0:00:11 > 0:00:17Good morning from London.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19On this Remembrance Sunday, thousands of veterans
0:00:19 > 0:00:22and their families come to the heart of this city to pay tribute
0:00:22 > 0:00:25to those who have died in war.
0:00:25 > 0:00:34The setting - the iconic buildings.
0:00:34 > 0:00:40Westminster Abbey, on the left, the Houses of Parliament
0:00:40 > 0:00:43and beyond, the Elizabeth Tower, in which hangs Big Ben.
0:00:43 > 0:00:49Its familiar sound used to mark the hours, but for the past few
0:00:49 > 0:00:56months, it has been silent as repairs are made to the Tower.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today it has been briefly reprieved to ring out
0:00:58 > 0:01:0311 o'clock and the start of the Two Minutes' Silence.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05The ceremony this morning takes place around the Cenotaph
0:01:05 > 0:01:09in the middle of Whitehall.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Since 8am, people have been passing through security barriers to find
0:01:12 > 0:01:18a place to watch the ceremony.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24They come from all over the United Kingdom and abroad. Some, many, in
0:01:24 > 0:01:30the front row for the first time. They stand ten deep here, some bring
0:01:30 > 0:01:34young children, some are here because their parents or
0:01:34 > 0:01:41grandparents are too old to come any more but they want the date to be
0:01:41 > 0:01:49remembered. At the heart of the ceremony, The Cenotaph built in
0:01:49 > 0:01:541920, to commemorate the dead in the First World War.
0:01:54 > 0:02:001914-1918.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03This November 100 years ago, the battle of Passchendaele ended.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05"Mud, mud, everywhere.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Filthy, oozing mud," one soldier wrote.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12And the Chief of Staff later said, "Did we really send
0:02:12 > 0:02:16men to fight in that?"
0:02:19 > 0:02:29In three months, half a million men lost their lives.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32The First World War was a war so brutal that it was hoped it
0:02:32 > 0:02:36would end the use of war as a political weapon.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41The truth was otherwise.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44From the Second World War in 1939-1945, there has barely been
0:02:44 > 0:02:47a year without more deaths to commemorate, more
0:02:47 > 0:02:50seriously wounded to restore to some kind of life,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and more families to console.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59So here in London, and in churches and war memorials across the country
0:02:59 > 0:03:07and abroad, there is much to reflect on this November weekend.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Beyond the Cenotaph on Whitehall, several thousand ex-servicemen
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and women have been gathering on Horse Guards Parade,
0:03:18 > 0:03:27ready for the march past and the laying of wreaths.
0:03:27 > 0:03:33Many come year after year to remember lost comrades.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43The war they fought in is different from now, the techniques of warfare
0:03:43 > 0:03:48have changed but the courage needed to carry out some of the most
0:03:48 > 0:03:54dangerous missions does not. Two men who served generations apart in very
0:03:54 > 0:04:01different wards are united by their similar experience of battle.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02My name is George Foggo.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I joined the army in 1942 and I was a member of the
0:04:06 > 0:04:15Bomb Disposal.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18In 1940, 41, life expectancy of bomb disposal was only
0:04:18 > 0:04:20about a month to six weeks.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22My name is Tom Flanagan, I worked as a bomb disposal
0:04:22 > 0:04:28officer, in Afghanistan.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31My experiences were very ordinary.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33If I were to compare it to other
0:04:33 > 0:04:34servicemen or women, deployed in Afghanistan,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36but certainly very extraordinary in my life.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41It's great to meet a man from the same area in warfare.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Entirely different, but yet it's the same.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45Yeah, I completely agree.
0:04:45 > 0:04:54I think the only thing that separates it is 70 odd years.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The first call out, if you like, that you had,
0:04:57 > 0:04:58can you remember that?
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Yes, oh yes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00I was terrified.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Absolutely terrified.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04And anybody who says that they went to dig out a bomb,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06or into a minefield, and say they weren't afraid,
0:05:06 > 0:05:13I'm sure they're damned liars.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15After the task's complete then there's
0:05:15 > 0:05:17a feeling of euphoria, I guess, especially your first task.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19You've got that done.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I can do this.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The training's all been leading up to this and it's gone well.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And what was your role in France?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Six weeks solid lifting mines.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Wow.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34And that was the worst six weeks of my Army life.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40Lifting mines was more exhausting than the bombs,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44because your concentration is so high there.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46So the mines were laid in a pattern?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48They were always laid in a pattern, yes.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53But the Germans put in rogues here and there to try and catch us out.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55To try and catch you out.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56These were buried beneath the surface.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Yes, oh, aye.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And how did you find those mines?
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Just with a mine detector.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03OK.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06You used to only use the detector about 20 minutes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Why?
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Because you were that tense, that you began to get mixed up.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Mm-hm.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16We were there out on the field all day long and you were under
0:06:16 > 0:06:26tension the whole time.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30IEDs would be discovered in a number of ways -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33whether you were doing a planned op and you used your search team
0:06:33 > 0:06:35with your searchers out the front using their metal detectors,
0:06:35 > 0:06:36if you like.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39A lot of the devices were very basic.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Really?
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Yeah, absolutely.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Aye.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48We didn't lose anybody in the mines, in our platoon,
0:06:48 > 0:06:53but another platoon lost five in one go.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57There were five men just blown to bits.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And did you lose any men when you were there?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00No.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06I was very lucky in that my team were all OK.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09We had a few friends who were injured permanently.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And I remember that affecting me a little
0:07:11 > 0:07:12bit at the time.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Yes, it would do.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But you just have to get on with it.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Aye.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I enjoyed my tour, I found it very rewarding, I felt
0:07:19 > 0:07:21like I was making a difference.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22But you have to remember that there's
0:07:22 > 0:07:27lots of people who've given the ultimate sacrifice.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Over a decade ago, a new war memorial was unveiled on Whitehall -
0:07:40 > 0:07:45the bronze memorial to Women of World War II.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48The role of women in society has changed dramatically
0:07:48 > 0:07:52since the First World War, when women undertook
0:07:52 > 0:07:57all kinds of work as long as it was not fighting.
0:07:57 > 0:08:07By the Second World War, their role had changed and today,
0:08:07 > 0:08:17they serve alongside men in the front line, at sea,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22on land and in the air. Sophie Raworth has with her
0:08:22 > 0:08:31serving women of today.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Serving members of the Armed Forces cannot take part in the march-past
0:08:34 > 0:08:39today but I'm joined by three women who are all here, they have come to
0:08:39 > 0:08:44watch and also come here to mark the centenary. I'm joined by Leading
0:08:44 > 0:08:52Hand Tina Keel, Corporal Cassie Collins and Sergeant Rita Rana.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57Cassie Collins, the women in your family very much embody how women's
0:08:57 > 0:09:02roles have changed over the past 100 years.Yes, I have a total of over
0:09:02 > 0:09:07100 years of family service history, my grandmother served in the
0:09:07 > 0:09:11catering Corps, my mother was a Royal Air Force supplier and I am a
0:09:11 > 0:09:17personal support clerk.And you are going to be sent next year to
0:09:17 > 0:09:22Afghanistan?Yes, I will be leaving behind my two -year-old little girl.
