Families of fallen to join Cenotaph march for Armistice Day
Relatives of veterans to be included in parade to mark 100 years since the end of First World War
FAMILIES of First World War veterans will be allowed to march past the Cenotaph to commemorate the sacrifice of their loved ones when the nation marks the centenary of Armistice Day this year.
A total of 10,000 people are usually allowed to take part in the march but ministers will announce today that they are allocating an additional 10,000 places, open to people with an emotional connection to the Great War.
Senior veterans expressed anger in 2016 after family members were excluded from the Remembrance Sunday march amid heightened security.
Terrorism fears and a ban on all relatives except widows taking part meant the annual veterans parade was not as well attended as in previous years.
The Government has announced a range of events to mark the centenary of the Armistice, including the expanded march which will give families and members of the public the chance to pay their respects.
Nov 11 will this year fall on Remembrance Sunday itself and the day will begin with a service at St Symphorien Military Cemetery near Mons in Belgium, where British troops fought their first major action in 1914, and where the war’s first and last casualties lie.
The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will then follow traditional lines to respect its wider purpose in remembering the fallen of all conflicts. It will be followed by the march of up to 20,000 people.
Meanwhile, church bells and other bells will ring out throughout the day, just as they did in 1918 to mark the cessation of hostilities.
Karen Bradley, the Culture Secretary, said: “Our events in 2018 will help people to understand how the course of the war changed during 1918 leading to the signing of the Armistice on 11 November.
“We will continue to honour all those who served, died and were affected by the war both at home and overseas. On the centenary of the Armistice we will give thanks for peace and for those that returned, and remember the sacrifice of the 800,000 soldier who died. This is the best tribute we can make.”
November 11 will conclude with a service at Westminster Abbey in London along with services in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.
Members of the public who feel an emotional connection to the Great War will be able to apply for a place on the march through an online ballot. The extra places will then be allocated through a process of random selection.
‘We will ... honour all those who served, died and were affected by the war both at home and overseas’