The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This marked Armistice, the end of the First World War. Today to honour those who died in both World Wars and those who have died in action for their country since we hold a 2 minute silence at 11 a.m.
Both World wars cost the lives of more than a Million British men. The facts about these wars are unbelievable. During the infamous Battle of the Somme British casualties totalled 420,000, on the first day alone 1st July 1916 there were 60,000 injured and 20,000 dead. This was the worst single day in British army history.
When the battle was finally won in mid November Britain had suffered nearly half a million casualties, all this to gain 5 miles of land !. Germany had 650,000 casualties and France 195,000.
The Second World War was was far more devastating in loss of life.
I was looking at some information about this War yesterday and the figures are truly shocking.
Lithuania , Latvia and Germany lost more than 10 percent of their population. The Soviet Union and China both lost more than 20 million lives and Poland lost nearly 6 million, 16 percent of their population. The Holocaust alone resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews.
The 2nd World War, the 'Total War' involved 55 countries and between 1939 and 1945 a total of 72 million people had lost their lives.
It makes grim reading I know but the freedom we have today is down to these young men and women who suffered beyond belief.
Hatty has just jumped on me and given me a big smacker and hug, a nice way to end the blog I think.
CH
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