How it began …
Remembrance Day is observed on 11
November to commemorate the official end of World War I.
Remembrance Day ceremonies are
held around the Commonwealth to remember the sacrifices made by all men
and women who have fought and died in war.
The war officially ended “at the
11th hour (11am) of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, when the Germans
signed the Armistice Agreement.
Remembrance Day was first observed
in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth thanks to King George V declaring
the anniversary of the signing to be dedicated to a solemn observance of
the men and women who gave their life during the conflict.
The first official Armistice Day
was subsequently held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace the following
morning.
The name variants …
It was originally called “Armistice
Day”.
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.
Remembrance Day is also known as
Poppy Day.
The United States used to commemorate
Armistice Day on November 11. However, in 1954 they changed the name to
Veterans Day.
The meaning behind the Poppy …
The red poppy is the symbol of Remembrance
Day and symbolises the bloodshed.
The tradition of pinning a blood-red
poppy to one’s lapel for the duration of Remembrance Day originates from
the poem In Flanders Fields.
Those famous words …
‘In Flanders Fields’ has become
one of the world’s most famous war poem, but itself almost a casualty of
war.
Written by Canadian doctor, Lieutenant-Colonel
John McRae who fought in the Boer War as well as WWI.
Written in 1915 when he was sick
of war, he used his anger and his anguish to compose the poem that came
to be known as “In Flanders Fields.”
And it took him all of 20 minutes
to write.
John McRae didn’t feel that his
words adequately expressed his grief, so he threw the poem away.
Fortunately for history, a fellow
officer retrieved the paper and it was published in the English magazine
“Punch” in December 1915, and has become one of the most poignant reminders
of those who are long gone, but definitely never forgotten.
The Last Post …
The Last Post bugle call is played
at all Remembrance Day services around the country.
Its mournful notes can bring tears
to the eyes of old soldiers and their loved ones.
It is believed to have started
in the British Army back in the 17th century, when an officer, accompanied
by a bugler, would check to see whether soldiers were in their barracks
for the night.
The first post meant his rounds
had started and those still not back at base should return.
~ Ref: lonetester.com
Air Force Museum of New Zealand Photograph Collection
https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/
Presents
100 fully captioned WWII photos of the RCAF
https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/?q=rcaf
https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/?q=rcaf
