It’s been 107 years since the WWI ceasefire
Author: Chris MaskeryPublished 6 hours ago
Last updated 2 hours ago
The country will fall silent today as the UK marks Armistice Day.
At 11am today (11th November) people will take the time to pause and pay their respects to the past and present Armed Forces community, at the exact time and date that formal hostilities were ended in World War One.
heat radio will also be taking part, falling silent at 11am.
Today marks 107 years since the Western Front fell silent and the Armistice was signed, ending World War One.
Prince and Princess of Wales lead the commemoration services
The Prince of Wales will tell young people about the importance of wearing a red poppy and that “remembrance is for everyone” in a video message to mark Armistice Day.
William’s message to children across the UK is to be played out at the Royal British Legion’s Remembrance Assembly on Tuesday morning.
In his message, the prince says: “Armistice Day is an important time for us to stop and reflect – it is a reminder that remembrance is for everyone.
“When we remember, we connect with service in a personal way.
“We learn from the courage of others, and we carry their stories forward, so they are not forgotten.”
Meanwhile the Princess of Wales will attend the Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which will begin at 10.45am with a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a wreath laying on the Armed Forces Memorial.
Later today, William will join the King and Queen at Windsor Castle where a reception will honour veterans who served in the Pacific during the Second World War.
The event, which the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester will also attend, continues the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan).
How do we remember the fallen on Armistice Day?
Usually on Armistice Day at 11:00 a bugle call called The Last Post will be played out. This is followed by two minutes of silence where people remember and think about those who have died.
The silence is ended by the sounds of The Reveille which is another bugle call, originally used to wake or ‘rouse’ sleeping soldiers during conflict.
This year, Armistice Day falls after Remembrance Day, meaning many local authorities will have had formal remembrance services on Sunday.
The end of World War One
The armistice was signed at 05:00 on the 11th November 1918 in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest in France. The signing of the armistice marked the formal end of hostilities on the Western Front which came into affect 6 hours later.
The chief German negotiator was Matthias Erzberger, a civilian politician. On the side of the Allies, the signatories included Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, and British Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss.
World War One timeline
28 June 1914: Archduke Francis Ferdinand is assassinated. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, beginning World War I
2-7 August 1914: British forces arrive in France
6-12 September 1914: The First Battle of the Marne. 13,000 British casualties with 1,700 dead. 67,700 Germans dead
5 November 1914: Britain and France declare war on the Ottoman Empire
17 July 1915: Women demonstrate the right to work in war industries
1 July 1916 – 18 November 1916: Battle of the Somme. 420,00 British casualties. 1,499,000 casualties overall.
6 April 1917: The United States declares war on Germany
20 November 1917: First large-scale use of tanks in combat at Cambrai, France
11 November 1918: Germany signs the Armistice at Compiègne, ending World War I.
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