King Charles led the nation in Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Cenotaph in London, where around 20 Second World War veterans joined approximately 10,000 armed forces personnel in the annual march-past.
Veterans share emotional testimony
Among the marchers were several centenarians, including Philip Dawson (100), Arthur Oborne (101), and Kenneth Embleton (101), who spoke powerfully about comradeship, sacrifice, and why we must continue to remember.
Dawson, who enlisted in the Royal Marines in 1943 and fought in the assault on Walcheren, Netherlands, emphasized unity in today's divided world. "Comradeship unites people together and in this world and the way things are, we need to be comrades and unite together because then you're strong," he told PA news agency. He expressed amazement at the public's reception, noting the applause "didn't stop the whole way around."
The service was especially moving for first-time attendee Embleton, who served with the Queen's Royal Regiment in Burma and Malaya. "I got quite moved to see them all clapping, I had a few tears... the service hits you right in the heart," he told PA news agency.
Oborne attended after meeting the family of Walter Gummerson, the comrade who saved his life before enemy forces killed him the next day. A bullet struck Oborne in the lung during the Normandy landings. "I just wanted to say thank you to them because he saved my life," Oborne told PA news agency of the September meeting.
National commemoration
Prime Minister Keir Starmer laid a wreath alongside senior politicians and Commonwealth representatives. According to The Guardian, he stated: "This Remembrance Sunday, we pause as a nation to honour all those who have served our country." His remarks emphasized the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, describing it as remembering "a generation who stood against tyranny and shaped our future."
Ceremonies took place across Britain, with thousands gathering at war memorials in Liverpool, Derby, Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leicester, and Edinburgh. In Leicester, the event marked the 100th anniversary of the Arch of Remembrance, with descendants of the women who originally unveiled the memorial in 1925 laying wreaths in a moving reminder of that ceremony.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
