UK Armed Forces Minister marks Armistice Day on the Rock

Yesterday, Armistice Day, UK Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning joined the Governor Lt. Gen. Edward Davis, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, Opposition Leader Daniel Feetham, and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, together with local and military representatives, laid wreaths at a ceremony in the Lobby of Parliament House.

Gibraltar’s Mayor, Adolfo Canepa, led the ceremony inspecting the Guard of Honour on arrival from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and local veterans. The signing of the Armistice to signal the end of World War One was then celebrated with a short ceremony in the Lobby.

This year the Royal British Legion in its Poppy Day Appeal campaign encouraged everyone to rethink remembrance featuring the experiences from the younger generation of the Armed Forces community.

Numerous esteemed persons including Momy Levy, Chairman of the Gibraltar Branch of the Royal British Legion, who leads on the Poppy Day Appeal locally, and the Bishop of Gibraltar Carmel Zammit in his first Armistice Day as Bishop, as well as other religious leaders from the Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Evangelical communities.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice to signal the end of World War One “the War to end all Wars”, on the November 11, 1918.

A two minutes silence was observed commencing with the firing of the saluting gun by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and concluding with the same, followed by the sounding of The Last Post by the Bugler before the wreaths were laid by all present.