Armistice Day
Held on 11th November every year, Armistice Day commemorates the signing of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany at 11am on 11th November 1918 - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Although hostilities continued in some areas, the Armistice essentially brought an end to four years of fighting in the First World War.
In Britain, it is tradition to pause for a two minute silence at 11am on 11th November to remember the British and Commonwealth Fallen of the two world wars and since 1945.
The armistice was signed in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage in the remote Forest of Compiègne, north of Paris, at 5am on 11th November 1918, and came into force six hours later, at 11am. French military commander Foch was in charge of leading the negotiations and signing the agreement which made it impossible for the German army to recommence fighting.
Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday is the Sunday on or nearest to Armistice Day.
The National Service of Remembrance is held on Whitehall at the Cenotaph and attended by Members of The Royal Family, senior Government officials, military and religious leaders and representatives from across the Commonwealth.
After the Two Minute Silence a March Past, organised by The Royal British Legion, takes place along Whitehall for veterans from all conflicts.
Request for your Help
Request for your help
MOD appeal for families of missing or killed soldiers from the Korean War
The Ministry of Defence is offering the opportunity for relatives of UK Service Personnel killed or missing in action in the Korean War to provide DNA samples to support identification of remains.
At the recent United States-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Summit, President Trump and Kim Jong Un signed the Sentosa Agreement, which included a commitment to recover remains from the DPRK and return them to the US, where they will be identified.
The remains may include UK casualties and the DNA samples will be used to support identification, over a number of years, to make sure any UK personnel identified are ultimately given military funerals at the United Nations cemetery in the Republic of Korea. The MOD also intend to cover costs for immediate family members to attend. UK personnel fought during the Korean War as part of the United Nations Command (UNC). The 3-year conflict between 1950 and 1953 led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives from Korea, China and the UNC.
Family members of those missing personnel who have no known grave are asked to call the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre on +44 1452 854622 or +44 1452 855258.
