
Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918. Remembrance Sunday is held to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.
Remembrance Sunday is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages, attended by civic dignitaries, ex-servicemen and -women, members of local armed forces regular and reserve units, military cadet forces and uniformed youth organisations. Wreaths of remembrance poppies are laid on the memorials and two minutes’ silence is observed at 11 a.m.
The United Kingdom national ceremony is held in London at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Wreaths are laid by Queen Elizabeth II, principal members of the Royal Family normally including the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex and the Duke of Kent, the Prime Minister, leaders of the other major political parties, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets and the civilian services, and veterans’ groups. Two minutes’ silence is held at 11 a.m., before the laying of the wreaths. This silence is marked by the firing of a field gun on Horse Guards Parade to begin and end the silence, followed by Royal Marines buglers sounding Last Post.
The parade consists mainly of an extensive march past, with military bands playing music following the list of the Traditional Music of Remembrance.
Other members of the British Royal Family watch from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
After the ceremony, a parade of veterans and other related groups, organised by the Royal British Legion, marches past the Cenotaph, each section of which lays a wreath as it passes. Only ticketed participants can take part in the march past.
From 1919 until the Second World War remembrance observance was always marked on 11 November itself. It was then moved to Remembrance Sunday, but since the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1995, it has become usual to hold ceremonies on both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
Each year, the programme of music at the National Ceremony remains the same, following a programme finalised in 1930:
Rule, Britannia! by Thomas Arne
Heart of Oak by William Boyce
The Minstrel Boy by Thomas Moore
Men of Harlech
The Skye Boat Song
Isle of Beauty by Thomas Haynes Bayly
David of the White Rock
Oft in the Stilly Night by John Stevenson
Flowers of the Forest
Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar
Dido’s lament by Henry Purcell
O Valiant Hearts by Charles Harris
Solemn Melody by Walford Davies
Last Post – a bugle call
Beethoven’s Funeral March No. 1, by Johann Heinrich Walch
O God, Our Help in Ages Past – words by Isaac Watts, music by William Croft
Reveille – a bugle call
God Save The Queen
Other pieces of music are then played during the march past and wreath laying by veterans, starting with Trumpet Voluntary and followed by It’s A Long Way To Tipperary, the marching song of the Connaught Rangers, a famous British Army Irish Regiment of long ago.
Cenotaph Ceremony and March Past – 10 November 2013 Order of March and Ticket Allocation
Marker Detachment No of marchers
Number
Column D [Lead Column]
1 War Widows Association 126
2 British Gurkha Welfare Society 78
3 West Indian Association of Service Personnel 18
4 Trucial Oman Scouts Association 18
5 Bond Van Wapenbroeders 26
6 Polish Ex-Combatants Association in Great Britain Trust Fund 40
7 Canadian Veterans Association 10
9 Hong Kong Ex-Servicemen’s Association (UK Branch) 24
10 Hong Kong Military Service Corps 18
11 Foreign Legion Association 24
12 Not Forgotten Association 54
13 The Royal British Legion 348
14 The Royal British Legion Poppy Factory 6 New
15 The Royal British Legion Scotland 26
16 Ulster Defence Regiment 72
18 Northern Ireland Veterans’ Association 42
19 Irish United Nations Veterans Association 12
20 ONET UK 10
21 St Helena Government UK 24
22 Commando Veterans Association 30
23 South Atlantic Medal Association 196
24 SSAFA Forces Help 66
25 First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteers Corps) 12
26 Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen & Women 48
27 British Nuclear Test Veterans Association 48
28 British Limbless Ex-Service Men’s Association 48
29 British Ex-Services Wheelchair Sports Association 24
30 Royal Hospital Chelsea 30
31 Queen Alexandra’s Hospital Home for Disabled Ex-Servicemen 30
32 The Royal Star & Garter Homes 20
33 Combat Stress 48
34 Walking With The Wounded 14
Total 1,590
Column E
1 Merchant Navy Association 150
2 Royal Naval Association 160
3Royal Marines Association 198
4Aircraft Handlers Association36
5Telegraphist Air Gunners Association12
6Aircrewmans Association30
7Cloud Observers Association10
8Fleet Air Arm Armourers Association36
9Fleet Air Arm Association30
10Fleet Air Arm Bucaneer Association24
11Fleet Air Arm Field Gun Association24
12Fleet Air Arm Junglie Association18
13Fleet Air Arm Officers Association40
14Fleet Air Arm Safety Equipment & Survival Association18
15Sea Harrier Association24
16Flower Class Corvette Association18
17LST & Landing Craft Association10
18HMS Andromeda Association18
19HMS Bulwark, Albion & Centaur Association22
20HMS Cumberland Association18
21HMS Ganges Association36
22HMS Glasgow Association30
23HMS St Vincent Association36
24HMS Tiger Association20
25Algerines Association25
26Ton Class Association30
27Type 42 Association35 New
28Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service35
29VAD RN Association18
30Association of WRENS90
31Royal Fleet Auxiliary Association10
32Royal Naval Communications Association30
