A WEEK of events to mark Armed Forces Day will start in St Helier’s Royal Square today.
As part of a coordinated show of respect across the British Isles, the Union flag and the Jersey flag will be raised in the Royal Square at 1pm, watched by veterans, reservists and officials.
The Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, will host a lunch to recognise and thank the Island’s reservists on Wednesday, while attention will revert to the Royal Square for Armed Forces Day itself, which takes place on Saturday.
Members of the public are invited to visit stands set up from 9.30am by the Jersey Field Squadron, Holidays for Heroes Jersey, and the Royal British Legion, while at 10am a cadet drill competition will take place, with prizes presented at 12pm and the event concluding at 12.30pm, followed by a private reception.
Sir Timothy said: “Armed Forces Day allows us to pause and recognise the invaluable role played by the men and women who serve our Island and the wider interests of the United Kingdom.
“We also honour those who support them – their families, their colleagues, and our local reservists and cadets.
“Jersey has a proud tradition of service and remembrance, and I encourage Islanders to join us in showing our appreciation during the events taking place throughout the week.”
Veterans Day was first observed in the UK in 2006 and renamed Armed Forces Day three years later. The event takes place on the last Saturday in June, coinciding with the anniversary of the first investiture of the Victoria Cross in London’s Hyde Park in 1857.
