The suggested procedure for laying a wreath is to: Wreath layingįlowers have traditionally been laid on graves or memorials to commemorate the dead. The catafalque party consists of four members of an armed guard who stand, their heads bowed and their arms (weapon) reversed, facing outward approximately one metre from the coffin or catafalque as a symbolic form of respect for those who have fallen. A watch or catafalque party was traditionally mounted around the coffin to ensure the safety of the body while it lay in state. The men bowed their heads alongside her, and their Association resolved to arrange a dawn service at the Cenotaph.” Catafalque partyĪ catafalque is a raised structure supporting a stand that usually holds a coffin to allow mourners to file past and pay their last respects.
Five men, returning from an Anzac Day function in the early hours of the morning “happened to see an elderly woman placing a sheaf of flowers on the as yet incomplete Cenotaph. Ken Inglis, in his book Sacred places: war memorials in the Australian landscape (1998), tells how “the idea of commemorating that dawn of 1915 came to a group of returned men in Sydney” in 1927. A dawn vigil, recalling the wartime front line practice of the dawn ‘stand-to’, became the basis of a form of commemoration in several places after the war. Soldiers in defensive positions were woken in the dark before dawn, so by the time first light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert, and manning their weapons this is still known as the ‘stand-to’.Īfter the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they had felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. Dawn serviceĭuring battle, the half-light of dawn was one of the most favoured times for an attack. Wearing a poppy (on the left breast or lapel) is more common in Australia on and around Remembrance Day, 11 November. Increasingly, red poppies are widely used by Australians as a sign of remembrance, and are placed on war graves or next to names of soldiers engraved on memorials. Wearing a poppyĪlso known as the Flanders poppy, the red poppy was first described as a flower of remembrance by Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian who served in France as a medical officer during the First World War.Īccording to folklore, the poppies sprang from the devastation of war in France and Belgium and were red from the blood of fallen soldiers. Valued since ancient times for its believed ability to improve memory - a sprig of rosemary is worn every Anzac Day as a symbol of remembrance. They can be ordered by phoning 020 7663 1030 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm.Rosemary grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula. They are on sale in many meeting houses, including Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House (offsite link) and from Friends House in London. The Peace Pledge Union (offsite link) makes and distributes white poppies. It is important to hold witness to the devastating effect of war on all nations, as well as to civilians, communities, children and families – the white poppy represents this." Mairi Campbell-Jack, Scottish Parliamentary Engagement Officer for Quakers in Britain said, “Quakers are led by faith to believe that war is not inevitable. This year Quakers of General Meeting for Scotland – with Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Peace Pledge Union, and the Edinburgh Justice and Peace Centre – have sent nearly 200 white poppies to all Scottish MEPs, to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament and to all Scottish MPs in Westminster. Quakers have compassion for all those affected by war including injured and disabled military and civilians everywhere and their families. Quakers are led by faith to believe that war is not inevitable. The white poppy represents those on all sides who have died, been injured or still suffer in conflicts across the world. Many wearers of the white poppy believe that remembrance, opposition to war, and work for peace can go hand in hand. The white poppy represents the hope of peace. In 1933, the white poppies were introduced by the Women's Cooperative Guild, to say very clearly, “No more wars.
The Royal British Legion started selling its red poppies in 1921 to support World War I veterans and to remember service men and women killed in conflict. In these sombre days of Remembrance, many wear red or white poppies.
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