This week is a time for contemplation and reflection as the country comes together to mark Armistice Day on November 11 and Remembrance Sunday this coming weekend.
Every year in November the nation remembers and honours all of our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom.
It was on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 that hostilities ceased, marking the end of the First World War. The Armistice had been signed that morning, and the order went out immediately for all fighting to cease by 11am. One hundred and five years later, we continue to mark that moment.
The first formal Remembrance Day took place in November 1919 years, at the request of King George V. The impact of World War I, the vast conflict that led to these events being marked annually, cannot be under-stated.
The
total number of military and civilian casualties in the First World War, was
around 40 million. There were 20 million deaths and 21 million
wounded. The total number of deaths includes 9.7 million military personnel and
about 10 million civilians.
In Mid-Cornwall the impact of the war
was felt by all communities as a generation of young men were called away to
fight, with many never returning home. The Duke of Cornwall’s light infantry
lost 4,510 men alone during the war. Those losses would have been felt heavily
in their communities. We must also remember that we lost our own serving Member
of Parliament Thomas ‘Tommy’ Agar-Robartes, who along with 23 MP’s died in
service during the war. He will be in my thoughts as always at this time of
year.
The Great War, as it was known at the
time was also called the ‘War to end all wars’. However, this was sadly not the
case and in subsequent Remembrance Sundays, we now honour those who have fallen in the Second World War and more recent
conflicts.
My grandfather served in Navy in the
Second World War and my thoughts will be drawn to him on Remembrance Day as I
recall the few occasions he told us about his experiences. This weekend I will
also be sure to remember our own unforgettable Harry Billinge MBE, a D-Day
Veteran who tirelessly fundraised for the British Normandy Memorial, for
everything he has done.
We must also give thanks to the
surviving veterans of past conflict, and as the numbers of those who served in
the Second World War inevitably fall, it is important that we honour those we
have left.
As always, many local communities will be marking Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday and I will be joining in with services in St Austell and Newquay to commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country so that we may live.
This year, however, I am disappointed to see reports of planned protests. The Prime Minister has condemned these protests on Armistice Day as ‘provocative and disrespectful’ and I agree. Attempts to disrupt Remembrance Sunday events are totally unacceptable and would be an affront to the British people and the values we stand for. The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected.
That is why I am pleased the Prime Minister has confirmed the government will be supporting the police in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
Whatever your views on the protests currently happening in London and elsewhere, in my view it would be unacceptable for them to in any way disrupt or distract from our nation coming together to honour those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Without that freedom, which was secured at a heavy price, these protests wouldn't even be possible, and I trust all those thinking of protesting will consider this and, at least for this weekend, refrain from taking to the streets.
This Armistice Day, and on Remembrance Sunday, let us remember the men and women who gave their lives for us in the past and honour those who continue to risk their lives today.
If I can
be of assistance with any matter, please get in touch with my office who will
be happy to help - email: office@stevedouble.org.uk or call 01726 829379.
