Laura Skitt
8th November 2023 at 4:03pm
The Last Post’s solemn sound can stop people in their tracks, immediately reminding them of the ultimate sacrifice made by military personnel throughout history.
Universally known as the sound most closely associated with Remembrance, the Last Post marks the start of a period of thoughtful silence.
The short fanfare, which is traditionally played either on a bugle or trumpet, immediately unites those within earshot, allowing their thoughts to momentarily rest on memories of their loved ones or the sacrifices made by strangers for their freedom.
- From silk to plastic to paper: The evolution of the poppy
- Do Armed Forces personnel have to wear a poppy for Remembrance?
- The evolution of Remembrance
When did the Last Post come into existence?
Th Last Post was created for the British Army in the late 18th century by a now-unknown composer, and was originally just one of many bugle calls that were performed to regulate a soldier’s day.
At this point in history, soldiers had no easy way to check the time as the first wristwatch was created in 1810 for the Queen of Naples.
Instead, they relied on the attention-grabbing sound of Reveille to let them know it was time to get up.
The Last Post bugle call signified the duty officer had completed his inspection and the camp was secure for the night.
It took another 50 years for the Last Post to be played for soldiers who had died overseas, marking their final journey home and symbolising the end of the dead soldier’s duty.
The mournful melody became commonplace on the battlefield in conflicts such as the Boer War and the First World War.
The tradition of honouring fallen soldiers both overseas and at home increased in popularity during the early 20th century.
When is the Last Post played now?
Today, the Last Post is a focal point during Remembrance services around the world and at military funerals.
Since 2 July 1928, the bugle call has been performed every night at 8pm in Belgium under the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s Menin Gate memorial in Ypres by members of The Last Post Association.
During the inauguration of the Menin Gate memorial in 1927, buglers from 2nd Battalion, the Somerset Light Infantry had the honour of sounding the first Last Post.
In addition, the Last Post is performed when the Tower of London gates are locked at 10pm every night.
Which words traditionally accompany The Last Post?
The words spoken after the Last Post is played and directly before the silence come from the well-known fourth stanza from For The Fallen, a poignant poem written by academic and poet Laurence Binyon in September 1914.
He was so moved by the devastatingly high number of casualties from the First World War that he put pen to paper to express his and the nation’s grief.
Once described by Rudyard Kipling as “the most beautiful expression of sorrow in the English language”, the poem is recited at every Remembrance Sunday, strengthening our determination to never forget the servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Why is the Last Post performed at Remembrance services?
Wherever you are in the world – be it at the Cenotaph in London or on deployment thousands of miles away – the Last Post signifies the start of the two-minute silence, a time for peaceful reflection often ending with the playing of Reveille.
This momentary pause immediately connects us to the war dead of the past and their sacrifices for the many freedoms we enjoy today.
The ceremony is followed by the traditional laying of wreaths.
What is it like to perform the Last Post?
Always front and centre at some of the Armed Forces’ most important ceremonial occasions, the lone bugler plays a pivotal role.
Paul Goose, a Light Infantry veteran and bugler, spoke to Forces News about what it feels like to perform the Last Post, saying: “It’s a slow tune, it does give you time to reflect.
“A lot of people shed a lot of tears to it.
“I’ve shed tears to it while I’ve been playing at times.
“It does reflect on people’s lives and the people who they lost.”
The mournful melody helps us to remember the sacrifices made by those who fought and died for their country.