0:09:22 > 0:09:30Tina, you have seen how it all changed because you joined as a Wren
0:09:30 > 0:09:35in the 1990s, didn't you?Yes, there weren't too many opportunities to
0:09:35 > 0:09:40follow the aircraft at the time but since then we have had all of the
0:09:40 > 0:09:44front line jobs available to us and there's nothing really we cannot do
0:09:44 > 0:09:50in the Royal Navy now.Do you feel when you serve you stand shoulder to
0:09:50 > 0:09:55shoulder with the men or is there a difference?No, there's no
0:09:55 > 0:09:59difference, I very much feel I stand shoulder to shoulder with the men I
0:09:59 > 0:10:06work with.Rita, you joined more recently but your father was a
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Gurkha?Yes, that's right, I joined in 2009, my father did 27 years of
0:10:11 > 0:10:16service in the Gurkha rifles and prior to that my grandfather served
0:10:16 > 0:10:24as well so he went to Malay war and Borneo war, my father went to
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Falklands in 1982.And as a woman joining the forces, do you feel you
0:10:28 > 0:10:35are shoulder to shoulder with the men, you can do what the men do now?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Yes, on a daily basis we do what they do so we are doing the physical
0:10:39 > 0:10:46side the same as the guys, so yes, I feel we are standing shoulder to
0:10:46 > 0:10:52shoulder, absolutely.Because when you think, 100 years ago, before
0:10:52 > 0:10:561917, women could be nurses and that was it, then everything changed and
0:10:56 > 0:11:03nowadays it is the close combat roles being opened up.Yes, we are
0:11:03 > 0:11:08really fortunate, the first service to open up the combat roles in the
0:11:08 > 0:11:13Royal Air Force Regiment. Women have been serving in close combat roles
0:11:13 > 0:11:18supporting infantry 's and regiments for a number of years now whether
0:11:18 > 0:11:24that is medics, pilots, loadmasters, there a multiple... A multitude of
0:11:24 > 0:11:28roles women have been doing for years now.How important is it for
0:11:28 > 0:11:33you to be here today on this centenary?Very important, a time of
0:11:33 > 0:11:37reflection, to think about my ancestors who have served before me,
0:11:37 > 0:11:43in recent years people going to conflicts.When you joined the Royal
0:11:43 > 0:11:48Navy, as a woman you couldn't even go to the front line, could you?No,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I worked on is quadrant but I couldn't go front line so there
0:11:51 > 0:11:56wasn't anywhere for me to go apart from a training area which didn't
0:11:56 > 0:11:59seem fair at the time but that's the way it was.And what does it mean
0:11:59 > 0:12:04for both of you to be here today?I think it's a good opportunity to
0:12:04 > 0:12:08give thanks to all of our colleagues we serve alongside now and the
0:12:08 > 0:12:13millions of people we will never get to meet that served for us.And
0:12:13 > 0:12:19Rita, your father is here, he has been before but you haven't?Yes,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23she comes here with his friends every year for the Remembrance
0:12:23 > 0:12:34parade and it is a special occasion for me today as well, remembering my
0:12:34 > 0:12:37grandfather who is no longer with us, and all of the fallen heroes.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Thank you for talking to us, and a special day for all of you, thank
0:12:40 > 0:12:44you. What a remarkable change. 100 years
0:12:44 > 0:12:48since the first women served in the Armed Forces.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50There is one major change in the ceremonial here today.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Her Majesty the Queen, who has laid a wreath on behalf
0:12:53 > 0:12:56of the nation almost every year since she came to the throne,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58will this year no longer fulfill that duty, but will watch
0:12:58 > 0:13:03from a balcony as Prince Charles lays a wreath on her behalf.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Buckingham Palace says this is because she wants to be
0:13:06 > 0:13:15beside the Duke of Edinburgh.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21He has given up his official duties. She will be looking down on the
0:13:21 > 0:13:24veterans waiting to march-past later, and on the hollow square, the
0:13:24 > 0:13:36formal part of the parade that surrounds The Cenotaph. The Royal
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Navy contingents, the Clyde from 40 commando from the Royal Fleet
0:13:41 > 0:13:48artillery. The Household Cavalry, the Life Guards. Mounting it today,
0:13:48 > 0:13:5325 of them under the command of Captain Vaughan. And the King's
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery to their left. They fire the salute
0:13:58 > 0:14:06at the start and end of the two-minute silence. Then the Royal
0:14:06 > 0:14:13Air Force. Among them, 22 women from different stations, and the queens
0:14:13 > 0:14:20colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Then also here, the
0:14:20 > 0:14:34engineers, the reserve forces, 101 Engineer Regiment. And with the
0:14:34 > 0:14:45first Engineer Regiment, you may be able to see later on the colonel
0:14:45 > 0:14:49commanding it. Also the Red Cross, many of them were involved in the
0:14:49 > 0:14:56Grenfell Tower disaster, and on other major events here too on this
0:14:56 > 0:15:02hollow square.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19This morning of Remembrance begins with the Massed Bands of the
0:15:19 > 0:15:27Household Division and what is called the traditional music.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Under the direction of Liutenant
0:15:29 > 0:15:38Colonel Kevin Roberts, the Senior Director of Music,
0:15:38 > 0:15:43appearing here for the last time.
0:15:43 > 0:15:52He starts with Rule Britannia.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04MUSIC: Rule Britannia - Arne.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06The official march of the Royal Navy,
0:17:06 > 0:17:07Heart of Oak.
0:17:07 > 0:17:13MUSIC: Heart Of Oak - Boyce.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46The Minstrel Boy.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The minstrel boy to the war is gone, in the
0:17:48 > 0:17:52ranks of death you'll find him.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57MUSIC: Minstrel Boy - trad arr.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Now the Welsh anthem, Men of Harlech.
0:18:43 > 0:18:50MUSIC: Men of Harlech - trad arr.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Massed Bands...
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Stand at ease.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Visinia drum Major Scott Fitzgerald of the Coldstream Guards and the
0:20:16 > 0:20:20music is taken up by the Pipes and Drums of the 4th Battalion the Royal
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Regiment of Scotland.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The Skye Boat Song.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31MUSIC: Skye Boat Song - McLeod.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Massed Bands...
0:21:17 > 0:21:19And now the Massed Bands play Isle of
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Beauty, David Of The White Rock and Oft in
0:21:21 > 0:21:25the Stilly Night.
0:21:36 > 0:21:43MUSIC: Isle of Beauty - trad arr.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Everyone who has come to march past the Cenotaph today
0:21:59 > 0:22:02has a story to tell.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Thousands of stories of physical and mental pain,
0:22:07 > 0:22:14of stress and of the misery of loss.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Let's hear three of those stories.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I was shot by sniper rifle.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23A large bullet had gone through my neck and it had taken
0:22:23 > 0:22:25most of my spinal cord.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I heard a bang, and that's when the other guy who was with me
0:22:29 > 0:22:30said, "Mark, I think you've been shot."
0:22:30 > 0:22:33They said, you know, with the extent of my injuries
0:22:33 > 0:22:35they've come to the conclusion that I'm never going to be
0:22:35 > 0:22:38able to walk again.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42My whole world had just ended really.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I think if someone had come and said right,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I would have asked them to finish the job off really.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I've done some extremely hard courses in my Army career,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56but that was probably the hardest thing I've done, my rehabilitation.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I ended up walking out on a walking stick.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I was assessed to have severe post-traumatic stress disorder
0:23:07 > 0:23:11caused by my time in the Falklands.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I was having night terrors.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15I became very combative, argumentative
0:23:15 > 0:23:20with my children and with my wife.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24My wife was coming to the end of her tether, and she said that
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I had to go for help.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And she actually came with me to the doctor's surgery.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34I started to talk, but I just broke down.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36I went on the six-week course recommended to me
0:23:36 > 0:23:40by my psychologist.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44I met people who were going through exactly the same thing as I was.
0:23:44 > 0:23:52Since having treatment, I've been able to cope a lot better.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Charlie Henry Wood was my husband and he was killed
0:23:55 > 0:23:59in Afghanistan on 28th December 2010.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02He told me that he loved me, but if anything happened he'd
0:24:02 > 0:24:06want me to continue with my life.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11I told him to go out there, stay safe, and don't try and be a hero.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14That he just needed to make sure that he came home in one piece,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18and to bring all his soldiers with him.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I still think to this day that he knew that he was never
0:24:21 > 0:24:23going to come home.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Obviously the normal situation would be that they would come
0:24:26 > 0:24:28to the house to tell me, but obviously they couldn't track me
0:24:28 > 0:24:30down because it was Christmas.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31I was away from home.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35A gentleman came on the phone and he asked if I was Mrs Heather Wood,
0:24:35 > 0:24:40and I knew straightaway.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43And suddenly within a split second my whole life had gone.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I'd lost everything.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50The day that Charlie died there was 9,000 troops
0:24:50 > 0:24:54in Afghanistan at that time, and Charlie was the one
0:24:54 > 0:25:00that got killed.
0:25:02 > 0:25:09Yeah - why?
0:25:20 > 0:25:30Massed Bands. Stand at ease.
0:25:30 > 0:25:36MUSIC: David Of The White Rock - trad arr.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52The Pipes and Drums playing now have a reputation for showing quite
0:25:52 > 0:25:57extraordinary courage in battle, leading the troops over the top of
0:25:57 > 0:26:10the trenches. 500 pipers were killed in World War I. They play now the
0:26:10 > 0:26:14lament the Flowers Of The Forest.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22MUSIC: Flowers Of The Forest - trad arr.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Massed Bands...
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Massed Bands...
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Attention!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Now the haunting notes of the most reflective of Edward Elgar's
0:27:53 > 0:27:54Enigma Variations,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Nimrod.
0:27:56 > 0:28:04MUSIC: Nimrod - Elgar.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Dido's Lament by Henry Purcell.
0:31:32 > 0:31:42"When I am laid in earth, remember me but forget my fate".
0:31:43 > 0:31:45It plays as we wait for the procession of clergy
0:31:45 > 0:31:52and choir who will lead the service of Remembrance.
0:33:22 > 0:33:33A Crossbearer, Edward
0:33:33 > 0:33:39Fanshawe, Leeds the children and gentlemen of the Chapel Royal. The
0:33:39 > 0:33:44Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal and former Bishop of London, Doctor
0:33:44 > 0:33:59Richard Chartres, who will be conducting the service.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14And they will be followed by the Major-General commanding the
0:34:14 > 0:34:22Household Division 's procession, traditionally the personal guard of
0:34:22 > 0:34:34the sovereign. Doctor charters no longer Bishop of London but still
0:34:34 > 0:34:56holds this post of dean of the Chapel Royal. -- Dr Chartres.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17The Major-General 's procession for unknown reasons has not come out
0:35:17 > 0:35:20onto Whitehall, they may have changed the arrangement is a bit
0:35:20 > 0:35:27because here, led by Theresa May the Prime Minister, and Jeremy Corbyn,
0:35:27 > 0:35:39the Leader of the Opposition, come the politicians. Leader of the SNP
0:35:39 > 0:35:49on the left, former Prime Minister behind, Sir John Major, Tony Blair.
0:35:49 > 0:36:02Here is the Major-General 's procession. Led by the Chief of the
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Defence staff, Sir Stuart Piech, the First Sea Lord the chief of the
0:36:06 > 0:36:12General staff, the Chief of the Air Staff. And the long line of High
0:36:12 > 0:36:17Commissioners, 45 High Commissioner 's, what you might call the
0:36:17 > 0:36:26ambassadors the Commonwealth countries. They are joined by the
0:36:26 > 0:36:41new Irish ambassador, laying the green wreath.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48And as they line up, we are waiting for the 15 different religious
0:36:48 > 0:36:58denominations, who come here to take part in the service.
