Shropshire Routes to Roots

3. Remembrance Day, memorials and graves

Introduction

(Teacher's note: You can view all these small thumbnail images together as a gallery of larger images, which opens in a new window. This will allow you to print out the pictures and talk through the images with a class.)

We remember World War One by wearing poppies. We wear our poppies in November. In November, there is a special day called Remembrance Day.

Remembrance Day

World War One ended at 11.00am on the Eleventh Day, of the Eleventh Month in 1918. That means 11:00am on 11th November. This day is known as Remembrance Day Every year at the exact time World War One ended we hold a two minutes' silence. We think of people who have died in wars.

Poster issued by the King ordering a two minutes silence on Remembrance Day Larger image, in a new window [34kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: 1054]

The Sunday closest to 11th November is called Remembrance Sunday. Services are held at war memorials and in Churches.

A memorial service Larger image, in a new window [29kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: LS 153.22]

In London, a special service is held called the Ceremony of Remembrance. The Queen goes to the service at the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is a big memorial in London. The Queen lays a wreath at the Cenotaph. A wreath is a circle of poppies or flowers. Veterans march past the Queen and the Cenotaph.

Ex-serviceman's parade through Ellesmere, circa 1920 Larger image, in a new window [27kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: LS 158.5]

Memorials

Another way we remember the end of World War One and other wars is through memorials. The word 'memorial' sounds like the word 'remember'. This is because a memorial remembers some one who has died. Look at the pictures below:

• When were the memorials built?
• Who do memorials remember?
• Why would people want to build memorials like these?

Lydbury North war memorial Larger image, in a new window [15kb] [Photograph: Shropshire Archives]

Gravestone of Percy Alfred Thomas Male, who died aged 19, having joined up aged 15-16 Larger image and more information, in a new window [16kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Philip Morris]

Memorial in St. Michael's Street, Shrewsbury Larger image, in a new window [25kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Philip Morris]

Memorials are a good place to start finding out about our family members who may have fought in World War One. To find out about your family, start by looking at the A family at war theme on this website. This will tell you about the different ways we can find out about people who fought in World War One.

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