33Royal Naval Medical Branch Ratings & Sick Berth Staff Association 6
34Royal Naval Benevolent Trust18
35Royal Navy School of Physical Training24
36Russian Convoy Club30
37Yangtze Incident Association24
38Special Boat Service Association 6
39Submariners Association30
40Association of Royal Yachtsmen24
41Broadsword Association36
Total 1,489
Column F
1British Korean Veterans Association 500
2National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association98
3Normandy Veterans Association 6
4National Service Veterans Alliance 150
5Italy Star Association48
6Monte Cassino Society20
7Gallantry Medallists League36
8National Pigeon War Service30
9National Gulf Veterans & Families Association30
10Fellowship of the Services 150
11Burma Star Association50
12Far East Prisoners of War 8
14Memorable Order of Tin Hats36
15Suez Veterans Association50
16Aden Veterans Association84
171st Army Association36
18Showmens’ Guild of Great Britain30
19Queen’s Bodyguard of The Yeoman of The Guard18
20Popski’s Private Army 4
21Pen and Sword Club18
22Black and White Club18 New
Total 1,420
Column A
2Royal Northumberland Fusiliers48
3The Duke of Lancaster’s Regimental Association30
4Green Howards Association44
6Cheshire Regiment Association24
7Sherwood Foresters & Worcestershire Regiment36
8Mercian Regiment Association30
9Rifles Regimental Association48
10The Rifles & Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire & Wiltshire Regimental Association
30
11Royal Irish Regiment Association12
12Durham Light Infantry Association60
13King’s Royal Rifle Corps Association60
14Light Infantry Association48 New
151LI Association36 New
16Royal Green Jackets Association 198
17Parachute Regimental Association 174
18The Royal Regiment of Scotland Association18 New
19Royal Scots Regimental Association40
20King’s Own Scottish Borderers50
21Black Watch Association45
22Gordon Highlanders Association60
23Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Association 6
24The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)24 New
25Grenadier Guards Association48
26Coldstream Guards Association48
27Scots Guards Association40
28Guards Parachute Association36
294 Company Association (Parachute Regiment)24
30Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment72
32Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) Past & Present Association30
33Royal Sussex Regimental Association12
34Royal Hampshire Regiment Comrades Association12
Total 1,443
Column B
1Blind Veterans UK 198
2Royal Scots Dragoon Guards30
3Royal Dragoon Guards78
4Queen’s Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own & Royal Irish)12
5Kings Royal Hussars Regimental Association96
6The 16/5th Queen’s Royal Lancers36 New
7Gurkha Brigade Association36
8JLR RAC Old Boys’ Association30
943rd Reconnaissance Regiment Old Comrades Association 6
10Army Dog Unit Northern Ireland Association48
11North Irish Horse & Irish Regiments Old Comrades Association78
12Association of Ammunition Technicians36
13Beachley Old Boys Association36
14Arborfield Old Boys Association18
15Women’s Royal Army Corps Association 120
16656 Squadron Association72
17Home Guard Association12
183rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery Association60
19Royal Artillery Association18
20Royal Engineers Association30
21Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Association65
22Airborne Engineers Association24
23Mill Hill (Postal & Courier Services) Veterans’ Association30 New
24Royal Signals Association48
25Army Air Corps Association42
26Royal Army Service Corps & Royal Corps of Transport Association40
27RAOC Association18
28Army Catering Corps Association48
29Royal Pioneer Corps Association54
30Reconnaissance Corps18
31Royal Army Medical Corps Association36
32Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Association48
33Royal Military Police Association 100
34The RAEC and ETS Branch Association 6
35Royal Army Pay Corps Regimental Association36
36Royal Army Veterinary Corps & Royal Army Dental Corps18
37Intelligence Corps Association30
38Royal Army Physical Training Corps24
39Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps Association48
Total 1,783
Column C
1Royal Air Forces Association 125
2Royal Air Force Regiment Association 300
3Royal Air Forces Ex-Prisoner’s of War Association20
4 Federation of Royal Air Force Apprentice & Boy Entrant Associations 150
5Royal Air Force Air Loadmasters Association24
6Royal Air Force Police Association90
7Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service Association40
8Bomber Command Association20
9Royal Observer Corps Association80
10National Service (Royal Air Force) Association42
11RAFLING Association24
126 Squadron (Royal Air Force) Association18
137 Squadron Association30
14RAF Habbaniya Association30
15Royal Air Force & Defence Fire Services Association30
16Air Sea Rescue & Marine Craft Sections Club12
17Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Association30
18Royal Air Force Butterworth & Penang Association 6
19Royal Air Force Yatesbury Association15
20Royal Air Force Airfield Construction Branch Association12
21Women’s Auxiliary Air Force12
22Blenheim Society18
23Coastal Command & Maritime Air Association24
Total 1,152
Column M
1Transport For London48
2First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteers Corps)24
3Munitions Workers Association18
4Children of the Far East Prisoners of War60
5Evacuees Reunion Association48
6TOC H12
7Salvation Army36
8NAAFI12
10Civil Defence Association10
11British Resistance Movement (Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team)12 New
