Nation to fall silent at home to mark Armistice Day on centenary of Unknown Warrior’s burial

Luke O'Reilly11 November 2020

Britons will fall silent in their homes in remembrance of the nation’s war dead on Armistice Day, as the coronavirus pandemic limits public commemorations.

People have been encouraged to pause on their doorsteps or by windows for the traditional two minutes silence at 11am on Wednesday.

Covid-19 related-restrictions on gatherings and travel have disrupted remembrance events this year, forcing last weekend’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph to be scaled back.

An invitation-only service due to be held at London’s Westminster Abbey on Wednesday will mark the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior.

The televised service, to be attended by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, will commemorate the funeral of an unknown British serviceman whose body was brought back from Northern France.

He was buried at the west end of the abbey’s nave on November 11 2020 to represent all those who lost their lives in the First World War but whose place of death was unknown or body never found.

Armistice Day 2020
Winston Churchill’s statue has been cleaned ahead of the commemoration
PA

Each year the two minutes Armistice Day silence marks the end of that four-year conflict, after an agreement between Germany and the Allies took effect at the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918.

The service and silence will be broadcast live on BBC One from 10:30am and will be lead by the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle.

It will also feature an address from the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Rt Hon Justin Welby.

Armistice Day 2020
Wreathes have been laid at memorials around the country
PA

Chief of the defence staff, the professional head of the armed forces, General Sir Nick Carter said: “The burial one hundred years ago of the Unknown Warrior was a seminal moment for the British people.

“To many of those who stood in silence or who made the pilgrimage to Westminster, he was not unknown at all.

“His very anonymity meant that he was the father, husband, son or brother who never came home from the war.

“Today the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior reminds us all that war has a cost and that we should never forget those who sacrificed their lives for our free and open way of life.“

Wednesday also marks 100 years since the inauguration of the permanent version of Cenotaph memorial on Whitehall in central London.

Armistice Day 2020
Liverpool’s St George’s Hall was illuminated in red
PA

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The centenary of the unveiling of the Cenotaph and the burial of the Unknown Warrior are a poignant reminder of the scale of loss suffered in the First World War and the continued importance of coming together as a nation to remember all those who have sacrificed their lives for this country.”

Elsewhere on Wednesday, more than 100 poppy wreaths will be placed on board early-morning train services heading to London.

Great Western Railway has joined forces with military charities, local authorities and military bases for the “Poppies to Paddington” operation which will involve nine train services and more than 60 stations on its network.

On arrival to Paddington station, the wreaths will be placed at its war memorial on platform one in time for 11am.

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