In a shared act of remembrance, the British and French Defence Secretaries honoured fallen service men and women at the “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” art installation at the Tower of London.
On the day that marked one hundred years since of the start of trench warfare on the Western Front, the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP and His Excellency Jean-Yves le Drian each planted a ceramic poppy in the moat of the Tower, some of the last to be planted in the evolving installation. The last poppy will be planted on Armistice Day, 11 November 2014.
In an act of symbolic solidarity, the Ministers exchanged Poppies and Bleuets, the Commonwealth and French symbols of remembrance. The Poppy became the Commonwealth symbol when it grew over the battlefields of Flanders; the Bleuet, or cornflower, grew along the Western Front in areas where many French soldiers were killed.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “The UK and France stood shoulder to shoulder in 1914. We still do so now. On an occasion of such importance to both of our countries, I’m honoured to welcome Jean-Yves to the Tower of London to view the poppies. The people of our countries made enormous sacrifices during the Great War. The 888,246 poppies at the Tower represent the number of British dead. French losses significantly exceeded 1 million. I pay tribute to their sacrifice, and that of all who have died in the service of their country.”
Mr Fallon welcomed M. le Drian to the Tower of London where they were received by a Guard on Honour from F Company Scots Guards and the band of the Irish Guards. M. Le Drian inspected the Guard, accompanied by the Secretary of State, General The Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower, and Major Charlie Turner.
French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves le Drian said: “It is very important for me to come to London on the eve of Remembrance Day. The French and British peoples fought side by side during World War One, for which they both paid a heavy price, and this should never be forgotten. Today, our Armed Forces are engaged together to address the challenges for our common security and we’re both determined, Michael and I, to maintain and enhance this high level of trust and cooperation between our two countries. I am also delighted to have the opportunity to see for myself the poppy field at the Tower of London, which has, quite justifiably, received very positive worldwide attention.”
After viewing the poppies, the Ministers went on to have productive discussions about UK-French defence partnerships, including on current security challenges in the Middle East and Africa, Euro-Atlantic security and implementation of the decisions of the NATO Summit.