Britons fall silent for war dead

[bigfootedfred]

Millions of people across Britain will remember those who have died in war as a two minute silence is held on Friday to mark Armistice Day.
The silence, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, represents the moment when all guns stopped at the end of World War I.

The public will fall silent as Big Ben chimes at 1100 GMT.
Britain's oldest veteran, 109-year-old Henry Allingham, will lay a wreath at a British memorial in France.
It is the first permanent memorial to British air personnel who served on the Western Front.

Mr Allingham, who is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland and the last surviving founder member of the Royal Air Force, will be joined by Air Vice Marshal Peter Dye, the RAF's deputy commander-in-chief, and 12 aircraft engineer trainees from RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton.
Wreaths will also be laid at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill in London to mark the 60 year anniversary of the end of the World War II, as well as Armistice Day.
'Rare moment'
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair; Field Marshal Sir John Chapple, who will lay a wreath on behalf of Prince Charles and the Gurkhas, and Minister of Armed Forces Adam Ingram are due to attend.

The London Eye will be illuminated in red to mark the day. It will stop moving as those inside - schoolchildren accompanied by World War II veteran Len Jeans - pay their respects.YThe two minute silence is the single biggest annual demonstration of public support for any cause in the country
Stuart Gendall, from the Royal British Legion
50% of veterans live on £10,000
Lloyds of London will ring the Lutine Bell to mark the start and finish of the two minute silence.
Following that, the Last Post will be played and Lord Peter Levene, chairman of Lloyds, and a representative from the Royal British Legion will lay two wreaths in the famous Underwriting Room.
A ceremony will also be held to honour the five million people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Africa and the Caribbean who fought in both world wars.
Stuart Gendall, from the Royal British Legion, said: "The two minute silence is the single biggest annual demonstration of public support for any cause in the country.
"This small yet significant individual and collective act is a rare moment when the nation can stand together and reflect upon the price of freedom."

source

[Francisco Montana]

Here, here.

There's no room for politics when you are honouring your fallen heros.

Rule Britania!!

[RZZZA]

Alright britian, way to honor history. I dont think America does anything like this...we have a few holidays dedicated to veterans...memorial day and veterans day and maybe another one...we dont really celebrate armistice day....probably because americans like WWII better maybe? I dunno...

[Francisco Montana]

Alright britian, way to honor history. I dont think America does anything like this...we have a few holidays dedicated to veterans...memorial day and veterans day and maybe another one...we dont really celebrate armistice day....probably because americans like WWII better maybe? I dunno...

In my opinion, it's simply because WW1 devistated Europe, and Britain was alot closer to the grewsome left over cesspool of death that was France and Holland after the war.

We paid a heavy price in WW1, but nothing like the Europeans paid.

(Wasn't it something like 1/3 of all male Frenchmen were killed? Astounding losses, indeed)

[1{H][NA]

ya, i understand that an entire generation of brits got wiped out during WWI. anyone know if britain lost more people in WWI or WWII? i was watching the news today and they interviewed some WWI veteran who was 109 yo

[Mr Jones]

Despite being a pacifist and against war, I still observe all of these holidays with the utmost reverence. We had an assembly at school for ANZAC day earlier this year (ANZAC day is a holiday observed here in Australia and in New Zealand as well, I would assume, to honour the ANZAC's who died at Gallipoli and in subsequent engagements), and during the one minutes silence lot's of people talked and didn't even give one minute of silence. It reduced me to tears.

[Muizer]

In my opinion, it's simply because WW1 devistated Europe, and Britain was alot closer to the grewsome left over cesspool of death that was France and Holland after the war.

And also, the British were, well you know, in it from the start. Holland was neutral throughout btw, I take it you meant Belgium.

In any case, it is quite surreal sometimes to visit some small village in the French countryside and find this monument that has more war dead on it than the present population taken together, and they're all from a handful of families.........

Muizer

[abaris]

And also, the British were, well you know, in it from the start. Holland was neutral throughout btw, I take it you meant Belgium.

In any case, it is quite surreal sometimes to visit some small village in the French countryside and find this monument that has more war dead on it than the present population taken together, and they're all from a handful of families.........

Muizer

That you can find throughout Europe. For both wars actually. I have a little problem with the inscriptions though. Mostly it reads "To our heroes" - "to out poor pigs, that have been slaughtered" would be a more fitting description.

I don't think, that there's a single European family, which hasn't suffered losses in the wars. And that may be the major difference between the American perception of war and the European. The vast majority of Americans never were close to the devastation.

