The silence was marked by the firing of Castle Cornet’s cannon by local Royal British Legion president Major Eric Le Quesne, right, pictured with historic sites warden Keith Pike. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0871036)
TRAFFIC stood still in St Peter Port yesterday as a cannon fired and sirens sounded to mark the two-minute silence on Armistice Day.
Royal British Legion president Major Eric Le Quesne fired the gun at Castle Cornet alongside regular noonday firer Keith Pike, who was dressed in a Royal Guernsey Militia uniform.
The silence observed around the island marked the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – the precise anniversary of the end of the First World War.
Major Le Quesne said the occasion this year was even more poignant because of the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan – 233 have died since the conflict began in 2001.
He said seeing the cortege drive through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, carrying the bodies of six soldiers who had died in Afghanistan just over a week ago had brought a lump to his throat.
‘We are coming up to Christmas and those families will have a son missing. That’s where it hits home. Some of them were in their 20s,’ he said.
Major Le Quesne said the work of the Legion would increase as it was called upon to look after their families for the next 80 years.
He said men in the First World War had died in a sea of mud and the conflict had seen a loss of life on a grand scale for little tangible reward.
‘Armistice Day was established to mark that sacrifice and to this day it has continued, as the pledge was “we will remember you”.’
Major Le Quesne said many of today’s soldiers loved their job but they were fighting an unconventional war.
Mr Pike, who is also parade marshal for the Royal British Legion, said the two-minute silence was important as the fallen in all the conflicts since the Second World War were also remembered.
Article posted on 12th November, 2009 - 11.30am
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