of London to pay my respects last night.

A humbling experience, to visualise the number of lives lost. Lest we forget.

A very touching thought to make the lost lives visual.

I have read during summer a few articles about and bought 2 poppies to support the campaign and the volunteers.

[rckymtn22]

Thankyou to all the men and women that have served in the past and present. Thankyou to all of them that have given their lives for all of our countries which ever side they were on.

[MIKA27]

Thanks for posting this.My father was killed in action on Dec.23/1944 6 weeks before I was born. He was fighting for Germany for something right or wrong but nevertheless he ended up being killed in action.Both sides suffered heavy casuallties and that should never be forgotten.I myself was part of an Honourguard back in 1965 while serving in the German Army.

Your father was a soldier, following orders, he is at rest now and it is important for all to understand that the past can not be undone, but all soldiers must never be forgotten. We wouldn't be here typing posts if it were not for the brave.