Remembrance 2019 celebrated at Commonwealth War Graves Commission sites

Across Remembrance weekend, people across the world paused to pay their respects to the fallen of past conflicts. Here at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Remembrance Day is an incredibly special event, with ceremonies held in our cemeteries and at our memorials, as we take the time to honour the dead.

100 years on from the first Armistice Day events, people across the globe came together the honour the fallen of the First World War, and of conflict since. While the world of 2019 is unrecognisable to that of 1919, the passion for honouring the fallen has not dampened.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) commemorates 1.7 million Commonwealth war dead from the two World Wars, carefully maintaining 23,000 locations that become focal points for events like the ones held this weekend.

At the Cenotaph in London, CWGC Staff took part in the annual march alongside veterans and members of the armed forces.

There were events across the UK, such as at Cannock Chase War Cemetery, where visitors attended one of the many ceremonies held in our cemeteries throughout the country.

There were multiple events at Brookwood Military Cemetery, the largest cemetery in the UK.

And at Runnymede Memorial, where Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and the Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester, along with the Australian Repatriation Commissioner Don Spinks laid wreaths.

The CWGC Experience, in Beaurains, France, opened its doors for a special Remembrance Day event, with 500 visitors coming to see how the CWGC works and how it commemorates the dead.

There were also events held at cemeteries and memorials throughout France, such as these ceremonies at Etaples Military Cemetery and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Crowds gathered in the rain at Rome to lay wreaths at the Stone of Remembrance in Rome War Cemetery.

And a similar event took place at Phaleron War Cemetery in Athens, which held a ceremony including school children, veterans, active service men and a military band.

In Pretoria, a service was held at the beautiful Thaba Tshwane New Military cemetery.

We also held events in Algiers, where wreaths were laid at the foot of the Cross of Sacrifice, and in Tunisia where a ceremony was held for members of the public and attended by serving members of the armed forces.

There was also a ceremony at Taukkyan War Cemetery, which was attended by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Burma.