site.btaWorld War I Fallen Heroes Commemorated in Plovdiv

The annual British commemoration ceremony in memory of the fallen British soldiers and all those who gave their lives in the service of their country on the fronts of the First World War was held at the Central Cemetery in Plovdiv on Sunday, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) said.

The ceremony, organised by the British Embassy, was attended by British and Irish Ambassadors Nathaniel Copsey and Catherine Bannon, JSOC Deputy Commander Col. Ivan Raykov, the UK Defence Attaché Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Walker, commanders and officers of the JSOC, as well as representatives of the State and local government structures in Plovdiv.

The pilgrimage to the graves of the 56 British servicemen in Plovdiv is held every year on the occasion of Poppy Day - the 11th day of the 11th month, at exactly 11 am - the day and hour when in 1918 the First World War ended with an armistice and fighting ceased.

The heroism and memory of the fallen soldiers were honoured with a two-minute silence and the laying of wreaths and flowers.