Poppy & Remembrance Service History.

Aye mate but why not on the 11th? Apparantly it is in Australia for example.

Isn't it originally about the signing of the armistice in WW1?

Just wondering why we don't hold it on the 11th?

Hope this helps explain.

From 1939 the official commemoration was transferred to the Sunday nearest 11 November, and simple wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph by junior officials, without ceremony; the Festival of Remembrance was cancelled for the duration of the war.


Swimming against the tide

 

Cos world war 2 started.
suppose easier to do it on a sunday, so not to stop war production in the factories I'd imagine.

 

Religious services would traditionally be on a Sunday wouldn't they.
No doubt it would have been the topic for that Sunday's sermon in many/most churches anyway.
Closest Sunday to the actual day makes perfect sense.

 

20s Poppy wreath:
Early Poppy Wreath - 100 Objects - Leicestershire Revealed! - Museums - Leicestershire County Council

 

A chap on ARRSE posted this, & as it seems to hit the 'Remembrance History' button, I'll add it here.

Royal Proclamation, Buckingham Palace, 7th November 1919:

"To all my people,

Tuesday next, November 11, is the first anniversary of the Armistice, which stayed the world-wide carnage of the four preceding years and marked the victory of Right and Freedom. I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that Great Deliverance, and of those who laid down their lives to achieve it. To afford an opportunity for the universal express of this feeling it is my desire and hope that at the hour when the Armistice came into force, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, there may be, for the brief space of two minutes, a complete suspension of all our normal activities. During that time, except in the rare cases where this may be impractical, all work, all sound, and all locomotion should cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the Glorious Dead. No elaborate organisation appears to be necessary. At a given signal, which can be easily arranged to suit the circumstances of each locality, I believe that we shall all gladly interrupt our business and pleasure, whatever it may be, and unite in this simple service of Silence and Remembrance"

GEORGE R.I.

Googling it led me to an IWM look at the origins of the two minute silence:
Welcome the Imperial War Museum's Collections Home Page : The Two Minute Silence
Worth a read, and with an interesting WW2 postscript:
Postscript on the Big Ben Minute
Although the ‘Two Minutes’ Silence’ continued during the Second World War a further observance was adopted by the BBC at 9 o’clock on 10th November, 1940, the night of Armistice Sunday. The chimes of Big Ben were broadcast. This was the ‘Dedicated or Silent Minute’, symbol of unity and spiritual awareness. It is not connected with the ‘Two Minutes’ Silence’ of Remembrance, and was to be broadcast each night. The daily newspapers were finally persuaded to explain this phenomenon to the general public, and The Times duly printed an article headed “9pm Big Ben Minute for Reflection News”. An explanation of the ‘Big Ben Minute’ and its religious and philosophical connotations is given in a small book entitled The Big Ben Minute written by Andrew Dakes and published by the author in 1943.

 

The Earl Haig Facebook page has some good stuff from early Poppy organising:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Field-Marshal-Earl-Haig-of-Bemersyde/145818974867
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Field-Marshal-Earl-Haig-of-Bemersyde/145818974867?sk=photos_stream

 

Another from that Haig Friendface group.
Said to be the first Poppy laid at the London Cenotaph, now kept at the Green Howards Museum:



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151238924634868&set=a.173022779867.119431.145818974867&type=1&theaterThe Green Howards museum exhibits the first Haig poppy laid in Britain, placed by Field Marshal Haig with the accompanying hand-written note on the Cenotaph in Whitehall on 11th November 1921.

 

Yet more from the excellent Friendface Haig feed.
A tad guilty at reproducing in full, but I know many don't/won't do Friendface, & they're doing such a good job on this History theme:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Field-Marshal-Earl-Haig-of-Bemersyde/145818974867


We have already linked to the Poppyscotland account of how Sir Douglas Haig was inspired to make the poppy the central fund-raiser in support of the families of the war dead and of their surviving comrades who were either maimed or unemployed:

“In 1921 Earl Haig came across a group of French widows who were selling silk poppies on the streets of London, having been inspired by Lt Colonel John McCrae’s iconic poem “In Flanders Field”. Haig recognised the potential of the these poppies to become both a symbol of remembrance and also as a means support the welfare of ex-servicemen.”

What is astonishing is how the first poppy appeal was launched over a period of just six weeks between the adoption of the poppy as a fund raiser, and their first appearance for sale in the first minutes of 11th November 1921. We reproduce below in full the story of this achievement as it appeared in The Times newspaper on 12th November 1921. Of interest is the fact that in the beginning of the appeal, the poppies did not actually go on sale until the 11th November and were only intended to be worn on that day – yet over 8 million were sold that first day, raising £106,000 (around £30 million in today’s terms). This was an astonishing success story, and as the Times report makes clear, Haig and his wife provided the visible representation of the men and women across the country whose hard work had made such an achievement possible in such a short period of time. It was Haig’s autograph which sent the prices achieved by the pamphlets issued to mark the first poppy day soaring, and as we have seen in an earlier post, Haig laid the first poppy in tribute to the dead at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on 11th November 1921. And it was the Haig’s who were instrumental in the establishment of poppy factories in England and Scotland so that in future years the entire production of poppies were made in Great Britain, giving employment to many disabled war veterans and raising the large sums to provide for ex-Service personnel and their families in need to this day. Here, then, is the story of the amazing success of that first poppy appeal in November 1921, from The Times newspaper of 12th November 1921:



THE POPPIES OF FLANDERS

8,000,000 SOLD FOR LORD HAIG’S FUND

Every coat that could be provided with one was decorated with a scarlet flower – the Poppy of Flanders, worn in remembrance of the Glorious Dead, and bought to aid the funds that Lord Haig, through the British Legion, is raising for the benefit of necessitous ex-Servicemen of all ranks.