[TIGERCAT]

The closest Americans were to war devastation was the
American Civil War (circa 1861-1865). It had over 1 million
casulties out of a popoulation of 30 million. (9,000,000-south 21,000, 000-north; of the 9,000,000 south
4 million were african-american slaves)

[imb39]

That you can find throughout Europe. For both wars actually. I have a little problem with the inscriptions though. Mostly it reads "To our heroes" - "to our poor pigs, that have been slaughtered" would be a more fitting description.

I know it wasn't ment that way, but I found this offensive. Personally, I prefer the phrase 'lions led by donkeys.'

[Francisco Montana]

And also, the British were, well you know, in it from the start. Holland was neutral throughout btw, I take it you meant Belgium.

Muizer

Yep, I meant Belgium. It was late when I posted that.

[Carach]

Alright britian, way to honor history. I dont think America does anything like this...we have a few holidays dedicated to veterans...memorial day and veterans day and maybe another one...we dont really celebrate armistice day....probably because americans like WWII better maybe? I dunno...

thats because america only entered the war a year (maybe less?) before the end, and did not have a major presence in the war.

[imb39]

This is one tradition that is respectfully observed by the vast majority of the population over here. Do other countries have something similar?

[Mr Jones]

I believe that most countries that participated in these wars observe similar traditions: Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and obviously England. Havn't heard anything of the other nations, but I am guessing they probably have something. It is just extremely sad that kids these days don't respect these traditions and observe the one or two minutes silence (at least around here they don't). Like i said, i am a pacifist and am against war but I still feel very indebted to those who fought in both World War I and II. It is very sad when, as a school, the principal asks everyone to stay silent for one minute at an assembly and people still feel the need to talk, laugh, and make stupid noises to show how cool and rebellious they are.

[ShangTang]

It's hard for us Americans to relate. For we haven't felt this kind of devastation since the American Civil War. There 1 out of every 4 white men were dead at the end. Let us all honor our veterans, who braved the machine guns, gas, strafing runs, shells, and pure carnage for the 4 years of 1914-1918.

[Emperor Dimitricus]

i remember walking around the war fieldsof flanders and ypres (sp?) on a trip. it was devastating to see the huge amounts of graves, the masses of land destroyed, the fields of mush (yes the fields are still there. you can still find shell shrapnel around) and then to hear stories from some elderly people in the towns that remember the war.
i went this time 4 years ago on a trip, and observed the memorial march through the arch in belgium (i cant remember which town though).
sad few days of my life.
patriotic englishman as always.

[shadepanther]

i went this time 4 years ago on a trip, and observed the memorial march through the arch in belgium (i cant remember which town though).
sad few days of my life.
patriotic englishman as always.

The Menin Gate at Ypres
It is really sad to see all the names on that gate. IIRC it has the names of people who have no known grave.

There's a lot of controversy where I live. The daughter of a man who was shot dead by firing squad is trying to get the decision overturned. He was shot for cowardice when the truth is he was almost certainly suffering from shell shock. Was he less of a hero?

He is still a hero. Shell shock happened to alot of people during the war causing many to try to escape the trenches and their suffering. At the time the Army didn't believe in shell shock and thought they were just trying to run away.
I think the records of who has been executed by firing squad will be released in 2014

[abaris]

I think the records of who has been executed by firing squad will be released in 2014

No, in fact there are a lot of studies already to that topic. Interestingly enough the French military justice was the most trigger happy of all the nations. The Germans on the other hand did execute very few. I haven't got the numbers for the British of even my own country Austria in mind. I did a quick google for that and hadn't had a closer look at that particular page http://www.shotatdawn.org.uk/, but it seems to have some numbers.

At least it comes up with these figures:
Military executions during the First World War

FRANCE 600

ITALY (?)500

BRITAIN
(includes all commonwealth troops) 346

GERMANY 48

CANADA 25
BELGIUM 13

UNITED STATES
(for non-military offences e.g. murder and rape) 10

NEW ZEALAND 5

AUSTRALIA nil

RUSSIA nil

[Tom Paine]

Jesus, why cause for a news article, its an annual event. Come to the UK on 11/11 and you see silence at 11:00. Not a cause for news. Not a cause for discussion. A fact, a fact of respect.
By the way, from the Royal British Legion advertisements:

Because "the War to End All Wars"...
Didn't

[Emperor Dimitricus]

there will never be a war to end all wars, unless there is a war that ends mankind.