On 11h00 on 11 November 1918 the cease fire went into effect, bringing The Great War to an end. That occasion is remembered with two minutes silence ever year at the same time, a tradition that began in Cape Town.
On the closest Sunday to 11 November each year a Remembrance Day Parade is held in Cape Town. The two minutes of silence begins and ends with a cannon salvo. After a short religious service and an address by the guest of honour the Last Post is played and the national flag is lowered. After two minutes silence Reveille is sounded and the national flag raised.
This year the religious service was delivered by Chaplain Rev Frank Meulenbeld and Chaplain Sheik Abdullah Abrahams. Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson was the guest speaker once again.
Wreaths were laid by a number of organisations, associations and individuals. Two of the remaining members of 3 Brigade Signal Company Reunion Association, Charles Holloway (Age 99) and Syd Ireland (Age 97),were among those to lay wreaths. Charles was accompanied by our Public Relations Officer, Pierre Fourie with Syd being accompanied by his daughter Jenny Portman.
Johan Johnson laid a wreath on behalf of the Signals Association and other members of the association present to witness this historic occasion, were Pierre Fourie and his wife Ramona, Piet Jordaan, Willie van der Merwe and his wife Marianne, Johan Smuts, Peter Longbottom, Robin Cross, Johan Johnson who laid the wreath on behalf of the Association also his wife Annemarie as well as Carl Schmidt who laid a wreath on behalf of 71 Signal Unit.