Dozens gathered in front of the Cenotaph in Central yesterday morning during the Remembrance Sunday service to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of Hong Kong and the Commonwealth.
The service started at 10:45am at the monument, where members from various veteran groups, the Legislative Council, representatives from the British and foreign armed forces, and members of the public were present. Many of the participants were wearing the iconic red poppy commemorating the war dead.
Guard of Honour services were provided by members of the Air Cadet Corps, the Sea Cadet Corps, and the Hong Kong Adventure Corps, the latter of which has a historical connection with the former Royal Hong Kong Regiment. Music was provided by the Hong Kong police band, each member of which was also wearing the red poppy.
The event’s official Facebook page includes a video posted by Agni Kirkwood:
In accordance with tradition, a two-minute silence was observed after a bugle played the “Last Post”, followed by the tune “Reveille”. Guests and representatives then laid their poppy wreathes beneath the Cenotaph as the band played “Nimrod” and later a bagpipe lament.
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states and Hong Kong since the end of the First World War to pay tribute to members of the armed forces that died in the line of duty. It has since included those who lost their lives in the defence of Hong Kong during WWII.
It is said that red poppies were the first flowers to grow after a major conflict in Flanders in northern Beigium in 1915. The poem “In Flanders Fields” was written by Canadian soldier and poet John McCrae to capture the aftermath of battle, and inspired the use of red poppies in war commemorations.
This year’s event also came after the controversial comment from mainland Chinese official Chen Zuo’er that the former British colony has failed to “decolonise according to the law”.
Picture: YouTube screengrab
