Douglas Observes Centenary of Armistice Day Commemorations

Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man, has marked its 100th year of Armistice Day commemorations at the Douglas Cenotaph. A ceremony to observe the anniversary of the conclusion of World War One was conducted at the war memorial on Douglas Promenade, which was originally unveiled in May 1924. The proceedings included a two-minute silence, followed by the laying of wreaths. Similar observances were mirrored at other war memorials across the island. Diane Kelsey, vice chair of the Preservation of War Memorials Committee, stated that it was “really lovely” to witness younger individuals among those paying their respects at the ceremony. Mrs. Kelsey, who also holds the position of vice-chairman of the Preservation of War Memorials Committee, indicated that the committee now aims to supply resources to schools. This initiative would enable children to research family history or the narratives of other names inscribed on memorials. The RAF veteran commented: “If you think about it, behind every name there’s a story – there’s a family, a mother, a brother, a sister, fathers, sons, and cousins.“ She continued: “You cannot understand in this day and age in 2024 on the Isle of Man what people were going through a hundred years ago.“ She added: “The grief, and the sorrow and the loss of so many young lives… it’s important that we all remember those names.” Douglas’s cenotaph was designed by Ewart Crellin and officially unveiled in a civic ceremony in 1924. Mrs. Kelsey explained that in the initial years following World War One, local communities throughout the British Isles commissioned memorials, resulting in a diverse range from “very simple to very ornate”. She further remarked that the island was “really lucky” because “some very dedicated people who have looked into some of the history of some of the names, and some of the people who died in war, to give you a bit of the colour of those people”.