Portsmouth gathers to remember the fallen on Armistice Day
Politicians, veterans, and residents gathered at the Portsmouth Cenotaph today to honour those who fought and died in the First World War and in conflicts since.
The annual Armistice Day service brought together members of the armed forces, local leaders, and faith representatives in an act of remembrance at 11am.
Armistice Day marks the end of the First World War, where the allied forces and Germany agreed to end hostilities on November 11, 1918.
The service was led by Canon Bob White, Archdeacon of Portsdown. He spoke about those who served, calling on people to “remember the courage, the devotion to duty and the self-sacrifice” of the armed forces.
He also urged reflection for those who suffered during and after war, not only soldiers but civilians caught in the crossfire. “Let us remember those who were wounded in the fight… those who fell in battle and are buried at sea or in some corner of a foreign field,” he said.
Canon Bob White added that remembrance should extend to former enemies and to those who returned home changed by war, those who “lost sight or limbs or reason” and who still “bear the scars of war”.
Lord Mayor Gerald Vernon-Jackson addressed the crowd, marking “the moment on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when the guns fell silent on the western front”.
He reflected on the global impact of the First World War, noting that what began as a European conflict “very quickly became a global” one.
In Portsmouth, more than 6,000 men and women lost their lives fighting for their country, with their names inscribed on the cenotaph’s plaques. “Generations were lost, communities devastated and families destroyed,” the Lord Mayor said.
He added that many who survived continued to suffer from what was once known as shell shock, now recognised as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“The men and women from conflicts since the First World War are also in our thoughts today,” he said. “We are here to honour them.”
The service was complimented by performances by The Portsmouth Military Wives Choir and readings by Wendy Doherty of the Royal British Legion and Ewan Fee, The Lord’s Mayor’s Cadet.