THE CENTENARY of the day the guns fell silent across Europe at the end of the First World War was commemorated across Coventry and Warwickshire today.
There was added poignancy to the commemorations, with both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day falling on the same day, as servicemen and women past and present, together with civic dignitaries and members of the public, remembered those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country.
The day started early in many communities with pipers playing ‘When the Battle’s O’er’ at 6am – the time when the Armistice was actually signed on November 11, 1918.
It was followed by parades and services, including a two minute silence at 11am, the time the Armistice actually came into effect.
Over 1,000 Beacons of Light – symbolising an end to the darkness of war and a return to the light of peace – were lit this evening across the nation, including a number in Coventry and Warwickshire.