0:37:03 > 0:37:12The Roman Catholic Church, the free churches, the Buddhist faith, the
0:37:12 > 0:37:20Methodists, the Islamic adviser and the imam of the Armed Forces, the
0:37:20 > 0:37:25Hindu chaplain to the Armed Forces, the president of the Baptist union,
0:37:25 > 0:37:33the network of Sikh organisations, reform Judaism, the Salvation Army,
0:37:33 > 0:37:42the Greek Orthodox Church and the Church of Scotland represented here.
0:37:42 > 0:37:49Behind you just saw the Major-Generals parade, the Household
0:37:49 > 0:37:56Division, coming on parade to take their place. And for the first time,
0:37:56 > 0:38:05the two speakers in the centre there, John Bercow, Speaker of the
0:38:05 > 0:38:08House of Commons, and Lord Fowler on the right, the Speaker of the House
0:38:08 > 0:38:17of Lords, will be laying wreaths. So we are now waiting for the members
0:38:17 > 0:38:22of the Royal family after the guard has been brought to attention to
0:38:22 > 0:38:27come on parade.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38The Prince of Wales leads out seven members of the Royal family. He will
0:38:38 > 0:38:44be laying of wreath, that is normally laid by Her Majesty the
0:38:44 > 0:38:50Queen on behalf of the nation. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Henry of
0:38:50 > 0:39:02Wales, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex.
0:39:07 > 0:39:19The Princess Royal and Duke of Kent are there and their equerry is.
0:39:30 > 0:39:36And on the balcony, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen, watching.
0:39:36 > 0:39:45As we approach the 11 o'clock and the two minute silence.
0:39:46 > 0:39:59Big Ben CHIMES THE HOUR
0:42:03 > 0:42:14MUSIC: Last Post
0:43:41 > 0:43:50The Prince of Wales first lays the wreath on behalf of the Queen. And
0:43:50 > 0:44:02he will later lay one on his own behalf.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06The Queen, watching from the balcony with the Duke of Edinburgh beside
0:44:06 > 0:44:16her. And now, on behalf of the Duke of Edinburgh, the equerry lays his
0:44:16 > 0:44:25wreath.
0:44:37 > 0:44:43And now the Prince of Wales lays his own wreath. The Prince of Wales, his
0:44:43 > 0:44:50colonel in chief who commanded in the Royal Navy and was a helicopter
0:44:50 > 0:44:58pilot, as many members of the Royal family have seen their career in the
0:44:58 > 0:45:09services. He is followed by the Duke of Cambridge. The Duke of Cambridge
0:45:09 > 0:45:14comes with Prince Henry of Wales, his brother, and the Duke of York.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19All three of them have served. The Duke of Cambridge, seven and a half
0:45:19 > 0:45:25years of military service, Prince Henry, two tours of Afghanistan, the
0:45:25 > 0:45:28Duke of York in the Royal Navy and Sea King helicopters in the
0:45:28 > 0:45:38Falklands. Watched from the balcony by Princess Alexandra and the
0:45:38 > 0:45:53Duchess of Cambridge in the middle and the Countess of Wessex. The
0:45:53 > 0:46:01Princess Royal, Duke of Kent, the Earl of Wessex, lay their wreaths.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06The Princess Royal is Admiral and Chief Commandant for women in the
0:46:06 > 0:46:08Royal Navy.
0:46:10 > 0:46:21Stand at ease.The politicians' turn now led by the Prime Minister
0:46:21 > 0:46:25Theresa May.
0:46:58 > 0:47:07The Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn.
0:47:17 > 0:47:23MUSIC: The Supreme Sacrifice - Harris.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Ian Blackford on behalf of the Scottish National Party, their
0:47:29 > 0:47:34leader in the House of Commons, and on behalf also of Plaid Cymru, the
0:47:34 > 0:47:35Welsh National party.
0:47:52 > 0:48:00He is followed by Vince Cable, the new leader of the Liberal Democrats.
0:48:22 > 0:48:29Nigel Dodds, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in the
0:48:29 > 0:48:33House of Commons for Northern Ireland.
0:48:49 > 0:48:54And now in an addition to this ceremony at the Speaker of the House
0:48:54 > 0:48:57of Commons John Bercow.
0:49:24 > 0:49:30And the Speaker of the House of Lords Lord Fowler.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54After him, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who lays flowers on
0:49:54 > 0:49:59behalf of the overseas territories, places like the nude, Cayman Islands
0:49:59 > 0:50:00and Falklands and Gibraltar and St
0:50:04 > 0:50:11-- places like Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Falklands and Gibraltar
0:50:11 > 0:50:17and St Helena.
0:50:20 > 0:50:27Now the first of the High Commissioner is, they normally come
0:50:27 > 0:50:31at the end, but they are the oldest members of the Commonwealth, Canada,
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India, all of whom had thousands
0:50:35 > 0:50:40and thousands of people serving both in the first and Second World War.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45Indeed, India's Acting Commissioner is here and was said to have nearly
0:50:45 > 0:50:512.5 million people by August 1945 underarms.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00They are followed by the High Commissioners, or Deputy High
0:51:00 > 0:51:07Commissioners, of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Malaysia, Nigeria,
0:51:07 > 0:51:17Cyprus, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and
0:51:17 > 0:51:22Uganda.
0:51:43 > 0:51:55Following them, Kenya, Malawi, Malta, George Cross, Zambia,
0:51:55 > 0:52:07Singapore, Guyana, Botswana and Lesotho.
0:52:32 > 0:52:44And now Barbados, Mauritius, Swaziland, Tonga, Fiji, Bangladesh,
0:52:44 > 0:52:52The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea and the Seychelles.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14And the final group of High Commissioners from the Commonwealth
0:53:14 > 0:53:23of Dominique, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines -- Dominica, Belize
0:53:23 > 0:53:27and Antigua & Barbuda, St Christopher & Nevis, Brunei
0:53:27 > 0:53:40Darussalam, Namibia, Cameroon, Mozambique and Rwanda. The last two
0:53:40 > 0:53:45recent members of the Commonwealth who were not actually involved in
0:53:45 > 0:53:49the fighting in the first and second world wars but they are here because
0:53:49 > 0:53:55they are members of the Commonwealth and have an entitlement to lay their
0:53:55 > 0:54:01wreaths. They are followed by the Ambassador of Ireland to Great
0:54:01 > 0:54:07Britain Adrian O'Neill.
0:54:10 > 0:54:17The Irish regiments who serve way back, the Irish Guards established
0:54:17 > 0:54:21under Queen Victoria fought in both world wars.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31The Service Chiefs come next, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir
0:54:31 > 0:54:35Stuart Peach, doesn't himself lay a wreath, but for the Royal Navy Sir
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Philip Jones, for the Army General Sir Nicholas Carter and for the
0:54:39 > 0:54:43Royal Air Force, Sir Stephen Hillier.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55They are followed by the Civilian Chiefs for the Merchant Navy and
0:54:55 > 0:55:01Fishing Fleets Captain Martin Reed from the Air Transport Auxiliary
0:55:01 > 0:55:06Association, Adrian Lead for the Civilian Services Sara Thornton who
0:55:06 > 0:55:13chairs the National Police Chief's Council.
0:55:16 > 0:55:30And the wreaths laid around The Cenotaph, the service led by Doctor
0:55:30 > 0:55:39Chartres begins. Almighty God, Grant we beseech thee that we who here do
0:55:39 > 0:55:44honour to the memory of those who have died in the service of their
0:55:44 > 0:55:52country and of the Crown, may be so inspired by the spirit of their love
0:55:52 > 0:56:01and fortitude, that forgetting all selfish and unworthy motives we may
0:56:01 > 0:56:10live only to thy glory and to the service of mankind through Jesus
0:56:10 > 0:56:17Christ our Lord. Amen.
0:56:27 > 0:56:36# O God our help in ages past
0:56:36 > 0:56:39# Our hope for years to come
0:56:41 > 0:56:48# Our shelter from the stormy blast
0:56:48 > 0:56:50# And our eternal home
0:56:50 > 0:56:51# Beneath the shadow of thy throne
0:56:51 > 0:56:53# Thy saints have dwelt secure
0:56:53 > 0:56:58# Sufficient is thine arm alone
0:56:58 > 0:57:01# And our defence is sure
0:57:01 > 0:57:11# Before the hills in order stood
0:57:12 > 0:57:17# Or earth received her frame
0:57:17 > 0:57:22# From everlasting thou art God
0:57:22 > 0:57:28# To endless years the same
0:57:29 > 0:57:35# A thousand ages in thy sight
0:57:35 > 0:57:39# Are like an evening gone
0:57:40 > 0:57:45# Short as the watch that ends the night
0:57:45 > 0:57:53# Before the rising sun
0:57:53 > 0:57:58# O God our help in ages past
0:57:58 > 0:58:03# Our hope in years to come
0:58:03 > 0:58:13# Be though our guard while troubles last
0:58:15 > 0:58:17# And our eternal home #.
0:58:24 > 0:58:26Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29To give and not to count the cost.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33To fight and not to heed the wounds.
0:58:33 > 0:58:41To toil and not to seek for rest.
0:58:41 > 0:58:45To labour and not ask for any reward, save that of knowing
0:58:45 > 0:58:51that we will do thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Amen.
0:58:55 > 0:58:56Our Father,
0:58:56 > 0:59:01Which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
0:59:01 > 0:59:05Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done On earth as it is in Heaven.
0:59:05 > 0:59:11Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
0:59:11 > 0:59:13As we forgive those who trespass against us.
0:59:13 > 0:59:19And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil.
0:59:19 > 0:59:22For thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory
0:59:22 > 0:59:26For ever and ever.
