Wauchope High School

Knowledge conquers all

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Honouring their spirit on Remembrance Day

Honouring their spirit on Remembrance Day

Our School Captains Wyatt, Emily, Kiara and Susie carried out their first official Captain duties this morning when they spoke at Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Emily and Wyatt attended the ceremony at the local memorial while Susie and Kiara ran our school assembly.

All of our students should be proud of their respectful behaviour, and our Captains should be congratulated on the outstanding way they represented Wauchope High.

Why is this day special to all Australians?

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted allied terms that amounted to unconditional surrender.

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.

In 1997, Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation  formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.

We will remember them.