Latest post: St. Symphorien Military Cemetery, the Battle of Mons and British Centenary Commemoration by Edward Madigan

The UK government has now formally announced that it will stage a commemorative event to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War at St. Symphorien Military Cemetery in Belgium on 4 August 2014. Commemorating the outbreak of a war is a very new departure in the history of British memory and remembrance of conflict, so the choice of setting for the event naturally required some serious thought and consideration. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recommended St. Symphorien because the historical and cultural resonance of the cemetery, and, not least, the striking beauty of the site, mean that it would lend itself remarkably well to an inclusive, imaginative... read more