Tristan represented at Cenotaph Remembrance Ceremony
Report and photos from Tristan Government UK Representative Chris Carnegy
Chris Carnegy with St Helena Government UK Representative Kedell Warboys
in Downing Street prior to the wreath-laying.
This year, for the first time , representatives of each UK Overseas Territory were invited to the nation's central ceremony of remembrance, held on Sunday 10th November at the Cenotaph on London's Whitehall. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories have previously been represented by the wreaths laid by Her Majesty The Queen and the Foreign Secretary respectively.
Overseas Territories' Representatives gather in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
prior to the event. Chris Carnegy is far left.
St Helena's Kedell Warboys and I jointly represented the Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The honour of laying a wreath on behalf of all three islands will alternate between us: Kedell laid the wreath this year and I will do so in 2020.
The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha wreath.
Tristan has twice been garrisoned by British armed forces, and islanders served with pride in the merchant-navy fleet that resupplied the Falklands after the 1982 conflict.
Many UK Territories have contributed to British military campaigns, and it was a privilege to be part of this special moment.
Governor Philip Rushbrook commented:
"St Helenians (including those working on Ascension) and Tristanians are proud of their British heritage and there is no better way for this to be recognised than through their representatives laying a wreath at the Cenotaph in London. Many of our islanders past and present have contributed to the British Armed Forces – on St Helena we can see some of their names on our own cenotaph in Jamestown. We also take this as an opportunity to pay tribute to the crew of the RMS St Helena who during the Falklands Campaign played their part, and St Helenians today serving in the Armed Forces."