His Majesty’s Coastguard will be among emergency services attending a national memorial at Westminster Abbey in London, with serving personnel from both coastal and operational areas of the organisation also marching with thousands of others at events across the country.
The primary commemoration will take place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Representatives from HM Coastguard across all regions of the UK will participate, marching, observing, and joining the two-minute silence.
Among the hundreds supporting events in the capital will be Jon Oliver, a 29-year Royal Navy veteran and HM Coastguard Coastal Operations Area Commander in Cornwall.
Jon said: “Remembrance Day is a time to pause and reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served. For me, it’s not only about honouring colleagues and friends who never came home, but also those who gave so much and later lost their lives to illness.
“Having served 29 years in the Royal Navy and now continuing to serve as a Coastal Operations Area Commander with HM Coastguard, I feel a deep connection to those who put others before themselves.
Their courage and commitment deserve our lasting respect. Standing at the cenotaph will be a powerful moment. It represents gratitude and remembrance, and it reminds us that the values of service and sacrifice endured across generations.
He added: “For the Coastguard, it is a chance to honour those who came before us and to reaffirm our own duty to protect lives today, ensuring that their legacy is never forgotten.Rhyl Coastguard Lucy Ratcliffe will be attending the parade at Whitehall on Sunday. She said: “My husband was selected to attend Remembrance in London for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, so I saw an opportunity to attend for HM Coastguard and did the same.
“I'm very proud that our daughter will see us take part in this poignant and important national service. It’ll be quite emotional to be at the same ceremony together too. We’re both ex-forces and we attend the local parades every year which I love, but I think marching alongside colleagues from the Coastguard and representing my station will be a very different experience.”
Awarded an MBE for his services to the Coastguard in 2014, Stuart McNab is a CRO from Eastbourne. Speaking about attending the ceremony in London this year, Stuart said: “I’ve been a Coastguard for almost 35 years now and I’ve recently celebrated my 70th birthday, so I’m coming towards the end of my time with the service.
“Being able to participate in the Remembrance Parade is a fabulous way of capping off that service for me and it’s something I’m delighted to do. It’s a very special event, and it’s something that we do in this country extremely well.
He added: “At this time, I remember my grandfather and his service during the first world war, he and many others who’ve served.”
Dunoon Coastguard Ross Macdonald said: “Walking alongside Coastguard colleagues at the Cenotaph brings perspective. It is a reminder that public service, in any form, is built on shared purpose, community and duty.
In a world still shaped by conflict, remembrance matters. It honours those who served and reminds us of the lasting cost of war - a message which still needs sharing.
Ross added: “For me, the day reinforces the importance of integrity, responsibility and respect for others. Whether in uniform or in the community, our work contributes quietly to stability and safety, and that is something worth standing for.”