12National Association of Retired Police Officers36
13Metropolitan Special Constabulary36
14London Ambulance Service NHS Trust36
15London Ambulance Service Retirement Association18
16St John Ambulance36
17St Andrew’s Ambulance Association 6
18Firefighters Memorial Trust24
19Royal Ulster Constabulary (GC) Association36
20Ulster Special Constabulary Association30
21Commonwealth War Graves Commission12
22Daniel’s Trust36
23Civilians Representing Families85
24Royal Mail Group Ltd24
25Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals24
26The Blue Cross18
27PDSA24
28HM Ships Glorious Ardent & ACASTA Association24
29Old Cryptians’ Club12
30Fighting G Club18
31Malayan Volunteers Group12
32Gallipoli Association18
33Ministry of Defence30
34RBL Non Ex-Service Members 123
35Union Jack Club12
36Western Front Association11
37Shot at Dawn Pardons Campaign18
38Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes24
39National Association of Round Tables24
40Lions Club International24
41Rotary International24
4241 Club 6 New
43Equity12
44Romany & Traveller Society18
45Sea Cadet Corps30
46Combined Cadet Force30
47Army Cadet Force30
48Air Training Corps30
49Scout Association30
50Girlguiding London & South East England30
51Boys Brigade30
52Girls Brigade England & Wales30
53Church Lads & Church Girls Brigade30
54Metropolitan Police Volunteer Police Cadets18
55St John Ambulance Cadets18
56British Red Cross12 New
Total 1,489
Newindicates first time participation in 2013.
Cenotaph Ceremony & March Past – 10 November 2013 Summary of Contingent Composition
Column A 1,443
Column B 1,783
Column C 1,152
Column D 1,590
Column E 1,489
Column F 1,420
Sub-total 8,877
Column M 1,489
Total 10,366
News report on 10 November 2013
Remembrance Sunday 2013: The Queen leads nation in honouring fallen heroes
Her Majesty laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph on Whitehall as the UK fell silent at 11am in tribute to those who lost their lives in conflict
The Queen was joined by Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family as she led the nation in honouring members of the Armed Forces killed in conflict.
The monarch laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph on Whitehall to commemorate all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the decades since the First World War, bowing her head after paying her respects.
As Remembrance Sunday services took place around the UK to remember our war dead, the royals, politicians, military leaders, veterans and serving personnel laid wreaths of poppies at the monument.
Prince Harry was laying the wreath on behalf of his father Prince Charles, who is currently abroad on an official tour of India with the Duchess of Cornwall, and was marking the occasion there.
Kate Middleton, who dressed in a navy, military-style coat, watched from a balcony with Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence.
Troops in Afghanistan were joined by the Duke of York, who laid a wreath during a service held at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province to mark Remembrance Sunday.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond also flew to Afghanistan last night to join servicemen and women.
Millions across the UK fell silent in tribute to those lost in war, joining the crowds gathered in central London who stood in a moment of quiet contemplation as Big Ben struck 11am.
During the two-minute silence, only the distant sounds of traffic and the rustling of leaves could be heard, despite the fact that police said Whitehall was at capacity.
The beginning and end of the silence was marked with the firing of a round by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, using a 13-pounder First World War gun.
In cold but bright weather, the royals and dignitaries then laid their wreaths at the Cenotaph.
Prime Minister David Cameron was first after the royals to do so, followed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband.
Former prime ministers Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and London Mayor Boris Johnson also attended the ceremony.
The Duchess of Cambridge was accompanied on the Foreign Office balcony by the Countess of Wessex and Vice Admiral Tim Laurence.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who joined the Royal Navy in 1939, wore the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet for the ceremony. Prince Harry, who has undertaken two tours of duty in Afghanistan, wore the uniform of a Captain in the Household Cavalry. His brother William left operational service recently after more than seven years in the forces. He wore the uniform of Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant.
Following the wreath-laying, the Bishop of London the Right Reverend Richard Chartres conducted a short service in his role as Dean of HM Chapels Royal.
More than 10,000 veterans and civilians then marched past the Cenotaph to pay their respects to their departed comrades, led this year by members of the War Widows Association, wearing black coats and red scarves.
They were all warmly applauded as they paraded past, some veterans in wheelchairs and motorised scooters as they marked the loss of their comrades.
There was a large contingent of veterans from the Korean War, the armistice of which was 60 years ago.
The 70th anniversaries of the Battle of the Atlantic and the Dambusters’ Raid were also marked this year.
Posted by veryamateurish on 2013-11-17 14:31:36
Tagged: , London , Whitehall , Cenotaph , Remembrance Sunday , Commemoration , Ceremony , British , Military , Westminster , Remembrance Sunday 2013