
Not for ourselves, but for others.
Today, 11 November, is Armistace Day – better known as Remembrance Day – when we pay tribute and honour those men, women and animals who have served in wars, and those who have died in the line of duty.
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed since the end of the First World War in 1918, when at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month the guns on the Western Front fell silent after four years of horrific fighting. The carnage of “the war to end all wars” came to a close, leaving millions dead and even more suffering the after-effects. Strangely, on the decimated battlefields, grew fields of red poppies, carpeting the graves of the fallen. This vivid image has led to the poppy becoming the enduring symbol of Remembrance of the First World War – and, subsequently, wars in general.
Around the world, there are commemoration services and events to honour today, Armistace Day. And at many of those events, St John has a presence.
In South Africa, St John was represented at the SA Legion’s annual service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in Durban yesterday, by Ashley Juckes, who placed at wreath on behalf of the Order.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) is always on 11 November – this year Monday 11 November.
- Remembrance Sunday is the Sunday closest to 11 November, usually the second Sunday in November – this year Sunday 10 November.
- Poppy Day is the day (always a Saturday) before Remembrance Sunday – this year Saturday 9 November.





