Social Media Users’ Remember

This weekend, like every weekend closest to the 11th November was Remembrance Weekend, when Britain falls silent to remember those who have given their lives to protect the country. We look through the week’s events in Facebook and Twitter updates.

All British football clubs hold a two minutes’ silence in their closest home fixture to the Remembrance Weekend. This video was filmed at West Ham United’s silence at home to Stoke City on the 5th November.

In addition, to the annual commemoration at the Cenotaph, smaller ceremonies were held across the country. Such as in Redbridge, where Council Leader Cllr Jas Athwal (Labour) was joined by Cllr Ian Bond and Cllr Paul Canal, leaders of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups respectively, in laying a wreath at Ilford War Memorial at Newbury Park.

Athwal, Bond and Canal put behind party differences to remember the fallen servicemen and women from Redbridge.

2016 has also marked the 100th anniversary of The Battle of The Somme, added an extra dimension to this years’ commemorations. The British suffered 57,470 casualties on the first day of fighting alone, with an estimated 19,240 dying as a result of the injuries. For comparison, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the entire British army numbered 25,000.

The tram crash in Croydon was also marked this weekend, with the Parade at Croydon Town also took time to remember the seven victims of the accident.

Chris Philip MP tweets about the events in Croydon.

The poppy has often been seen as a symbol of division in Ireland. Infamously, Republic Of Ireland winger James McClean, born in Northern Ireland refuses to wear poppies on his strip whilst playing football, in protest against the actions of the British Army during The Troubles. In spite of this, Northern Ireland supporters formed a poppy display during the two minutes’ silence before the match against Azerbaijan.

British Overseas Territories, also had their own commemorations. The official twitter page of Jersey, the only part of The British Empire ever occupied by Nazi forces, made several tweets throughout Armistice and Remembrance Day.

Meanwhile, Gibraltar, which had its’ entire civilian population evacuated during the Second World War, and still has a significant British Armed Forces presence, likewise marked the ceremonies, with the Re-enactment Association putting on a performance of Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson being escorted through The Rock by Royal Marines.

Finally, Channel Four tweeted a video of Prince Harry reciting Rupert Brooke’s The Soldier on Armistice Day.

Lest we forget.