Last Post is a bugle call used at military funerals and ceremonies commemorating those who have fallen in war. The Last Post is also the name of a poem by Robert Graves describing a soldier's funeral during World War I. Military bugle in B♭ A French marine bugler at a ceremony in Kuwait City celebrating the success of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 Bugler redirects here. ... Portrait of Robert Graves (circa 1974) by Rab Shiell Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 5 November 1955) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Last Post was originally a bugle call used in British Army camps to signal the end of the day. The name derives from the practice of inspecting all the sentry posts around such a camp at the end of the day, and playing a bugle call at each of them. The "last post" was thus the last point of this inspection, and the bugle call signalling that this post had been inspected marked the end of the military day. This custom dates from at least the 17th century, and originated with British troops stationed in the Netherlands, where it drew on an older Dutch custom, called Taptoe. The Taptoe was also used to signal the end of the day, but has more prosaic origin. Taptoe originated signaling the moment that beer barrels had to be shut, hence that the day had ended. It comes from the Dutch phrase Doe den tap toe, meaning "Turn the tap off" (not to be confused with Taps which has a similar function but different tune and origin). Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Taps (Butterfields Lullaby), sometimes known by the lyrics of its second verse, Day is Done, is a famous musical piece, played in the U.S. military during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet. ...

During the 19th century, Last Post was also carried to the various countries of the British Empire. In all these countries it has been incorporated into military funerals, where it is played as a final farewell, symbolising the fact that the duty of the dead soldier is over and that they can rest in peace. The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Last Post is used in public ceremonials commemorating the war dead, particularly on Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations (known as Veterans Day in the United States). In Australia and New Zealand it is also played on ANZAC Day. Wreaths of artificial poppies used as a symbol of remembrance Remembrance Day (United Kingdom, Australia, Canada), also known as Poppy Day (South Africa and Malta), and Armistice Day (United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, and many other Commonwealth countries; and the original name of the holiday internationally) is a day to... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... President Eisenhower signs HR7786, officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. ... ANZAC Day is commemorated by Australia and New Zealand on 25 April every year to remember members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who in the Battle of Gallipoli landed at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. ANZAC Day is also a public holiday in Cook...

Since 1928 Last Post has been played every evening by buglers of the local Last Post association at the war memorial at Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium known as the Menin Gate, commemorating the British Empire dead at the Battle of Ypres during the First World War. The only exception to this was during the four years of the German occupation of Ypres from 20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944, when the ceremony moved to Brookwood Cemetery in England. On the evening that Polish forces liberated Ypres, the ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate, in spite of the heavy fighting still going on in other parts of the town. These buglers are quite often mistaken as being from the local fire brigade, however they are present everyday, in function and name of the Last Post Committee, they are indeed members of the fire brigade, and can sometimes be seen wearing the uniforms, it is not the Fire Brigade that organizes Last Post. Ypres (French, generally used in English1; Ieper official name in the local Dutch/Flemish) is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... Ypres municipality and district in the province West Flanders Ypres (French, pronounced generally used in English1) or Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced ) is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. ... The Menin Gate Memorial at the eastern exit of the town of Ypres (known as Ieper in Dutch) in Flanders, Belgium, marks the starting point for one of the main roads out of the town that led Allied soldiers to the front line during World War I. Designed by Sir... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... There were four Battles of Ypres during World War I: First Battle of Ypres (October 19 – November 22, 1914) Second Battle of Ypres (April 22 – May 15, 1915) Third Battle of Ypres (July 31 – November 6, 1917) (also known as Passchendaele) Fourth Battle of Ypres (September 28 – October 2, 1918... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Avenue leading from Brookwood Cemetery World War I Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial, within the grounds of Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... The Menin Gate Memorial at the eastern exit of the town of Ypres (known as Ieper in Dutch) in Flanders, Belgium, marks the starting point for one of the main roads out of the town that led Allied soldiers to the front line during World War I. Designed by Sir...

Last Post was used by British forces in North America in colonial times, but its function was taken over in the United States by Taps, which has been used by the United States Army since 1862. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Taps (Butterfields Lullaby), sometimes known by the lyrics of its second verse, Day is Done, is a famous musical piece, played in the U.S. military during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ...

Last Post was incorporated into the finale of Robert Steadman's In Memoriam - a choral work on the subject of remembrance. Last Post is also incorporated into Karl Jenkins's mass The Armed Man and Peter Sculthorpe's chamber orchestra work, Small Town from the Fifth Continent. Robert Steadman (born April 1, 1965) is a British composer of classical music who mostly works in a post-minimalist style but also writes lighter music, including musicals, and compositions for educational purposes. ... Karl Jenkins (born February 17, 1944) is a Welsh musician and composer. ... The Armed Man is the name of a Mass by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, subtitled A Mass for Peace. The piece was commissioned by the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds for the Millennium celebrations and was initially dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. ... Peter Sculthorpe (born April 29, 1929) is a noted Australian composer from Launceston, Tasmania. ... A street in Ynysybwl, Wales, relatively stereotypical of a small town A town is usually an urban area which is not considered to rank as a city. ...

See also

• Reveille
• The Rouse
• Taps

Reveille (British and Canadian English: ; American English: ) is most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. ... The Rouse is a bugle call is most often associated with the military in Commonwealth countries. ... Taps (Butterfields Lullaby), sometimes known by the lyrics of its second verse, Day is Done, is a famous musical piece, played in the U.S. military during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet. ...

External links

• Last Post website relating to the Menin Gate (an MP3 recording of Last Post can be heard at this website)

• Sheet music for Last Post (from an Australian site commemorating ANZAC Day)

• Last Post website run by a trumpet player, with music, MIDI files and notes on performance and nomenclature.

• Last Post from official Malaysian Army website - file in wav format

• Last Post played at a ANZAC Day service in New Zealand - flash sound player, listen online