Definitive Answer Please

[gray_marian]

Does anyone know for sure who initiated the two minute silence? There appears to be several contenders!

Edward George Honey an Australian soldier and journalist.Edward George Honey - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_George_Honey

.
Cape Town Mayor, Sir Harry Hands.Sir Harry Hands - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hands


A document was recently unearthed at The National Archives by Farnham Maltings project director Christine Lee, and research by Farnham Museum suggests its proposal of a two-minutes silence was by a group of local farmers in Farnham and was the first of its kind in the world. March 2016

N.I.Sir Crawford McCullagh called for a 'Five Minutes Silence' on 11 July 1916, following receiving news of the death of thousands of soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division at the Somme. However, significantly, he was the first recorded person to publicly call for a period of silence for fallen soldiers.Crawford McCullagh - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_McCullagh

[John Pruden]

when you think about it the first couple of minutes after the guns fell silent must have been terrifying for all on the battle fields who is making the first move German snipers were still picking of targets after 11am 11th month.. so a couple of minutes would have been silent and thoughts would have come to mind when it was all quiet .. just my thoughts jp

[Doc Vernon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-minute_silence

I know of that Silence initiated there in Cape Town and know that to this Day at Midday the Guns on Signal Hill are fired

[happy daze john in oz]

Many moons ago at junior school we had an Australian teacher, Mis Buchanan from Queensland. She was a stickler for history and getting the facts correct even if it meant spending week ends and holidays researching things.

She told us this,
1919 on November 11th two reporters on a major London paper stood on the steps of the building and asked people passing to join them in a minutes silence. News reached the king of this and the following year he declared that a two minute silence be observed regularly after that.

One of the reporters was said to be a Canadian, the other English.

[cappy]

when young charlie my grandson was in infants school i had showed him a picture of a large bandycoot ...later his teacher had asked the kids to make a list of all animals begginning with b .....charlie put bandycoot ...dont make things up she said.....he was dissapointed ....the next day she came to school and asked charlie to stand up in front of the whole assembly and said she was sorry and apologised....she even said sometimes children no more than even teachers ....we then gave charlie the photo of the bandycoot which to me is just a big rat....the kids loved it cappy