- During the First World War on many of the battlefields in France and Belgium where fighting had occurred, red poppies began to grow and flower. People saw the flowers as a symbol of remembrance for those who had died. Today we wear poppies on Remembrance Day to honour all those who have died in war.
- The First World War touched the lives of so many people as everyone knew someone who had been killed or wounded. At the battle of the Somme, British Forces suffered their heaviest one-day loss ever, more than 57,000 men.
- Canadian John McCrae wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” while on the battlefield.
- The first Remembrance Day was conducted in 1919 throughout the Commonwealth. Originally called Armistice Day, it commemorated the end of World War I on Monday, November 11, 1918 at 11am: the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
- Over the years, Remembrance Sunday has been expanded to include those who lost their lives whilst serving our country in recent conflicts as over 16,000 British servicemen and women have died on duty since the Second World War.
- The Royal British Legion asks that you wear a poppy to show you remember and care for the people who have served their country through the British Armed Forces.
Photo: Copyright of The Royal British Legion
Next >>