Reflecting on the End of World War One on November 11, 1918
The British High Commission, in collaboration with the Royal Fiji Military Force (RFMF), joined hands with friends from across the Commonwealth and around the globe to observe Remembrance Day in Honiara on Saturday.
The 11th of November holds significance as the day when World War One concluded in 1918.
“At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month – we will remember them.”
This date serves as a poignant reminder, commemorating the service and sacrifice of all those who defended their freedoms and upheld their way of life. We pay homage to those who dedicated themselves to safeguarding our democratic principles and the essence of our way of life.
Remembrance Day is a global observance, with the UK’s Royal Family laying wreaths at the Cenotaph and the entire country observing a two-minute silence at 11 o’clock as part of the solemn commemorations.
This year’s program holds particular significance for the British High Commission. Eighty years on, we remember the 517 soldiers of the Royal Artillery, who were transported as prisoners of war to Ballalae in the Shortland Islands, and all of whom perished there. In July, the High Commission, in collaboration with the crew of HMS TAMAR, undertook the refurbishment and rededication of the memorial at Ballalae, with generous support from the Government of the Solomon Islands and the People of the Shortland Islands.
Source: BHC