0:59:26 > 0:59:27Amen.
0:59:27 > 0:59:32Unto God's gracious mercy and protection we commit you.
0:59:37 > 0:59:39The Lord bless you and keep you.
0:59:39 > 0:59:43The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
0:59:43 > 0:59:49The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you
0:59:49 > 0:59:57and give you his peace this day and always.
0:59:58 > 1:00:00Amen.
1:00:10 > 1:00:13Parade...
1:00:13 > 1:00:16Parade...
1:00:16 > 1:00:21Attention.
1:00:21 > 1:00:31MUSIC: Rouse.
1:00:52 > 1:00:59# God save our gracious Queen Long live our noble Queen
1:00:59 > 1:01:06# God save the Queen
1:01:06 > 1:01:12# Send her victorious
1:01:12 > 1:01:17# Happy and glorious
1:01:17 > 1:01:22# Long to reign over us
1:01:22 > 1:01:30# God save the Queen. #
1:01:54 > 1:01:59The Queen bowels and leaves the balcony and the members of the Royal
1:01:59 > 1:02:04family leave Whitehall led by Prince Charles, who laid that wreath on
1:02:04 > 1:02:13behalf of the Queen.
1:02:39 > 1:02:57Now the clergy will leave next. They line up, led by Doctor charters, the
1:02:57 > 1:03:16dean of the Chapel Royal -- Dr Chartres, and the children of the
1:03:16 > 1:03:20Chapel Royal. The choir used to follow the sovereign around the
1:03:20 > 1:03:25country in Tudor times singing, and now sings here in London every week
1:03:25 > 1:03:29in the Chapel Royal or the Queens Chapel, that was built by James the
1:03:29 > 1:03:43first. Six gentlemen in ordinary and ten children of the royal Chapel.
1:03:43 > 1:03:49And then the politicians, those serving today, and behind them the
1:03:49 > 1:03:54second group former prime ministers, John Major is here, Tony Blair,
1:03:54 > 1:04:02Gordon Brown, David Cameron. The new Secretary of State for Defence,
1:04:02 > 1:04:09Govan Williamson -- Gavin Williamson there, who will go out onto Horse
1:04:09 > 1:04:20Guard to take the salute of those who pass The Cenotaph. And then
1:04:20 > 1:04:25other members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords and
1:04:25 > 1:04:30the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, at the end. And so we are waiting now,
1:04:30 > 1:04:35and there's quite a long pause, before we come to the start of the
1:04:35 > 1:04:40march-past. But we will be talking to people here, why they've come
1:04:40 > 1:04:45here and what they remember so let's join Sophie Raworth.
1:04:45 > 1:04:49There are people of all ages taking part in the march-past today but I'm
1:04:49 > 1:04:53here with the oldest veteran who's taking part, he is 99 years old,
1:04:53 > 1:05:02he's called Ernie Searling and it's your first time here, a former Royal
1:05:02 > 1:05:09Marine. What does it mean to you to be here?I feel very humble, seeing
1:05:09 > 1:05:19so many hundreds of men and women on parade today. So very, very humble.
1:05:19 > 1:05:27I'm thinking of those that are not with us on parade today. Some fine
1:05:27 > 1:05:38people I served with and we lost them. All I hope is that the future
1:05:38 > 1:05:45generations can see this parade, see some solidarity in it and see that
1:05:45 > 1:05:52the betterment of mankind in England, especially Great Britain,
1:05:52 > 1:05:59should be at its highest level. We don't want street fights, we don't
1:05:59 > 1:06:06want arguments, we don't want racial injustice. All of those things are
1:06:06 > 1:06:12horrible.And it is very humbling to be here today in Whitehall, why has
1:06:12 > 1:06:20it taken you so Long, because you have wanted to come?After the war,
1:06:20 > 1:06:25I seem to have contracted various diseases and illnesses, and every
1:06:25 > 1:06:31year I sort of said well I will go up Whitehall and something has
1:06:31 > 1:06:41cropped up. This year, a marine came to see me, Ollie came to see me, and
1:06:41 > 1:06:49he said to me, "What about going on that parade? " And I said, "It will
1:06:49 > 1:06:56probably be my last one. I have been to parades before, big ones, but
1:06:56 > 1:07:03I've never been on The Cenotaph one". I feel very honoured to be
1:07:03 > 1:07:11here and to be able to talk to you about good things of life.Ernie, it
1:07:11 > 1:07:15is fantastic to see you here and it's an honour to talk to you here
1:07:15 > 1:07:20at The Cenotaph. I'm just going to talk to the man that brought you
1:07:20 > 1:07:29here, a former Royal Marine as well. Wonderful for you as well.Indeed,
1:07:29 > 1:07:34it took a lot of planning, and since I heard he has not been down here,
1:07:34 > 1:07:40you have got to do it at some stage. It will be a very emotional moment
1:07:40 > 1:07:45for you shortly, thank you so much.
1:07:45 > 1:07:49What a wonderful description of what the Second World War was fought for
1:07:49 > 1:07:56in his mind. His hopes for the future, as the president of The
1:07:56 > 1:08:02Royal British Legion Air Marshal David Walker lays at The Cenotaph
1:08:02 > 1:08:06his wreath on behalf of The Royal British Legion, and then other
1:08:06 > 1:08:09members of The Royal British Legion who organised this march-past will
1:08:09 > 1:08:16follow.
1:08:22 > 1:08:35The rather formal exchange of all our -- bowler hats. Followed by the
1:08:35 > 1:08:43chairman of The Royal British Legion, Patricia Chrimes, and
1:08:43 > 1:08:49Charlie Brown, the ex-services league, chief of defence staff,
1:08:49 > 1:08:54former chief of defence staff General Sir David Richards, the
1:08:54 > 1:09:01Royal Naval Association, Carol Gibbon. 100 years since the Wrens
1:09:01 > 1:09:17were first formed. Gary Best for Transport for London.
1:09:48 > 1:09:54So the first half of today's act of Remembrance, the more formal part,
1:09:54 > 1:10:00is over now and in a few minutes the second, in many ways to some people
1:10:00 > 1:10:06perhaps the most moving part begins with the march-past of veterans and
1:10:06 > 1:10:10sometimes of their families too. What actually brings people here to
1:10:10 > 1:10:15The Cenotaph, it is always worth hearing. Four of those taking part
1:10:15 > 1:10:19explain.
1:10:19 > 1:10:22I was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, flying aircraft off
1:10:22 > 1:10:23of aircraft carriers.
1:10:23 > 1:10:26We were flying strikes over mainland Japan.
1:10:26 > 1:10:29We came in over the hedge and were strafing any
1:10:29 > 1:10:30aircraft we could see.
1:10:30 > 1:10:33I could see Wally because we were only about 50 yards apart.
1:10:33 > 1:10:41His aircraft started to drop.
1:10:41 > 1:10:46The aircraft slowly went into the ground.
1:10:46 > 1:10:55It was quite hard to take really.
1:10:55 > 1:11:01I was deployed to Afghanistan.
1:11:01 > 1:11:04The morning of July 8th, 2010, we set out on our patrol.
1:11:04 > 1:11:06The sun was just about coming up, and that was the last
1:11:06 > 1:11:13sunrise I'd ever see.
1:11:13 > 1:11:18Our team got contacted by an IED.
1:11:18 > 1:11:21I lost my left eye straightaway.
1:11:21 > 1:11:23I had other serious head injuries.
1:11:23 > 1:11:27By the time I got back to the UK, I was informed that my right eye
1:11:27 > 1:11:32would have to be removed as well.
1:11:36 > 1:11:44In 1943 I joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry,
1:11:44 > 1:11:50I was told you're going to be a wireless operator.
1:11:50 > 1:11:52We worked to what I now know was people in Europe,
1:11:52 > 1:11:55but, of course, at the time we didn't know that.
1:11:55 > 1:11:57Certainly by that time we knew we were working for SOE.
1:11:57 > 1:12:04They were stirring up trouble behind the lines in Europe.
1:12:04 > 1:12:07Years later when everything was exposed, one learns
1:12:07 > 1:12:11that the people that we were talking to, as it were, was a group
1:12:11 > 1:12:17of Norwegians who were on the heavy water plant.
1:12:17 > 1:12:20Which we blew up very successfully and was,
1:12:20 > 1:12:26in fact, one of the biggest, I think, successes of the SOE reach.
1:12:28 > 1:12:32I wanted to do something useful so I volunteered for Korea.
1:12:32 > 1:12:33I was on hill 217.
1:12:33 > 1:12:36We were vastly outnumbered.
1:12:36 > 1:12:38We were losing men, and we made up our minds
1:12:38 > 1:12:42we were going to stay there, and that's all we did.
1:12:42 > 1:12:46Because you just can't fight for a hill and then lose it,
1:12:46 > 1:12:49because you've got to go back and retake it again,
1:12:49 > 1:12:52and that's when you lose the men.
1:12:52 > 1:12:57We managed to really stabilise our part of Korea.
1:12:57 > 1:13:01And we're very proud of that.
1:13:06 > 1:13:09We remember the guy who fought with us.
1:13:09 > 1:13:14The guy who volunteered.
1:13:14 > 1:13:20The guy that were enlisted, the national servicemen
1:13:20 > 1:13:23- they gave their lives and we all fought side by side.
1:13:23 > 1:13:26When I went back to Japan five years ago I made a point
1:13:26 > 1:13:29of going to the cemetery where Wally's remains are and laid
1:13:29 > 1:13:33a wreath at his stone.
