Shropshire Star

Remembrance Day: Shropshire remembers when the guns fell silent on Armistice Day

Poignant ceremonies were held across Shropshire today as emergency workers, council staff and shoppers fell silent to mark Armistice Day.

Published
Telford & Wrekin

The eleventh hour of the eleventh month in 1918 was when the guns fell silent after four brutal years of slaughter in the First World War.

Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, involves a two-minute silence which was observed at 11am at hospitals, ambulance headquarters, police stations, council offices, in shops and railway stations and in town centres.

At Shirehall in Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council chief executive Andy Begley read the names of council staff who had died in two world wars. The brief ceremony was led by council chairman Councillor Vince Hunt and leader Councillor Lezley Picton.

A similar ceremony was held in Telford & Wrekin where council leader Councillor Shaun Davies shook hands with a Royal British Legion Standard Bearer.

All week the council has been decorating buildings with a projection of falling poppies to commemorate Armistice Day. Still to be lit up are St Leonard’s Church, Newport, St Nicholas Church, Wellington - All Saints Church and Lychgate War Memorial, Southwater One.

Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Julian Dean, joined the Royal British Legion in the Square for the silence. Shoppers at the Darwin Centre in Shrewsbury were invited to join in with the silence, which will be repeated on Sunday. The same invite went to customers at the Market Hall.

The Remembrance Day ceremony at Shirehall

Arriva West Midlands warned passengers and drivers that its buses could pull over and stop for the silence.

Many staff at West Midlands Ambulance Service, in Brierley Hill, came to a standstill to "remember our fallen heroes who died in conflict as well as those continuing to serve our country."

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust tweeted: "To those of our colleagues and their families who have served, or are still serving, we thank you for your dedication.

As a trust we are observing Remembrance Day to honour the lives that have been lost in service and to thank our Armed Forces. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, and today is a timely reminder of the strong ties between the Armed Forces and the National Health Service."

West Midlands Ambulance Service

The hospital chaplaincy team held services within the hospital chapel and are planning the same on Sunday.

The SaTH website revealed the stories of those of its colleagues and their families who have served, or are still serving.

SaTH has re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant and is working hard to raise awareness of what it means to be ‘Veteran Aware’.

This is the commitment to former and current members of the Armed forces and their families. Links with Shropshire Council and other agencies and charities are highlighting any veterans that may need support that may not know where to go.

Telford Priory School

This could be for advice or support about housing, finance, employment or highlighting events in the local area where they can meet other veterans.

Railway leaders were joined at Cardiff Central Station by Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales where they were sending poppies to Paddington for Sunday's service at the Cenotaph.

Dyfed-Powis Police held its Remembrance Service at HQ in Carmarthen, with services also held at stations across the area.

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