Commemoration at Cenotaph

Standing still at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London on November 11, 2012, dressed in traditional Parsi attire was Lord Karan Bilimoria. On the balcony above the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) overlooking the Cenotaph was Malcolm Deboo, president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE). "The Zoroastrian faith community, for the first time, was represented at the National Ceremony of Remembrance,” noted a detailed report from Deboo.
To commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany for a ceasefire on the Western front which took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, a two-minute silence was observed with the first stroke of 11 sounded by Big Ben followed by the firing of a gun from Horse Guards Parade by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. After another firing of the gun to mark the end of the two minutes’ silence, the Last Post was sounded by the buglers of the Royal Marines. The laying of wreaths commenced with the first one laid by the Queen, followed by other members of the Royal family, Prime Minister David Cameron, leaders of the UK political parties, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the High Commissioners or their deputies of 47 Commonwealth countries, the representatives of the Services, the Merchant Navy, the Fishing Fleets, the Air Transport Auxiliary Association and the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor.
Once the Dean of the Chapels Royal and Lord Bishop of London Dr Richard Chartres offered a prayer, was heard the hymn O God, our help in ages past, The Lord’s Prayer, Rouse sounded by the Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force and the national anthem, God Save the Queen played by the Massed Bands. The march-past of the ex-Service and civilian organizations drew cheers and claps from the onlookers.
"For the ZTFE…it is important that the Zoroastrian faith community is represented at the National Ceremony of Remembrance,” remarked Deboo viewing the inclusion as a "continuation of the unimpeded march of the Zoroastrian spirit in the 21st century and…a fitting end to our 150th anniversary celebrations.” The credit for this development should go to Bilimoria who used "his good offices… in pursuing this matter with the various government departments together with our past president Dorab Mistry, vice chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK,” said Deboo whilst appreciating the cooperation of Chartres and other supportive well-wishers from the House of Lords and the House of Commons. "At the FCO reception after the ceremony we were delighted to hear words of welcome and praise for the Zoroastrians who served in the armed forces when introduced to many of the VIPs,” added Deboo.
Eminent members of the UK community who had served in the Wars were Dr Sohrab B. Warden, 11th ZTFE president who fought in Mesopotamia during World War I, their first High Priest Dr Sohrab H. Kutar who joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at the outbreak of World War II and was decorated with the Star of Africa by Field Marshal Montgomery for his work in North Africa, senior priest Homi E. Dordi who served in the Royal Indian Air Force in Burma and was awarded the Burma Star, ZTFE patron Capt Rusi Bahadurji who was associated with the Bomber Command and flew many sorties over Germany, plus many other ZTFE members who served in the Royal Air Force as Spitfire and Hurricane pilots, in the Royal Navy in the Arctic convoys and its women members who served in the Auxiliary Units.
Making the sesquicentennial year memorable for the ZTFE were other invitations that they were happy to honor this year: National Service at the Westminster Abbey on July 15 to celebrate the 2012 London Olympic Games, the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, opening service for the 2012 Paralympic Games on August 26 and the opening ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral of the 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 29.