Britain Honours War Dead On Armistice Day

A young army cadet laid the final poppy at the Tower of London as Britain marked Armistice Day, 100 years since the start of the First World War.

Cadet Harry Hayes, 13, was watched by a crowd of thousands at the display as he placed the last of 888,246 ceramic flowers, each of which represents a British or colonial war death in the conflict.

The cadet, from Reading Blue Coat School in Berkshire, completed the red swathe of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which has become a focal point for Remembrance commemorations in this centenary year.

Volunteers will shortly begin removing the display although the two sculptural sections will remain at the Tower until the end of November before being taken around the country.

General the Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London, read from the famous poem For The Fallen ahead of the traditional two-minute silence observed by millions across the country.

He said: "We always hoped the installation would capture the public imagination yet we could not predict the level of support we have received and for this we are truly grateful.

"Not only have we raised vital funds for six service charities but I hope we have also created a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives."

Thousands more people gathered in Trafalgar Square, where the Royal British Legion held its Silence In The Square from 10am. Led by TV presenter Ben Shephard, attendees threw poppy petals into the fountain to mark the end of the silence.

Prime Minister David Cameron paid his respects at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in a remembrance service organised by the Western Front Association.

The Queen privately observed the two-minute silence before beginning an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

There were more commemorations further afield, including at Ypres on the former Western Front in Belgium, to remember the millions of British servicemen and women lost in conflicts.

Another seven members of the British armed forces have died in service since last year's Armistice Day, including five killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in April.

Richard Hughes, of the Western Front Association, said this year's commemorations were not just about the end of the First World War.

"We have got the modern version here with us stepping back from Afghanistan," he said.

"That itself has tremendous resonance. The notion of remembrance has become important again. It has stopped being obscure old history.

"To be part of that continuing tradition of remembrance gives soldiers a great comfort and it gives their families great comfort."

Armistice Day has been marked on the November 11 every year since 1919 - a year after the Allied forces signed a truce with Germany to end the First World War.

After the Second World War, commemorations were adapted to honour the fallen of both conflicts, and Remembrance Sunday was established to replace Armistice Day.

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