- ⅔ of the current world population. In recorded history since 3600 BC, over 14 500 major wars have killed close to 4 billion people - ⅔ of the current world population.

The United Kingdom has 240 000 troops.

…and is the 5th biggest arms exporter in the world with a 5% share of the legal global market.

America has 2.4 million troops.

…and is the world’s biggest arms exporter, it supplies around 40% of the developing world’s arms.

Since 1495, no twenty five year period has been without war.

The longest war was the so-called 100 years war between Britain and France. It actually lasted 116 years ending in 1453.

The shortest war on record took place in 1896 when Zanzibar surrendered to Britain after 38 minutes.

The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was over 35 million...

...there were over 15 million deaths and 20 million wounded ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history...

John Condon, of the Royal Irish Regiment, a native of Waterford, was thought to have been the youngest allied soldier who died in the First World War, aged just 14.

Private Thomas Highgate was the first of 305 soldiers to be executed for desertion during World War I. Just 35 days into the war, Private Highgate was executed at the age of 17…

World War I was supposed to be ‘the war to end all wars’ World War I was supposed to be ‘the war to end all wars’... just twenty years later WWII began…

Over 60 million people were killed in WWII, which was over 2 Over 60 million people were killed in WWII, which was over 2.5% of the world population at that time.

During the First World War there were only 148 U.S Army casualties.

…in WWII there were 418,500 US Army casualties

Approximately six million European Jews were killed during World War II

In armed conflicts since 1945, 90% of casualties have been civilians compared to 50% in World War II and 10% in World War I.

One out of every two casualties of war is a civilian caught in the crossfire.

Torture occurs in more than 100 countries and is carried out as part of government policy in at least 40.

An estimated 300,000 boys and girls are currently trained for combat or used as porters, spies or sex slaves in conflicts around the world today.

Every three hours a child is blown up as a result of more than ten million landmines planted all over Afghanistan.

Over the last ten years, over two million children have been killed in conflict...

and Over one million have been orphaned over six million have been seriously injured or permanently disabled over ten million have been left with serious psychological trauma…

179 British military personnel died on operations in Iraq.

From 1971 to 1997 a total of 763 British Military personnel were killed during “The Troubles”.

384 British Personnel have been killed in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.

One of the most recent awards of the Victoria Cross was to a British service person in 2006...

Corporal Bryan Budd was awarded it, posthumously, for "inspirational leadership and the greatest valour" which led to his death, during actions against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

There are a number of ongoing military conflicts taking place around the world today, which continue to result in violent deaths for both civilians and the military.

Shia Insurgency in Yemen 25 000+ fatalities Colombian Armed Conflict 50 000-200 000 fatalities Afghan Civil War 600 000-2 000 000 fatalities Naxalite-Maoist Insurgency, in India 11 200 fatalities Somali Civil War 300 000-400 000 fatalities Iraq War 1 455 590+ fatalities Shia Insurgency in Yemen 25 000+ fatalities

Sudanese Nomadic Conflicts 2 500+ fatalities 2011 Syrian Uprising War in North-West Pakistan 30 452+ fatalities Mexican Drug War 43 270+ fatalities

Freedom is not free… it comes at a cost…

This morning we remember all those who have suffered in two world wars and other conflicts …

They shall not grow 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.