The first flower purchased in London was bought in the West-end at a few seconds after midnight. At no time yesterday was the supply of poppies equal to the demand that was made for them. They were sought up and down the country in millions. Not for a week will it be known how much money was realized yesterday, but it must be a very large sum indeed.

The poppy had an official price of 3d., but none who bought had regard for that figure. In Smithfield Market before breakfast time the petals of a single poppy were sold for £5 each. In the City, at Lloyds, on the Stock Exchange and the Baltic, in Mincing Lane, the collectors’ boxes were filled with notes and cheques. In every big shop in the West-end, in the hotels and restaurants and clubs, on the steps of public buildings, the poppy was bought and sold. There was a vendor at every suburban station, and if a passenger escaped into his train without a flower it was only to buy one as soon as he alighted at his destination. Up until late last evening there was still a call for more flowers, and the machines were still at work turning them out.

The decision to hold “Poppy Day” was only made six weeks ago, and the appearance of the millions of scarlet flowers in every part of the country yesterday was secured only by the most careful organization and unremitting labour. The poppies were made in France and at home. The first three million were manufactured across the Channel. Then from the distributing centres which had been set up right across Great Britain the requisitions for supplies that began to come to hand at headquarters showed that that number of flowers would be far too small. Eventually rather more than 8,000,000 were made, and even with that number the country centres did not receive all they could have disposed of.

A SCARLET CITY

Sales in London were arranged from the premises that have been lent to the British Legion by Messrs Mac Fisheries Ltd, at Charles-street, Regent-street. Here there was all day long a crowd of motor-cars fetching and bringing sellers of poppies. Crate after crate of flowers was opened and emptied. But the call for poppies was as loud and insistent as ever.

Soon after 10 o’clock Lady Haig drove up. Her car was starred with scarlet flowers, which were soon plucked and sold. Even those she was wearing were disposed of, and then she and Lord Haig motored to some of the principal sales centres in London and visited the City. They found it scarlet.

There was a great demand for the pamphlet “Remembrance Day – Poppy Day.” This contains portraits of the King, the Prince of Wales, and Lord Haig, Sir H Perry Robinsons article “The Unknown Warrior,” the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Colonel John McCrae, and pictures of the Cenotaph and the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and a reproduction of the suggestion for a war memorial by Raemaekers – a soldier crucified. Many copies of the pamphlet were autographed by Lord Haig and sold for large sums.

The organization of Poppy Day was very largely the work of women. The flowers that came from abroad were made by women and children in the devastated areas of France; in this country, too, women had a large share in making them; and when the idea of holding the celebration was set on foot it was to women all over the country that invitations to collaborate were sent. They were addressed to Lady Mayoresses, Mayoresses, and the wives of chairmen of county, urban, and rural district councils. Letters at the same time were sent out to women workers at each local branch of the British Legion telling them what had been done. Effective co-operation was the result. Conspicuous amongst those who sold flowers in the streets were women and girls who were wearing the King’s uniform three years ago.

In many places baskets of poppies were sold for large sums. It was the opening day of Messrs Christie’s season, and at 5 o’clock the sale was temporarily suspended and a basket of poppies put up for sale. The hammer fell 49 times at bids that ranged from 25 guineas to 1 guinea and the total realised amounted to over £463. Messrs Sotheby sold poppies, with white heather, arranged on an imitation harp, and in 23 falls of the hammer over £100 was realized. Messrs Puttick and Simpson also had their poppy sale. The poppies were arranged on an anchor designed by Lord Beatty, and this realised nearly £40.

Lord Haig has expressed the hope that Poppy Day may be firmly established as a festival celebrated every year on the day when we remember the Glorious Dead.

Our photo shows a faded survivor of those first poppies sold on 11th November 1921, which is today in the collection of the Poppy Factory at Richmond.

 

Mr Reed shares an excellent photograph & Interview.
Remembrance: The Armistice 11 November 1918 « Great War Photos

 

IWM Collections:


dried rosebud (on a stem) from the Army Wreath surmounting the coffin of the Unknown Warrior, HMS Verdun, Dover, 10 November 1920. © IWM (EPH 3232)IWM Non Commercial Licence


dried rosebud (on a stem) from the Army Wreath surmounting the coffin of the Unknown Warrior, HMS Verdun, Dover, 10 November 1920. © IWM (EPH 3232)IWM Non Commercial Licence

 

Short Pathe film:
Trench Of Bayonets 1920