Armed Forces Day 2018 | Forces War Records

Veterans' Day was first observed in 2006 in the United Kingdom and then in 2009 the focus and name of the event changed to Armed Forces Day.  Rather than only commemorate veterans, it became a day when the public in UK could show their appreciation for all the men and women in the British Armed Forces serving or retired, full time or part time.  You may have taken part in one of these days, either parading while serving in the armed forces, as a veteran, as a cadet or as part of a service charity – or perhaps as a member of the public showing your support.

Even if you haven’t got any personal military connections we should all give some consideration towards the valuable contribution of the Armed Forces community: from veterans to serving troops, including cadets and service families. The UK Armed Forces defend the country and its interests. Troops are busy working around the world, providing security, delivering aid, and fighting terrorism. Your support provides a valued morale boost for troops and their families. Don’t forget them – especially not on Armed Forces Day – on their day.

Official celebrations began on Monday, June 25 with the Armed Forces flag being raised on buildings and famous landmarks around the country.

Every year, a different city holds the national event, with celebrations taking place for a week with Armed Forces Day being held on the last Saturday each June.

Defence Minister Earl Howe has announced that the tenth Armed Forces Day national event will take place in and around Llandudno in the borough of Conwy, North Wales for 2018.

The event in the historic seaside town will be supported by the Ministry of Defence, together with the Welsh Government and Conwy County Borough Council

The announcement comes as events are held across the UK to mark Armed Forces Day, including the national event this year hosted by the City of Liverpool. Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will join the First Sea Lord and thousands of people at the South Wales celebrations in Caerphilly to honour the work and dedication of our brave Servicemen and women deployed around the world. There are many more occasions up and down the country being held in support of Armed Forces Day which you can discover.

[Find Armed Forces Day events near you]

In addition to Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day will also provide an opportunity for communities to honour the Reserve Forces and this will take place on June 27, 2018.

Get Involved

Salute Our Forces – Pay tribute to the British Armed Forces community by sending a photo or video of yourself or your friends and colleagues saluting on Twitter (@ArmedForcesDay), Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #SaluteOurForces

If you want to make sure you get it right, here are some short videos to show you how the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force salute

The Royal Navy salutes with hand facing down:

But the British Army and Royal Air Force salute with palms out:

This day is a great morale boost for cadets, families, veterans and active service personnel alike, and reminds us of our ancestors who served long ago. Please get involved this Saturday and show your support. If you want to find out more about an ancestor who was in the armed forces, or you’re curious to know if there are any heroes in your family tree, visit Forces War Records, to delve into our historic document library or search through more than 10+ million records on our database, from the Napoleonic Wars to WW2.