Remembrance Day - is the day when the dead of two World Wars and other armed conflicts are remembered in the UK. The Armistice at the end of the First World War of 1914 - 1918 was signed on November 11th at precisely 11 am - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

For this reason, Remembrance Day is on the 11th of November each year although church services and many parades are held on the Sunday nearest to that date. See the diary for details of the Remembrance Day services in the Lyneham and Bradenstoke area.

We Remember Them:
"We Remember Them" What more appropriate ways to remember than with "We Remember Them," as a way of remembering those who are no longer with us. More...

At the rising of the sun and at its going down, We remember them. At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of Winter, We remember them. At the opening of buds and in the rebirth of Spring, We remember them. At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of Summer, We remember them. At the rustling of leaves and the beauty of Autumn, We remember them. At the beginning of the year and when it ends, We remember them. As long as we live, they too will live; for they are now a part of us, as we remember them. When we are weary and in need of strength, We remember them. When we are lost and sick at heart, We remember them. When we have joys we yearn to share, We remember them. When we have decisions that are difficult to make, We remember them. When we have achievements that are based on theirs, We remember them. As long as we live, they too shall live, for they are a part of us, as we remember them.

The most famous poem of 'We Remember Them', written by Lawrence Binyon:
They shall grow not old, As we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them . . Nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, And in the morning, We will remember them!

Poppy Day
The Poppy was adopted as the symbol of remembrance because it was so widespread on the sites of the battlefields of Europe after the First World War : the seeds of the common Field Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) germinate best in newly-cultivated soil, which is why it was such a common weed of cornfields until the widespread use of selective weedkillers relegated it to a wayside flower. The soil disturbances caused by trench-digging and shellfire produced ideal conditions for poppies to grow, and they appeared in vast numbers bringing a delicate beauty to areas which had seen such terrible scenes only a short while before.

Field Marshal Earl Haig (1861 -1928), commander of the allied forces on the Western Front, founded the Haig Fund to assist ex-servicemen disabled during WWI. This fund is now administered by the Royal British Legion and supports ex-servicemen and their dependents, and the Poppy Appeal continues to raise funds for this cause by selling small paper or fabric poppies, which are worn in November by the vast majority of the British public to signify their support and as a memorial to the victims of all wars.

Recent years have seen the reintroduction of the two minutes' silence on November 11th. Whilst the majority of public parades and Remembrance services are held on the Sunday nearest the 11th, in order to allow the maximum number of people to attend, the actual anniversary of the end of WWI is on the 11th of November and at precisely eleven o'clock most schools, factories, shops, offices, public buildings etc. come to a standstill as the two minutes silence is observed. Although this is purely voluntary and a matter for the individual's conscience, there has been widespread public support.