John Culatto
MILITARY veterans and their relatives from Gibraltar will gather at the British War Memorial for the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony on Line Wall Road opposite the City Hall.
The Ceremony of Remembrance in Gibraltar includes an inter-denominational service and a reading of the Bidding from the Governor Sir David Steel as the King’s representative.
A soldier will fire a saluting gun and a military band will play the Last Post that will mark a two minute silence after which another gun will fire.
A band will then play the Reveille and wreaths will be laid by different groups.
Remembrance Sunday is observed on the second Sunday of November in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.
It honours the members of the armed forces who lost their lives in World War I and conflicts since then.
Its origin can be traced back to the first anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918.
The initial commemoration, known as Armistice Day, marked the moment when the guns fell silent on the Western Front.
Over time, the day evolved to include remembrance of all military personnel who sacrificed their lives in service.
In 1939, the date was moved to the Sunday closest to November 11 to allow for a national day of remembrance.
The term ‘Remembrance Sunday’ became popular as it encompassed the broader scope of honouring all fallen soldiers.
Since then, Remembrance Sunday has become a solemn occasion, marked by ceremonies, two-minute silences, and the laying of wreaths at war memorials across the UK.
The red poppy flower, inspired by the famous war poem “In Flanders Fields,” has become a symbol of remembrance, worn in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday.
The ceremony will start at noon on November 12 at the British War Memorial and will be echoed in London and other parts of the UK.
Gibraltarians signed onto the military in both world wars, with some even achieving medals for excellence in combat.
READ MORE:
- Armistice Day marked by politicians, military and police on Friday in Gibraltar
- Remembrance Day events to be held across the Costa del Sol and inland this weekend
- Sir Joe Bossano lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London alongside British military and civilian dignitaries
