Wreaths will be laid, beacons lit and prayers offered on the 100th anniversary of the Armistice which ended what was then called The Great War.

More than eight million people died, with 29 million injured.

The heavy casualties of the First World War affected the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which lost a large number of men who had signed up to fight in the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry.

The RGLI was first sent into action at the Battle of Cambrai in 1916, before the remaining men were involved in further action at Passchendaele in 1917 which saw them reduced to just 55 men and two officers.

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Pictured: Ira Le Messurier fought in the First World War but came home, where he tragically died in 1917 aged just 20 from TB. His death was formally recognised this week, more than 100 years on, meaning his grave will be looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission going forward, as reported by Expresshere. 

Today, the Bailiff and Lieutenant Governor will lead the commemorative events which will include the annual parade and service at the War Memorial at the top of Smith Street. A two minute silence will be observed across the island at 11:00 and a beacon will be lit at Castle Cornet this evening, as part of a national chain of lights.

08:59 – the air raid siren at Victoria Tower will sound, followed by the all clear.

11:00 – the gun at Castle Cornet will fire to mark a two-minute silence. Gunners from the Guernsey Military History Company will be dressed in uniforms of the First World War. A second gun marks the end of the two minutes’ silence.

11:00 – immediately following that, a service at the war memorial at the top of Smith Street will begin, concluding in the laying of the wreaths. 

18:55 – a bugler will sound the Last Post on the Citadel at Castle Cornet. 

19:00 – The Bailiff, Sir Richard Collas, will light the Castle Beacon, as one of a chain of Beacons of Light (this will not be a public event). 

19:05 – Bell ringers will play the Ring out for Peace at Town Church. 1,500 hand-made poppies representing the local men who lost their lives in the First World War will be displayed at the Church.

A separate event has also been arranged at the Fort George Military Cemetery which is a Combined Nations Armistice Day Service and will honour lives lost on both sides of the fighting during World War 2.

The Lieutenant Governor, the Bailiff and the Senior Constable of St Peter Port will all be laying wreaths at both the German and British parts of the cemetery.

Two German officers who are currently based in the UK as part of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will be there – one of whom was in the island earlier this year, doing some work at the cemetery. 

Pictured top: Guernsey’s Smith Street War Memorial.