Poppy appeal raises funds and honours lives lost in war

A Poppy appeal raising funds towards the Royal British Legion took place across Gibraltar on Friday, ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Stations distributing poppies were set up across the Rock, creating awareness of lives lost in various conflicts from the First World War onwards while raising funds to support veterans and the running of the Royal British Legion.

Louis Lopez, secretary of the Gibraltar branch of the Royal British Legion, said the initiative is of upmost importance.

“It's very important, all this money goes back to the UK, to the Royal British Legion in the UK, and all this money is to help veterans and the running of the Royal British Legion, which is a large organisation,” he said.

Mr Lopez also underscored the significance of the Poppy in creating awareness and acting as a symbol of remembrance.

“It makes people aware, this goes back to the First World War, that long, and it's been happening ever since, and I think everybody is aware of the amount of people who died, and the people injured.”

“And those who had to be looked after, after the war, the families.”

“It's not just a simple thing of collecting money, for the sake of collecting money. It's very important,” he added.

He told the Chronicle that the Gibraltar branch of the charity is still going strong today.

“The Gibraltar branch, we've been here, the British Legion has existed since 1921, and I think around that time they formed the local branch, and it's been going on ever since.”

On Sunday, the traditional Ceremony of Remembrance in Gibraltar will be held at the British War Memorial on Line Wall Road at noon.

The service will be led by the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, in his capacity as His Majesty The King’s representative in Gibraltar.

A two-minute silence will be followed by the laying of wreaths as part of an inter-denominational service.

The ceremony will conclude with the National Anthem.

Gibraltar will also be represented at the UK National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, on Sunday.

Government minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez will lay a wreath on behalf of the People of Gibraltar to recognise the many lives lost by Gibraltarians in the service of the Crown, particularly in the two World Wars.

The Director of Gibraltar House Brussels, Daniel D’Amato MBE, will also lay a wreath on behalf of the People of Gibraltar at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Heverlee, Belgium. The Cemetery is the final resting place for 984 WWI and WWII casualties from seven nations.

On Monday, Gibraltar will commemorate Armistice Day with a short ceremony in the Lobby of Parliament.

A two-minute silence will be marked by the firing of a gun by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment at 11am.

A Bugler will then sound the Last Post and wreaths will be laid as part of the ceremony, which will be led by the Mayor, Carmen Gomez.

Guards of Honour will be provided by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Royal British Legion Gibraltar Branch.

The Governor, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries will lay wreaths during the ceremony

There will be fewer wreaths laid this year due to ongoing refurbishment works to Parliament House.

The ceremony marks the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month and commemorates the signing of the Armistice to signal the end of World War One on November 11, 1918.