Arcadia England

On Sunday, citizens from across the UK and Commonwealth will gather to observe Remembrance Day. This weekend’s event is of special importance as we will mark one hundred years since the conclusion of the Great War.

What is it all about?

The Great War/First World War witnessed devastation on an unprecedented scale. Advancements in warfare technology outstripped developments in field tactics, which led to the infamous stalemate across the western front where the trenches stretched from the English Channel to the Swiss border. In attempting to break the stalemate, “Lions led by donkeys” repeatedly went “over the top” - see Blackadder Goes Forth. Marginal gains proved costly; for example, the First Day on the Somme resulted in 57,470 British casualties. By the end of the War, there were over 2,000,000 casualties across the British Imperial Forces among 20,000,000+ total casualties on all sides of the conflagration.

Remembrance Day is observed to remember the people who lost their lives during the Great War, in addition to other conflicts: the Second World War, the Falklands War, conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, et al.

Why is there a two minute silence at 11 o’clock?

The two-minute silence marks the exact time of the Great War's conclusion: the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

What is with the poppies?

In an attempt to make sense of the unimaginable loss of life, many soldiers produced literature on the conflict; e.g. Erich Maria Remarque, Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen. An Canadian author - John McCrae - penned the poem In Flanders Fields, where he referenced red poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers. This linkage of poppies to remembering the fallen eventually led to the Royal British Legion adopting and selling poppies to provide support to those who have served or are currently serving the British Armed Forces.

Other variations of the poppy?

• The white poppy: a symbol of remembrance for those who lost their life during conflict - including civilian and non-British casualties. It stands for peace, and is meant to not glamorise war.
• The purple poppy: a recent attempt to commemorate animal victims of war.

Where can I observe Remembrance Day?

Remembrance Day services will occur across the country on Sunday, with more publicised events taking place at the Cenotaph on Whitehall and at the Tower of London.

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