During yesterday’s Commonwealth Day (March 10), crowds gathered at the Memorial Gates in Central London to witness a ceremony honouring servicemen and women from the Commonwealth who served alongside allied forces during the two World Wars.
This wreath laying has been an annual act of commemoration since 2002 and is a key feature of Commonwealth Day with High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth gathering tougher to pay tribute. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a conflict that drew in hundreds of millions of people and affected every continent.
The War saw military personnel from Commonwealth countries deployed to far-flung places around the globe and people serving alongside allies from many nations and cultures. The Fourteenth Army, Britain and the Commonwealth's principle fighting force, remains one of the most diverse military units in history with its soldiers speaking over 40 languages and representing all of the world's major religions.
The commemoration in London remembered the contribution of all those who stepped forward to serve, the hardships they endured and sacrifices they made to shape the freedoms and values we enjoy today. People of the Commonwealth made a vital contribution by standing together to bring that global conflict to an end.
By: Howard Leader, Assistant Editor
NB: Image: thecommonwealth
