Thank You For Your Service - Thank You For Your Sacrifice

[AsleepInYorkshire]

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the guns fell silent.

Untold millions have paid the ultimate price to protect our liberties, freedom and values. Many more have served at times of conflict and terror since.

A priceless debt. A gift beyond measure. A legacy that has and should endure.

Thank you all for your sacrifice. Thank you all for your service.

We will remember.

There are some Fools who’s anonymity has to respectfully remain thus, and rightly so. On Sunday I will be privileged to see my daughter take part in the local Memorial Parade and Ceremonies. Apart from watching with eternal parental pride, I will also be able to say some thanks of my own including to those Fools who have served and are with us now.

Sometimes thank you never seems enough. I have recently come to understand it’s of great comfort to those who are recipients.

AiY(D)

[stewamax]

The choice of the 'eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month' has an interesting origin.
Prime Minister David Lloyd George had decided that the Armistice would come into force at 14.30 as this was the time he could announce it to the House of Commons.
But the Armistice negotiation was headed in France by a serving naval officer Vice Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, who recognised the significance for future commemorations of the 'eleventh hour...'. He also knew that that warfare and killing would continue until the very moment of ceasefire*. So he ignored Lloyd George's instruction and had the Armistice documents timed for the 'eleventh hour [CET]...'
Only then did he let Lloyd George know. And the latter went ballistic because it took the wind out of his sails for his parliamentary announcement.

* - not trivial: some 2700 men were killed on the last day

[doolally]

The choice of the 'eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month' has an interesting origin.
Prime Minister David Lloyd George had decided that the Armistice would come into force at 14.30 as this was the time he could announce it to the House of Commons.
But the Armistice negotiation was headed in France by a serving naval officer Vice Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, who recognised the significance for future commemorations of the 'eleventh hour...'. He also knew that that warfare and killing would continue until the very moment of ceasefire*. So he ignored Lloyd George's instruction and had the Armistice documents timed for the 'eleventh hour [CET]...'
Only then did he let Lloyd George know. And the latter went ballistic because it took the wind out of his sails for his parliamentary announcement.

* - not trivial: some 2700 men were killed on the last day

CET??!! I didn't know that. So we in the UK should perhaps mark the event at 10:00 GMT?
doolally

[stewamax]

CET??!! I didn't know that. So we in the UK should perhaps mark the event at 10:00 GMT?

Er... no. CET as we know it now was a misnomer: I should really have called it French time (see below). Many western European countries' winter time was actually in line with GMT.

The Armistice document is precise:
In 'Clauses relating to [NB] the Western Front' it says:
"Cessation of hostilities by land and in the air six hours after the signing of the armistice."
and later:
"The present armistice was signed on the 11th day of November, 1918, at 5 0'clock a. m. (French time)."

and French time then (France was using something called Western European Time - WET) was in line with GMT.
(Of European countries, WET is now only kept in Portugal, Canaries and Faroes.)