Dudley will fall silent on Sunday to remember those who gave their lives fighting for our freedom.

The Remembrance service in Dudley town centre, marking 100 years since the end of World War One in 1918, will take place at the cenotaph in Ednam Road from 10.40am. A two-minute silence will be held at 11am.

Beforehand, veterans will be joined by servicemen and women and community groups in a parade from Vicar Street starting at around 10.15am. It will move along High Street, Stone Street, Priory Street and Priory Road before finishing in Ednam Road by the cenotaph. Uniformed organisations will meet in Vicar Street from 10am.

Several road closures will be in place to make sure the event runs smoothly and safely including Priory Road, Ednam Road, New Street, Tower Street, Priory Street, Stone Street, St James’s Road, Parsons Street, Market Place, High Street, Wolverhampton Street, Union Street and Vicar Street.

Community-organised services will also be held in other areas of the borough on Sunday morning. They include events in Stourbridge, Halesowen, Gornal, Kingswinford, Lye, Netherton, Quarry Bank, Wall Heath, Wordsley and Sedgley. People can contact their local Royal British Legion branch for details. Councillor Alan Taylor, the Mayor of Dudley said:

"On this 100th anniversary we remember those from our borough and beyond who went off to war to defend our freedom but were sadly never to return. We give thanks to the women at home who contributed to the war effort and we think back to those who lost loved ones.

"Each year we pay our respects to all armed forces personnel who have lost their lives in war, but this year we will pay special tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice 100 years ago."

A special tribute will be made at the Dudley town centre Remembrance Service to mark the centenary of Armistice. On empty chairs sitting amongst the veterans will be a number of silhouettes, a poignant reminder and mark of respect to those who didn’t return from the Great War of 1914 to 1918. 

It comes as a giant cross has been put in place next to the fountain in Dudley town centre, where people can place poppies in honour of the war dead.

The transparent silhouettes are part of the national ‘There but not there’ campaign and will be used at events across the country on Sunday November 11, exactly 100 years since the First World War ended.

For information about life in Dudley during World War One, you can visit the Dudley Council website.