1:13:33 > 1:13:38When I read the engraving on it, and his age 22, it really brought
1:13:38 > 1:13:44home to me the opening lines of the exultation.
1:13:44 > 1:13:52They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.
1:13:52 > 1:13:57A lot of us went out to Europe and were the wireless operators.
1:13:57 > 1:14:05And indeed 13 of them were killed.
1:14:05 > 1:14:09And it's certainly them that I think of when I go past the Cenotaph.
1:14:09 > 1:14:15And then I think about the modern wars, which are horrendous too.
1:14:15 > 1:14:18People from my regiment came down to see me.
1:14:18 > 1:14:24They informed me that Sam Robinson had been killed in the incident.
1:14:24 > 1:14:30That hit me a lot worse than the news of losing my sight.
1:14:30 > 1:14:33It's important to me that I still go and show my respect
1:14:33 > 1:14:39for what people have sacrificed.
1:14:39 > 1:14:43I've lost my sight, but what we're going to show there,
1:14:43 > 1:14:46what the point of being there is to show
1:14:46 > 1:14:57respect for the people who have given everything.
1:15:00 > 1:15:05There are a lot of people who come here year after year to pay their
1:15:05 > 1:15:08respects and honour of the war dead. Lots of familiar faces as well
1:15:08 > 1:15:14including this lady who is always here with the words lest we forget,
1:15:14 > 1:15:17Vivien Foster, the national President of the Merchant Navy
1:15:17 > 1:15:23Association, an association you helped to form in 1987. Explain why.
1:15:23 > 1:15:28I form the association with colleagues who have now passed,
1:15:28 > 1:15:32obviously, because the Merchant Navy were forgotten. Personally, my
1:15:32 > 1:15:36family had so much to do with the Merchant Navy in the last war, my
1:15:36 > 1:15:43Father, he was bombed on an oil tanker and got the medal and MBE for
1:15:43 > 1:15:48surviving with 13 other personnel and carrying them to safety. Another
1:15:48 > 1:15:54uncle, Stanley, was torpedoed in his second trip across the Atlantic in a
1:15:54 > 1:15:59convoy. And my uncle Colin who was the great hero, his story was one of
1:15:59 > 1:16:02the greatest survival stories of World War II. His ship was torpedoed
1:16:02 > 1:16:08off the west African coast, the lifeboats were rammed by the
1:16:08 > 1:16:14submarine and he and 14 managed to climb onto a raft and survived 14
1:16:14 > 1:16:20days. And fortunately only two survived the 14 days --
1:16:20 > 1:16:27unfortunately. Shark followed them for some of the time being fed.Tens
1:16:27 > 1:16:31of thousands, more than 30,000 in World War II and 10,000 in World War
1:16:31 > 1:16:35I and this year you are marking a centenary.We are indeed because
1:16:35 > 1:16:41this year is the start of the convoy system, which was the saving grace
1:16:41 > 1:16:44for England because in the First World War, had the convoy system not
1:16:44 > 1:16:50been introduced 100 years ago just before the end of the war England
1:16:50 > 1:16:53had six weeks of food left and if they didn't get supplies then in
1:16:53 > 1:16:59fact we would have had to surrender and Germany would have won.The
1:16:59 > 1:17:03convoys of World War I and World War II what absolutely vital, huge
1:17:03 > 1:17:07convoys across the Atlantic.We had 32,000 men died in the convoys
1:17:07 > 1:17:12crossing the Atlantic in World War II. And, of course, it was
1:17:12 > 1:17:18horrendous. Without the supply to all of the forces we would have had
1:17:18 > 1:17:23no RAF if it wasn't for the Merchant Navy, apart from the fact that
1:17:23 > 1:17:26England too would have starved, I don't think many people remember
1:17:26 > 1:17:30rationing but that was the reason. You have been here so many times a
1:17:30 > 1:17:34year after year, what does it mean to you to be here?Every year I am
1:17:34 > 1:17:40so proud to be representing what I represent. But as you interviewed
1:17:40 > 1:17:45Eddie, humbling beyond belief, it really is.Who do you think on when
1:17:45 > 1:17:50you pass The Cenotaph?My Father, God bless him. The red Ensign is on
1:17:50 > 1:17:54The Cenotaph and it is the only civilian flag on The Cenotaph and it
1:17:54 > 1:17:59was there many years before the RAF's flag on The Cenotaph, and yet
1:17:59 > 1:18:04the Merchant Navy have not had the recognition that they deserve for
1:18:04 > 1:18:09many, many years.Vivien Foster, thank you very much for talking to
1:18:09 > 1:18:11us.My pleasure, thank you.
1:18:18 > 1:18:23There are 262 contingents marching today, nearly 9000 people marching,
1:18:23 > 1:18:32and they come here not as part of a service operation, not marshalled by
1:18:32 > 1:18:37their regiments, but because they have joined together in groups
1:18:37 > 1:18:41representing either one part of the services or another, or friends who
1:18:41 > 1:18:45are together, or people who fought together in one place. So that it
1:18:45 > 1:18:52has a kind of haphazard feel to it. The honour of leading off the
1:18:52 > 1:18:57parade, for instance, this year is left by the -- led by the Burma Star
1:18:57 > 1:19:01Association from all parts of the army who served in Burma, the
1:19:01 > 1:19:06so-called forgotten army. The war against the Japanese, which led to
1:19:06 > 1:19:08the battles of her
1:19:11 > 1:19:15which actually stop the Japanese. They are taking of taking pride of
1:19:15 > 1:19:17place today.
1:19:21 > 1:19:24The order is given for the march-past. The band leads off and
1:19:24 > 1:19:32the music changes to more popular tunes, you will recognise some of
1:19:32 > 1:19:37them, no doubt. It's A Long Way To Tipperary and other famous marching
1:19:37 > 1:19:41songs will play to keep them cheerful as they march, in all
1:19:41 > 1:19:44something like a mile and a half, which for many of them is a long
1:19:44 > 1:19:53way. The complete circuit of Whitehall from horse guards, right
1:19:53 > 1:19:58up to the top of Whitehall and down past The Cenotaph, and each
1:19:58 > 1:20:04contingent will lay a wreath, or hand a wreath to the assistants at
1:20:04 > 1:20:11The Cenotaph who will take them and place them on the steps alongside
1:20:11 > 1:20:15laid by the names of the Royal family, the Queen, the politicians
1:20:15 > 1:20:18and High Commissioners, until there is a complete garden of poppies
1:20:18 > 1:20:23around The Cenotaph.
1:20:36 > 1:20:42The London Scottish Regimental Association is there, commemorating
1:20:42 > 1:20:45the actions of the 2nd Battalion in the Palestinian campaign 100 years
1:20:45 > 1:20:48ago.
1:20:56 > 1:21:00They were preceded by the Montecassino society. And the Gurkha
1:21:00 > 1:21:05association, led by the General Sir David Dill, 95-year-old Captain
1:21:05 > 1:21:13Smylie is marching with them. They have served on the British crown
1:21:13 > 1:21:17since 1815, famous of course, for their courage in warfare. They have
1:21:17 > 1:21:28won 26 Victoria Crosses.
1:21:39 > 1:21:45And as is the way of things, with 262 contingents marching, we can't
1:21:45 > 1:21:52identify each one, because we would never stop talking. The ageing
1:21:52 > 1:21:59veterans Association marching past now, who fought in Aden, part of
1:21:59 > 1:22:06Yemen, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the emergency in
1:22:06 > 1:22:17Aden, followed by the Special Forces Club. Anne Van Gruisen is among
1:22:17 > 1:22:20them, we heard her talking earlier on this morning about why she was
1:22:20 > 1:22:28marching and her experiences in the SOE, Special Forces Club and special
1:22:28 > 1:22:36operations executive. Anne Van Gruisen on the right of your screen
1:22:36 > 1:22:44being pushed in a wheelchair in the middle of that group. And I is right
1:22:44 > 1:22:53as she passes The Cenotaph. People of extraordinary courage. Help For
1:22:53 > 1:23:01Heroes, which is a new charity, well, ten years old, not new any
1:23:01 > 1:23:05longer, which is celebrating its tenth birthday is on parade today,
1:23:05 > 1:23:10launched particularly to help those who were badly injured. It has
1:23:10 > 1:23:17already helped 17,000 sick and wounded veterans. In more recent
1:23:17 > 1:23:21conflicts, funding rehabilitation.
1:23:29 > 1:23:37The Association of Czech Slovak legionnaires, the majority of
1:23:37 > 1:23:40members joined the resistance movement against Nazism and Ford in
1:23:40 > 1:23:44Czech Slovak units abroad, formed in the Middle East and in Great
1:23:44 > 1:23:49Britain.
1:24:12 > 1:24:24The Royal Hospital Chelsea, Bill Speakman, VC, talking earlier about
1:24:24 > 1:24:31Anne Van Gruisen and Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry, also VC pushing his
1:24:31 > 1:24:38wheelchair. Bill Speakman is holding the wreath.
1:24:49 > 1:24:5589 years old, Bill Speakman.
1:24:59 > 1:25:04And now, combat stress, we heard from Paul Smith earlier, who is not
1:25:04 > 1:25:08actually marching, but he is a member of the combat stress because
1:25:08 > 1:25:13there is a much greater openness, and thank goodness for it, that
1:25:13 > 1:25:16mental health issues which used to be covered up and swept under the
1:25:16 > 1:25:20carpet. All of the people marching with combat stress have been treated
1:25:20 > 1:25:27for mental health conditions. The oldest is a veteran of Cyprus and
1:25:27 > 1:25:34the youngest of Afghanistan.
