British Forces in Afghanistan Remember the Fallen

As the nation gathered to pay its respects to the Fallen of the two World Wars, and conflicts throughout the decades since, UK forces in Afghanistan held poignant services as the UK combat mission draws to an end in 2014.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the First World War Armistice was signed. Every year since we have remembered those who have given their lives for peace and freedom. Today at eleven o’clock International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel and civilians gathered for Remembrance services in Kabul and Kandahar.

The ceremony in Camp Souter Kabul was led by the Reverend Dr. Jim Francis CF and attended by personnel from all three Services and senior representatives from the international coalition including Commander British Forces in Kabul, Brigadier James Stopford. He said: 

“Our annual Remembrance commemorations are always moments of deep reflection as we honour those who have fallen in conflict across the ages. This year is particularly poignant as we mark the centenary of the Great War. For those of us serving here in Afghanistan on operations, we remember with enormous pride the terrible sacrifice by our UK Armed Forces colleagues and those of our coalition partners, and in particular, the very brave members of the Afghan Security Forces.  

Our shared sacrifice has made a significant difference to this country and ours and continues to do so – We Will Remember Them.”  

In Kandahar, as work continues supporting final operations over the skies of Afghanistan and redeployment of equipment from Camp Bastion personnel stopped operations for a short period of reflection. The Remembrance Sunday service was supported by musicians from the Royal Artillery Band playing the Last Post, a two-minute silence was then held followed by Reveille.

Attending the ceremony the UK National Component Commander, Major General Ben Bathurst, said: 

“As we near the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan, we are taking the opportunity to remember all those who have fallen in this campaign, along with other campaigns that have gone before. Although Remembrance Sunday is primarily a British and Commonwealth commemoration, we do of course remember those who have died while serving in the Afghan National Security Forces and with our Coalition partners. Witnessing first hand the improvements that have been made across Afghanistan these losses, extremely painful as they are, have not been in vain and we will always remember them.”

Wreaths were laid by representatives from all three Services. The Senior Royal Navy officer in Afghanistan and Deputy Commander Joint Force Support (Afghanistan), Captain Matthew Clark, laid the first wreath of the three Services.  Following the ceremony he had the following to say: 

“It was an honour to lay a wreath in memory of all personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines who have laid down their lives in the service of peace and freedom. The sacrifices UK Armed Forces personnel, and their families andfriends, have made in defence of the country will never be forgotten, and we remain indebted to them all.”