Abbey remembers the Fallen

The service was attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster and Deputy High Steward, Councillor Lindsey Hall; and Councillors of the City of Westminster as well as: Major General Robert Magowan CB CBE representing the Royal Navy; Lieutenant General Nicholas Pope CBE, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, representing the Army; Air Marshal Mike Wigston CBE, Deputy Commander Capability, representing the Royal Air Force; the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick CBE QPM; Mr Chris Watson representing the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet; and Captain John Towell representing the Merchant Air Service.

The large congregation included officers and ratings of the Royal Navy, officers and other ranks of the British Army and the Royal Air Force, members of uniformed and many other organisations, and members of the public.

The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall who said in his Bidding:

On this day, when we mark the centenary of the Armistice that brought to an end the Great War, we remember before God all who died in that and the Second World War and in the many international conflicts since 1945.

With thanksgiving we recall the service men and women offered and the sacrifices they made. We remember before God all people, in the civilian and armed services and at home, who died, or who today suffer the effects of combat. We recall with penitence the destructive effects of war on individuals, their families and their nations. We pray for a time when such sacrifice may never again be required.

We thank God for the freedoms we enjoy. And we ask that men and women might always be found who serve the great cause of justice and peace. We dedicate ourselves anew this day to building a world in which flourish graciousness and virtue.