1:26:08 > 1:26:14The British ex-services wheelchair sports Association there. You see
1:26:14 > 1:26:17how you may get the feeling that people are passing twice. It's
1:26:17 > 1:26:21because one of our cameras is at the top end of Whitehall and catches
1:26:21 > 1:26:25them as they come down towards The Cenotaph and the other picks them up
1:26:25 > 1:26:30as they passed The Cenotaph but we saw the British ex-services sports
1:26:30 > 1:26:41Association. Visits, distinct red beret of the Parachute Regiment led
1:26:41 > 1:26:43by Dair Farrar-Hockley, who fought at Goose Green and the battle for
1:26:43 > 1:26:53Fort Stanley and the Falklands. A long tradition of courage, 1945, the
1:26:53 > 1:26:56sixth division carried out their airborne crossing of the Rhine,
1:26:56 > 1:27:03which led towards Victory in Europe in 1945. The Black Watch
1:27:03 > 1:27:09Association, five battalions. There is Joe Hubble, Sergeant Major, being
1:27:09 > 1:27:14pushed in his wheelchair by his Son, Neale. The Black Watch Association,
1:27:14 > 1:27:18five battalions, fought at the Battle of Passchendaele, which we
1:27:18 > 1:27:25were seeing before. The wreath laid by Corporal Barty, after leaving The
1:27:25 > 1:27:27Black Watch, became Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's driver, until she
1:27:27 > 1:27:29died.
1:27:33 > 1:27:40They are followed by the Gordon Highlanders London Association, the
1:27:40 > 1:27:48Queen's Highlanders regimental Association, the Royal Scots
1:27:48 > 1:27:50regimental Association.
1:27:54 > 1:27:59The Light Infantry Association. This is the first time they have marched
1:27:59 > 1:28:07past The Cenotaph in their olive green blazers, light infantry,
1:28:07 > 1:28:12amalgamated like so many infantry regiments to form The Rifles in
1:28:12 > 1:28:182007. They go on parade today, from all over Britain, Shropshire, the
1:28:18 > 1:28:22north-east, and many from the West Country.
1:28:44 > 1:28:47The Guards Parachute Association. These soldiers are highly trained
1:28:47 > 1:28:52special forces Pathfinder groups who developed what sounds like a
1:28:52 > 1:28:59terrifying high altitude freefalling technique to get behind enemy lines.
1:28:59 > 1:29:04The guards Parachute company was formed later in 1946 from members of
1:29:04 > 1:29:21the Brigade of Guards. The green Howards in their khaki berets follow
1:29:21 > 1:29:34there. The green Howards Association in their ties and khaki berets, now
1:29:34 > 1:29:38known as the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, one of four
1:29:38 > 1:29:48Victoria Crosses won during the Battle of the Somme. Not in uniform
1:29:48 > 1:29:55but wearing green and white ties, and some of them in the khaki beret
1:29:55 > 1:30:00of the green Howards.
1:30:06 > 1:30:11The Cheshire Regiment Association, the 25th anniversary of a more
1:30:11 > 1:30:21recent deployment of the Cheshires, 1st Battalion served in Bosnia. They
1:30:21 > 1:30:27have also emerged, like many other regiments as the army shrinks in
1:30:27 > 1:30:31size to become part of the new Mercian Regiment. The Durham Light
1:30:31 > 1:30:41Infantry Association. 16 battalions fought in the Battle of the Somme in
1:30:41 > 1:30:55the First World War 2500 fell in action there.
1:31:11 > 1:31:14The Fusiliers Association from Lancashire and their distinctive red
1:31:14 > 1:31:20and white hackles on their cups, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers which
1:31:20 > 1:31:28have served in every conflict the UK has participated in in recent years.
1:31:28 > 1:31:44They are marking the 50th anniversary. The Scottish rifles.
1:31:44 > 1:31:51The Association formed ten years ago. They went to the 100th
1:31:51 > 1:31:55anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Passchendaele. As you can
1:31:55 > 1:32:03imagine there are a host of memories here, so many regiments remembering
1:32:03 > 1:32:07battles, and some of them family members proudly carrying the medals
1:32:07 > 1:32:18of their relatives, either fathers or grandfathers won in wars before.
1:32:18 > 1:32:27The reconnaissance core there following the Women's Royal Army
1:32:27 > 1:32:31Corps Association, celebrating 100 years of women in conflict, which we
1:32:31 > 1:32:36were hearing about with Sophie. At the end of the Second World War
1:32:36 > 1:32:41there were more than a quarter of a million women. The reconnaissance
1:32:41 > 1:32:49core followed them. The Army Air Corps veteran Association, the Army
1:32:49 > 1:32:54Air Corps which looks after its own fleet of aircraft, carries out
1:32:54 > 1:33:00observation and liaison reconnaissance work. Claire Green is
1:33:00 > 1:33:06marching there, the widow of Corporal artists who died in
1:33:06 > 1:33:16operations in Bosnia in 1999. -- Corporal Addis.
1:33:54 > 1:34:03Heather Wood. The widow of Charlie Wood. She spoke to us so movingly
1:34:03 > 1:34:16this morning. Charlie Wood, who was killed in Afghanistan. The pioneers
1:34:16 > 1:34:21became in 1993 the Royal Logistics Corps but they are crucial to any
1:34:21 > 1:34:32operation. In D-Day for instance there were 7000 Pioneers laden fuel,
1:34:32 > 1:34:39guarding prisoners, moving stores, doing all of that kind of work under
1:34:39 > 1:34:45fire that has to keep the battle going.
1:34:56 > 1:35:04The scarlet, and genuinely Scarlets, bright red berets that Mark the
1:35:04 > 1:35:20Royal Military Police. Women in more joined the military police
1:35:20 > 1:35:23Association in 1999 and used to patrol ports on key sites, for
1:35:23 > 1:35:29instance they had a Dover patrol, kept an eye on Dover and Folkestone
1:35:29 > 1:35:34and the ships there.
1:35:49 > 1:35:55And on Horse Guards, standing side by side, the Earl of Wessex and the
1:35:55 > 1:36:05new Secretary of State for Defence. So everybody who parades passed The
1:36:05 > 1:36:10Cenotaph continues on parade until they have come onto horse guards and
1:36:10 > 1:36:19across and the salute has been taken by the Earl of Wessex. So as the
1:36:19 > 1:36:24bands go on playing and the contingents go on marching, let's
1:36:24 > 1:36:28for a moment rejoined Sophie Raworth in Whitehall. I'm with a gentleman
1:36:28 > 1:36:32about to take his place in nine Squadron Association for the
1:36:32 > 1:36:39march-past. This is Harry Irons, 94 years old now, you were 17 years old
1:36:39 > 1:36:45when you flew Lancaster Bomber is over Germany in World War II. It
1:36:45 > 1:36:50must've been terrifying experience. It was terrifying. The first raid
1:36:50 > 1:36:56was in Dusseldorf and strictly speaking I turned the turret round
1:36:56 > 1:37:02and I had the fright of my life. The actual gunfire was absolutely
1:37:02 > 1:37:08horrendous and we had to fly through it. On the first trip, the skipper
1:37:08 > 1:37:16said make sure there's nobody above you with the bomb bay open, which
1:37:16 > 1:37:25happened. I said to the skipper, there is, so he started dive port,
1:37:25 > 1:37:31which we did do, and we straightened out and the bomb aim said, skipper,
1:37:31 > 1:37:36at that time we didn't have radar, it was all visual, and the skipper
1:37:36 > 1:37:43said to the pilot... I beg your pardon, the bomb aim are said to the
1:37:43 > 1:37:49skipper, I have lost the aiming point, we have to go around again.
1:37:49 > 1:37:53And you were a rear gunner in Lancaster which was one of the most
1:37:53 > 1:38:02dangerous jobs at that time, you survived 60 sorties, didn't you?
1:38:02 > 1:38:07Yes, I came back every time, which was very unusual.And you have been
1:38:07 > 1:38:12here many times, you are about to take your place in the march-past.
1:38:12 > 1:38:18Who do you remember as you go past The Cenotaph, because you lost a lot
1:38:18 > 1:38:23of friends, didn't you?Especially my own crews. The first crew I lost
1:38:23 > 1:38:29they went on pathfinding and all got shot down. I went for a rest and
1:38:29 > 1:38:37came back on the Halifax and rear gunner. It was the same thing, the
1:38:37 > 1:38:43losses were horrendous. I mean when I say horrendous, they were
1:38:43 > 1:38:47terrible.It was such a long time ago now but how vividly do you
1:38:47 > 1:38:54remember what you saw from the back of the Lancaster?The gunfire was
1:38:54 > 1:39:05absolutely horrendous, hundreds of guns firing at you as you went in.
1:39:05 > 1:39:11Actually used to call the royal valet happy Valley because they gave
1:39:11 > 1:39:17very good reception going, and a better reception going out. And the
1:39:17 > 1:39:22gunfire was absolutely horrendous, but the deadliest thing all was the
1:39:22 > 1:39:28night finder.Hurry, I know you have to take your place now in the
1:39:28 > 1:39:42march-past but thank you for talking to us this morning. -- Harry.
1:40:09 > 1:40:20So, one column ends, a band between them, and the lying veterans,
1:40:20 > 1:40:29formerly Saint Dunstan 's, are passing The Cenotaph now.
1:40:34 > 1:40:43There are over 200. In the middle, you will recognise somebody who
1:40:43 > 1:40:52spoke to us last year, Simon Ward, who lost both eyes in Afghanistan.
