Ambassador Sejosingoe attends Commonwealth Remembrance Day ceremony 2026

Ambassador Sejosingoe on Sunday 8 November 2026 attended the annual Remembrance Day wreath laying ceremony at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Prague, a solemn tribute to honour the courage, service and ultimate sacrifice of military personnel and civilians who died in war.

The cemetery contains the remains of 256 Commonwealth soldiers who perished during the Second World War, including 19 South Africans. Six of the South Africans were crew members of a 34 Squadron SAAF Liberator bomber aircraft shot down on 11 September 1944, while the remaining 13 were prisoners of war who died in German captivity and were later transferred to the Prague cemetery, most notably from the Stalag IV-C Prisoner of War camp cemetery which was situated in Most (Brüx in German) in the northwestern corner of the current Czech Republic.

Ambassador Sejosingoe laying the wreath at the foot of the Memorial Cross.

 

Ambassador Sejosingoe and the Ambassador of Canada signing the Book of Condolence.

 

The Czech military band at the event.

 

Ambassador Sejosingoe and Ms Kim Holmes, a member of the South African expatriate community in the Czech Republic, at one of the graves of the 19 South Africans interred in the cemetery. Ms Holmes’ great grandfather, Mr Montague Holmes, fought in the First World War and her grandfather, Mr William Holmes, in the Second World War. Her grandfather was awarded the MBE for his tireless efforts in ensuring that veterans who served alongside Britain received the pensions they were owed but sadly passed away before he could receive it.