Battle Day

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Each year on 8th December the people of the Falkland Islands pay homage to those who were lost in the Battle of the Falklands, which took place on 8th December 1914. It is a public holiday and is marked by a memorial service.

There is a church service in the morning which is followed by a parade with representatives from the Navy and other services. The parade, accompanied by a military band, goes to the 1914 Memorial where there is a further small ceremony, including the laying of wreaths. When possible, there is a fly-past by the Royal Air Force and a march past, with the Governor taking the salute.

The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a naval engagement during World War I, fought between ships of the British Royal Navy and the Imperial German Navy. The British, reeling from their defeat at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile, sent a large force to destroy the German cruiser squadron. The result was a decisive victory for the British.

In the UK, The Falkland Islands Association exists to assist the people of the Falkland Islands to decide their own future for themselves, without being subjected to pressure (direct or indirect) from any quarter. It is open to everyone who supports the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination. Each year on the nearest Saturday to 8th December they lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, Whitehall in London to commemorate those who were lost in all conflicts involving the Falklands from the 1914 Battle to the 1982 Falklands War.

Acknowledgement

WhichDay.com would like to thank Jason Lewis and Alison Inglis of www.falklands.info for their assistance in supplying information and photographs for entries in the diary.