The Forbes community is being encouraged to gather at the Cenotaph in Victoria Park on Remembrance Day to pause, reflect and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. The Forbes RSL Sub-Branch will host the Remembrance Day service from 11am on Wednesday 11 November, with community members asked to arrive by 10.50am. The service marks the anniversary of the guns falling silent on the Western Front at 11am on November 11, 1918, bringing an end to more than four years of fighting during the First World War. The conflict mobilised more than 70 million people and claimed the lives of between nine and 13 million soldiers, with many having no known grave. The hour the war ended soon took on special significance, with allied nations adopting the date and time as an occasion to remember those who died in service. Following the Second World War, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day in Australia and Britain, expanding its focus to honour all service personnel who have lost their lives in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. At this year's Forbes service, the community is invited to lay wreaths and the names of local men and women who gave their lives in service across generations and conflicts will be read aloud. Following the commemorative service, Forbes RSL will host refreshments at Club Forbes. There will be a screening of The Lighthorsemen, the Australian film based on the famous 1917 Battle of Beersheba. Information regarding the history and significance of Remembrance Day sourced from the Australian War Memorial.