1:40:52 > 1:40:59We heard from Rob Long talking about the last Sunrise that he would ever
1:40:59 > 1:41:16see. The Royal Air Force Association, which is one of those
1:41:16 > 1:41:23Association is like many that are here who visit people who have been
1:41:23 > 1:41:27bereaved, visit people who need help. They actually go and read
1:41:27 > 1:41:31bedtime stories to children whose parents are away on operations and
1:41:31 > 1:41:38they are followed by the RAF Regiment Association, who provide
1:41:38 > 1:41:55close defence for airfields. And the RAF ex-prisoners of war Association.
1:42:01 > 1:42:11The ex-prisoners of war Association' John Nichol, is always here, he was
1:42:11 > 1:42:17shot down in a tornado when Saddam Hussein took Kuwait. On the very
1:42:17 > 1:42:22first day of that war shot down and taken prisoner, released several
1:42:22 > 1:42:41months later. There's also there, -- Air Commodore Charles Clarke,
1:42:41 > 1:42:54captured. 7 Squadron Association of Bomber Command, today operating
1:42:54 > 1:43:00tunic helicopters but remembering those, over 1007 Squadron killed in
1:43:00 > 1:43:15the Second World War. -- over 1000 7 Squadron. The rate of survival was
1:43:15 > 1:43:32only four sorties. The RAF 8 Squadron, the Royal Air Force
1:43:32 > 1:43:35Mountain Rescue Association, all of these members of the Royal Air
1:43:35 > 1:43:40Force, and the women's Royal Air Force formed in the summer of 1939,
1:43:40 > 1:43:45the auxiliary air force. Women at that stage will put in charge of
1:43:45 > 1:43:49repairing and maintaining aircraft and vehicles, women having first
1:43:49 > 1:44:01been recruited into the Royal Air Force in 1918.
1:44:19 > 1:44:21The air sea rescue and Marine aircraft there, wearing white
1:44:21 > 1:44:29rollneck sweaters under their club blazers. Standard during the war.
1:44:29 > 1:44:32They run high-speed launchers to rescue pilots who crashed into the
1:44:32 > 1:44:42channel. The Royal Air Force Police Association, in their white service
1:44:42 > 1:44:51caps, known as the snowdrops.
1:45:20 > 1:45:23the First World War 2500 fell in action there.
1:45:33 > 1:45:41Keith Quilter who won the distinguished service medal. The
1:45:41 > 1:45:58Royal Air Force survival equipment, Squippers Association. Wearing
1:45:58 > 1:46:00spectacles on the bottom left of the screen coming into the middle with
1:46:00 > 1:46:07his medals on his left chest, you will recognise him, Keith Quilter,
1:46:07 > 1:46:18who talked about why he was marching past. The Royal Air Force, Bomber
1:46:18 > 1:46:27Command and squadrons, Parachute jumping instructors go past. And now
1:46:27 > 1:46:38the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry into another column, column D of the
1:46:38 > 1:46:47procession. The FANYs who still operate in civilian life, working in
1:46:47 > 1:46:52recent tragedies at Westminster and the Manchester bombing, London
1:46:52 > 1:46:55Bridge, Grenfell Tower, they are there still doing their work from
1:46:55 > 1:46:59way back in 1907.
1:47:08 > 1:47:14Its 35 years since the Falklands War and the South Atlantic medal
1:47:14 > 1:47:21Association is parading here.
1:48:04 > 1:48:10The South Atlantic Medal Association goes past. There are many, many more
1:48:10 > 1:48:15contingents still to come but at this point let's just briefly
1:48:15 > 1:48:17rejoined Sophie Raworth on horse guards.
1:48:17 > 1:48:22I am here with a man who has been here many times, Ken Fraser who
1:48:22 > 1:48:25served with the Kings Own Scottish or is, it means a lot to you to come
1:48:25 > 1:48:30here year after year, explain why. Remembering all those who didn't
1:48:30 > 1:48:35come back, in Remembrance, and just thinking about them.It is something
1:48:35 > 1:48:40you are determined to do, isn't it? Yes, and I love coming down here, it
1:48:40 > 1:48:45is a Great Get Together, we all meet up once a year and it is fabulous,
1:48:45 > 1:48:52fabulous weekend and this is the culmination of it all, the
1:48:52 > 1:48:55Remembrance.You joined the Army at the end of World War II, you served
1:48:55 > 1:49:02all over the world and fought in Korea?Yes. In the Korean War, yes.
1:49:02 > 1:49:10That was quite an experience. The North Koreans invaded South Korea.
1:49:10 > 1:49:17That was in June 1950. They were pushed right the way back to the
1:49:17 > 1:49:2838th parallel. The big battles commenced and towards the end of 51
1:49:28 > 1:49:34we were up to the 38th parallel but there was nobody giving in and it
1:49:34 > 1:49:38kind of reverted to trench warfare, where we would face the enemy 1000
1:49:38 > 1:49:45yards ahead of us and the only time you could operate was during the
1:49:45 > 1:49:48night time, during the day you had to keep your head down but the
1:49:48 > 1:49:52Chinese on the other side had come through their hills and we had to go
1:49:52 > 1:49:59over them. It was the Chinese fighting, not the North Koreans.You
1:49:59 > 1:50:03stayed in the Army and served for nearly 40 years. You retired 25
1:50:03 > 1:50:07years ago, I say you retired, the Army is your life, you haven't
1:50:07 > 1:50:11really retired, have you?I haven't, I go into the barracks every day as
1:50:11 > 1:50:16a volunteer and to do our jobs, anything going, counting medals,
1:50:16 > 1:50:22cleaning uniforms, anything at all. It is just my life. I hope to be
1:50:22 > 1:50:28doing it for plenty more years, I am 90 next month.There is a wonderful
1:50:28 > 1:50:34camaraderie today.It is wonderful, really marvellous, and I want to
1:50:34 > 1:50:38continue doing it.Let's hope you do, lovely to meet you. Thanks very
1:50:38 > 1:50:41much indeed.Thank you.
1:50:54 > 1:51:02The Merchant Navy Association, we talked to Vivien Foster, the
1:51:02 > 1:51:07National President, carrying that white anchor. They say the Merchant
1:51:07 > 1:51:14Navy was forgotten, like people who fought in Burma say they were the
1:51:14 > 1:51:18forgotten army but now in reality we know they played absolutely crucial
1:51:18 > 1:51:25role in supplying Britain in two world wars.
1:51:29 > 1:51:39They are followed by the naval contingents, including the flower
1:51:39 > 1:51:47class, one of the smallest warships which went with the convoys, 100
1:51:47 > 1:51:54years since the first convoy, and rolled in the season, the most
1:51:54 > 1:52:00amazing ferocious waves, the people that served in them swore by them,
1:52:00 > 1:52:05almost inappropriate for going to war with a ship called Bluebell walk
1:52:05 > 1:52:16the others but there were many of them. Among the other ships, the
1:52:16 > 1:52:26Argonaut, the Ganges, the Glasgow, Hermes Association. HMS Hermes the
1:52:26 > 1:52:41first ship ever designed as and aircraft carrier in 1942. There was
1:52:41 > 1:52:48another Hermes carrier in the Falklands War. Several of the
1:52:48 > 1:52:50veterans of Hermes went back to India for the decommissioning of the
1:52:50 > 1:53:00ship and it was sold to the government. The ships named after
1:53:00 > 1:53:12villages ending with tonne like the one that Prince Charles commended in
1:53:12 > 1:53:201976. The illustrious Association is here, HMS Pinilla P Association the
1:53:20 > 1:53:29mother ship torpedoed by German U-boats, the type 42 frigates,
1:53:29 > 1:53:37Glasgow, Sheffield and Coventry are all served in the Falklands. The sub
1:53:37 > 1:53:42Mariners and 92-year-old veteran in a wheelchair pushed by his son who
1:53:42 > 1:53:56has come from Australia.
1:54:05 > 1:54:14The Association of Royal Yachtsmen. During the in the mid-60s the Royal
1:54:14 > 1:54:19yacht Britannia was the only ship allowed to enter the harbour in Aden
1:54:19 > 1:54:27to evacuate British citizens. The Royal Naval benevolent trust led by
1:54:27 > 1:54:36its Chief Executive who served 32 years in the Gulf, established to
1:54:36 > 1:54:39help people serving, or who have served in the Navy and Royal Marines
1:54:39 > 1:54:44and their families, one of many charities. The Royal British Legion
1:54:44 > 1:54:48and Help For Heroes are only two of many charities, some of whom are
1:54:48 > 1:54:52represented here, who help in one way or another with different
1:54:52 > 1:55:01aspects of the services. And now what is called the flying Navy
1:55:01 > 1:55:06federation, a whole number of organisations marching under the
1:55:06 > 1:55:12umbrella of Fly Navy setup in 2009 to celebrate 100 years of naval
1:55:12 > 1:55:15aviation. They say, which is interesting, the Navy has been
1:55:15 > 1:55:20flying more years than the air force, who celebrate the centenary
1:55:20 > 1:55:36in 2018. Among them the fleet air are morose, Fleet Air Arm
1:55:36 > 1:55:56Association, the Buccaneer Association, Fleet Air Arm Field Gun
1:55:56 > 1:56:00Association, and at the very back, from the cloud observers
1:56:00 > 1:56:02Association, Arthur Charles, the cloud observers were men and women
1:56:02 > 1:56:06of all ranks who served in the meteorological branch of the Royal
1:56:06 > 1:56:13Navy.
