Remembrance Sunday Sunday 12 th November 2017 What is Remembrance Day?
What Are We Remembering? Edith Cavell was a British nurse famous for treating countless soldiers, no matter their nationality, and helping as many as 200 Allied soldiers escape from Germanoccupied Belgium during WWI. She was a real life heroine. Remembrance Day is a special day in November that we recognise every year in Britain. Do you know what it commemorates? It commemorates the brave and strong British soldiers that fought in WW1. Hundreds of thousands of British people were conscripted and helped to serve the British army in a number of ways Can you think of some? Many nurses went to the battlefields to care for the soldiers who were injured. "At a time like this, I am more needed than ever." Edith Cavell, 1915.
Who Were These Brave and Strong Soldiers That Fought For Our Country? One way to find out about the people who fought in wars is to visit a war memorial. There are hundreds all over Britain. There are names inscribed on the memorials of all the people who fought bravely and died in the World Wars. Can you guess how many war memorials there are in our borough of Hertfordshire alone? More than 50, less than 90. How many could it be?
The First World War The First World War began on 28th July 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918 It went on for 1564 days - Four years and three months! That is the entire time a child spends from the beginning of Nursery all the way to the middle of Year 3. Millions of men joined the army and went to fight in the war to support Britain, France and Russia otherwise known as the Triple Entente who were fighting against Germany.
What Was It Like Fighting As a Soldier In the First World War? One of the huge Army tanks that were used in WW1. Many brave soldiers did not sleep for days at a time, they were guarding their trenches and making sure to keep safe from their enemies. They were tired, hungry and very lonely far away from their homes and the people that they loved. Listen to an excerpt from a soldier named Alex Dunbar who survived the war about his time fighting against the German army.
The End of the First World War ended at 11 o clock in the morning on 11 th November 1918. War Later on, people held street parties to celebrate the end of the fighting. http://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/reso urces/how-is-the-first-world-warremembered - voice clip of a Londoner marking the end of the war Ethel Bilbrough, a British lady wrote in her diary about the end of WW1. Monday 11th Nov 1918: Today has been a truly wonderful day, and I m glad I was alive to see it! From the moment one got out of bed, there was a sort of feeling in the air that something was going to happen! All of a sudden the air was hit by a tremendous BANG! My instant thought was a raid! But when another great explosion shook the windows, and the hooters at Woolwich began to scream and the guns started frantically firing all round us, I knew that this was no raid, but the signing of the armistice had been accomplished! The end had come at last, and the greatest war in history was over.
What Do We Do To Commemorate? At 11 0 clock on the 11 th day of the 11 th month of November people stay silent for two minutes to remember the bravery and strength of all that fought and helped during WW1. Armistice Day, which also referred to as Remembrance Day, is on November 11 th itself. This year the 11th day in November falls on a Saturday - Shabbat. This is because the day remembers the agreement between the Allies and Germany on November 11, 1918, to stop fighting which marked victory for the Allies and defeat for Germany. It was signed in Compiegne in Northern France and came into effect at 11am. Germany reluctantly accepted the terms and the armistice forced the Germans to evacuate invaded countries and territories within two weeks. They also had to surrender huge amounts of war material, including 5,000 guns, 25,000 machine guns and 1,700 planes. A two-minute silence is often acknowledged at schools, offices and churches across Britain. Remembrance Sunday however, is held on the second Sunday in November and this year will take place on Sunday, November 12 th. A National Service of Remembrance is held at The Cenotaph in Whitehall in London. Members of the Royal Family and the Government attend the service alongside representatives from the Armed Forces and the public. Another two-minute silence is held at 11am before a number of wreaths are laid down. The Royal Marines buglers usually sound The Last Post and a number of veteran soldiers also take part in a march past The Cenotaph.
What Do We Do To Commemorate? The Queen lays a poppy wreath at the London Cenotaph On Remembrance Day many British people go to a ceremony at their local war memorial. If you are members of the Badgers, Brownies or Cubs you may be attending a local memorial service. Are you going?
Why Do We Wear Poppies? If you haven't bought a poppy yet at school, tomorrow is the last day! Make sure you bring some money to donate. After the battle of Somme in France, British soldiers returned to see the trenches covered in bright red poppies! This is why the red poppy became the symbol to remind of those who were so brave. Today, people buy and wear a special symbol called a poppy to remember. Poppies are not just worn to remember people from the first word war. We now use them to help us remember any soldiers who have died or got hurt in any of the wars and fighting since then. Some of the money made by selling poppies also goes to help injured soldiers and their families live once they come back from fighting and are hurt.