1:56:42 > 1:56:47And now we move to the last column led by the Commonwealth War Graves
1:56:47 > 1:56:56Commission, Transport for London, well remembered because London buses
1:56:56 > 1:57:01carried the troops to the front in the First World War and leading the
1:57:01 > 1:57:08Commonwealth War Graves Commission jailhouse's grandfather was a
1:57:08 > 1:57:11stonemason who worked on The Cenotaph when it was built, the War
1:57:11 > 1:57:17Graves commission look after Graves in 154 countries across the world
1:57:17 > 1:57:22and they will identify Graves. If you have a relative who is missing
1:57:22 > 1:57:28they will try and find the grave where they are buried. They have an
1:57:28 > 1:57:36organisation devoted to doing that. The Children of the Far East
1:57:36 > 1:57:44Prisoners of War followed Transport for London, 60 of them. And so they
1:57:44 > 1:57:54go on round horse guards. We start having not military but other
1:57:54 > 1:58:00members of services, people devoted to ambulance work, to the Red Cross
1:58:00 > 1:58:07marching here. But let's rejoined Sophie were with on horse guards.
1:58:10 > 1:58:14I am here with three people who just took part in the march-past,
1:58:14 > 1:58:19veterans from the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy in January - May
1:58:19 > 1:58:231940 four, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. There were
1:58:23 > 1:58:27supposed to be three veterans marching here today, but Rosemary
1:58:27 > 1:58:34Hayward, your father died just weeks ago.Yes, he died in September, he
1:58:34 > 1:58:39planned to be here today so it is with immense pride that I stand here
1:58:39 > 1:58:43with his medals on. Having been part of the parade in his memory, but
1:58:43 > 1:58:50also the memory of so many veterans, the surviving ones and also more
1:58:50 > 1:58:53recent conflicts. To be part of this has been an immense privilege and I
1:58:53 > 1:58:58am very proud to be part of this.I remember speaking to him a few years
1:58:58 > 1:59:01ago, he led the contingent last year and he was determined to come here
1:59:01 > 1:59:05year after year. It must be in credibly emotional for you walking
1:59:05 > 1:59:10past The Cenotaph.Very much so and to be members of the Monte Cassino
1:59:10 > 1:59:14society, to meet veterans, family and friends, has been immensely
1:59:14 > 1:59:19important both to him and to carry on his memory today especially.Jim
1:59:19 > 1:59:23Knox, you fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino, you are so young when
1:59:23 > 1:59:29you did, it was a terrific battle, wasn't it?Yes, I did. I arrived
1:59:29 > 1:59:35with the second New Zealand for four months and we ended up in Monte
1:59:35 > 1:59:43Cassino, the 29th of April. It was rather alarming. As we approached it
1:59:43 > 1:59:51the sky was lighting up, Vesuvius was erupting, so that was a relief.
1:59:51 > 1:59:54Anyway, we got into Monte Cassino station and we were there for just
1:59:54 > 2:00:04over two weeks and we moved from there and we were able to have a
2:00:04 > 2:00:09shower and we were deloused.It was the losses in four months, more than
2:00:09 > 2:00:1455,000 Allied forces died or were wounded, lost their lives, just four
2:00:14 > 2:00:21months.Yes.Who do you remember, who do you think about when you pass
2:00:21 > 2:00:26The Cenotaph?I was thinking about how lucky I was to get out first of
2:00:26 > 2:00:29all, and then you think of some of the friends that you had that you
2:00:29 > 2:00:35will never see again. White worrying times.Ronald Evans as well, 96
2:00:35 > 2:00:45years old, you are here for your first time. What was that like?
2:00:45 > 2:00:52It's very cold today.Very cold. Very thoughtful, you are immediately
2:00:52 > 2:01:02thinking about all of your pals who were with you at Cassino.Amazing
2:01:02 > 2:01:11that you are here today. Amazing to see you today, thank you for talking
2:01:11 > 2:01:20to us, thank you, all. It certainly is an arduous march and
2:01:20 > 2:01:25very cold. Of the older veterans who are marching here. So we have
2:01:25 > 2:01:32younger members now, the Scout Association has been here, the Army
2:01:32 > 2:01:37cadets, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the girl guides, the
2:01:37 > 2:01:45Boys' Brigade, here are the Kent Police marching for the first time.
2:01:45 > 2:01:54St John's ambulance, cadets, marching for the first time. Wrongly
2:01:54 > 2:02:00called St John's ambulance, they always complain. They are St John
2:02:00 > 2:02:05Ambulance. They work at public events and that emergency events all
2:02:05 > 2:02:12over the UK. The firefighters Memorial trust is there, the
2:02:12 > 2:02:25Metropolitan Police Service, the post office Remembrance, the church
2:02:25 > 2:02:31lads and girls' brigade.
2:03:00 > 2:03:13The post office Fellowship of Remembrance in there, the
2:03:13 > 2:03:18Metropolitan Police Service. This is at the back-end of the column. You
2:03:18 > 2:03:27saw the Scouts Association, and the girl going through. -- girl guides
2:03:27 > 2:03:33going through. And the Boys' Brigade. And at a time of war, the
2:03:33 > 2:03:37Second World War in particular, the guides and the stouts played an
2:03:37 > 2:03:41important part after the bombing raids providing help and assistance.
2:03:41 > 2:03:50-- the Scouts. That is the very end of the final column going past,
2:03:50 > 2:03:56coming out onto horse guards. Sophie is on Horse Guards, where all of the
2:03:56 > 2:04:00veterans have been arriving after they passed The Cenotaph.
2:04:00 > 2:04:05Yes, almost 9000 veterans and civilians returning here to Horse
2:04:05 > 2:04:11Guards Parade. I have two of them here, from the Royal Pioneer Corp,
2:04:11 > 2:04:18drum Major Desmond Bryant and Glen Lath. What kind of year did you
2:04:18 > 2:04:25have, you come here year after year, don't you?Very uplifting.And you
2:04:25 > 2:04:30really feel the camaraderie in Whitehall and the way the mood
2:04:30 > 2:04:39shifts through the morning.You cannot beat it.Why are you so
2:04:39 > 2:04:43determined to come?I come to pay respects to those who gave their
2:04:43 > 2:04:49life for me. The veteran signs a blank check for the country and is
2:04:49 > 2:04:54willing to pay that check up to and including his life and that's why I
2:04:54 > 2:05:00come every year.And who was it you think about when you march-past
2:05:00 > 2:05:04every year?Obviously all of the colleagues we have lost, my father
2:05:04 > 2:05:09and grandfather who served in both wars and the camaraderie is
2:05:09 > 2:05:15unbelievable.There is a real bond, isn't there?We are one big family,
2:05:15 > 2:05:19all brothers and sisters in the same house and it is absolutely excellent
2:05:19 > 2:05:34and I love it every year.Lovely to talk to you, thank you very much.
2:05:37 > 2:05:43Nearly 9000 people have marched down horse guards and now the final
2:05:43 > 2:05:58contingents are coming out for the march-past, the parade taking the
2:05:58 > 2:06:10salute. The Earl of Wessex and the new Secretary of State for Defence.
2:06:10 > 2:06:14And I think it should also be said perhaps that this isn't the end of
2:06:14 > 2:06:20the event for many of these people, because these groups who come here
2:06:20 > 2:06:25to London come down from Scotland, come up from Wales and the West
2:06:25 > 2:06:28Country and actually be, once they have been through this formality,
2:06:28 > 2:06:34they probably had a meeting earlier in the week and then they go away
2:06:34 > 2:06:41and celebrate. The pubs round here are crammed full of people
2:06:41 > 2:06:49reminiscing. The formality and memories one side, and the
2:06:49 > 2:07:01friendship and bonds of friendship are strong. Sophie has got two more
2:07:01 > 2:07:07people who have been marching. I have ended, I am talking to
2:07:07 > 2:07:14Joan-De-Vall and Neil Trotter. Joan, tell me what you did in World War
2:07:14 > 2:07:24II.
2:07:26 > 2:07:32You get the height when the planes come in, you shout whatever it is,
2:07:32 > 2:07:37to the men on the guns and the guns elevate, then we go to fire.You
2:07:37 > 2:07:45have come here many times, haven't you? What was today like for you?
2:07:45 > 2:07:49Wonderful, every day is wonderful. As soon as you get in here,
2:07:49 > 2:07:55everybody seems to drop a few years younger and remember when, and it is
2:07:55 > 2:07:59wonderful, Rada reef.And Neil Trotter, I must ask you, what does
2:07:59 > 2:08:04it mean to you as you pass The Cenotaph?It's a wonderful day of
2:08:04 > 2:08:11Remembrance. Luckily we didn't lose anyone but I still remember the
2:08:11 > 2:08:16hardships they went through and the families as well.Thank you both
2:08:16 > 2:08:23very much for talking to us.
2:08:23 > 2:08:27In a moment we must leave Whitehall after this annual Remembrance, the
2:08:27 > 2:08:34laying of wreaths. A seven-year-old and 99-year-old paying their
2:08:34 > 2:08:39tribute. We have heard of the pride of those who face the fear of war
2:08:39 > 2:08:44its horrors they come through. We have been reminded of the pain of
2:08:44 > 2:08:49war, the suffering of the injured, the loneliness of those who have
2:08:49 > 2:08:54lost family, friends or lovers. And we have perhaps given an answer to
2:08:54 > 2:09:03that poets who wrote of the dark months of the First World War, "Have
2:09:03 > 2:09:10you forgotten yet? Look up and square by the -- swear by the green
2:09:10 > 2:09:17of the spring you will never forget. "